Last year the world of work changed overnight. Goodbye office, hello living room. Workers were forced to scramble to create makeshift offices on the fly, but now that it seems likely that remote work is a trend here to stay for many, it’s time to get serious about creating an office space in your home.
A dedicated workspace will help boost productivity and creativity, and equally as important, it will create a boundary between work and your personal life. If you’re ready to invest in a home office, here are some ideas to inspire your perfect workspace.
Get Moving
One of the big problems about working from home is how little remote workers move throughout the day. Sneak exercise into your day by going for a walk during a break, walking through your house while on the phone or scheduling time to do a short online fitness routine. With sitting being called the new smoking, investing in a standing desk, like MojoDesk, can help you reap the health benefits of standing and moving throughout your day.
Studies show standing desks can help workers lower heart disease, obesity and neck pain; another found that using a standing desk can increase productivity by 45 percent. A comfortable place to do your work is the centerpiece of an office space. With a variety of shapes and sizes, standing desks give you the option to build your own based on specific needs and can accommodate any body type. Creating a work station that keeps you on your feet can help ensure that working from home doesn’t interfere with your overall wellness.
Spark Your Creativity
One of the biggest challenges working from home is the lack of interaction with other people. If you get your best ideas by bouncing them off others, schedule a short brainstorming Zoom session to get your creative juices flowing. Journaling is another technique remote workers can use to spark ideas. Buy a dedicated journal and set aside 10-15 minutes per day to just write about whatever work issue you need a solution to without censoring any thoughts. Often the more we freely write, the more interesting the ideas become.
The environment you work in can either help or hinder creativity. The last thing your creativity needs is to stare at four white walls on a daily basis. Spice up your new office and spark some new creativity by incorporating unique art in your space, whether it’s wooden sculptures, athletic jerseys or fashion collages.
You might even consider a made-to-order item that perfectly fits your style and office aesthetic. By working with companies like Studio Pacific, you can unleash your inner artist and create customized made-to-order items that will be assembled directly in your home.
Eat This Not That
A challenge working at home is that the kitchen is just steps away. Often remote workers pack on the pounds because they eat out of convenience or boredom rather than being hungry. If you’re working virtually you need to have some go-to food and drink items to avoid raiding the refrigerator throughout the day.
Cut up fruits and vegetables, cottage cheese, or a handful of nuts, make for healthy snacking. Sipping on green tea, seltzer water of having your own filtered water cooler like the Pacifik from Aquaverve. can help you stay hydrated throughout the day and help you avoid overdoing it on sugary and caffeinated beverages.
Change Your Environment
Just like staring at blank walls isn’t good for creativity, so is having to look at the same office setup day in and day out. Change up your space easily and inexpensively with new desk supplies, a new wall color or new artwork.
Don’t know the exact look you want for your new office space? You can give your office furniture a trial run by renting it for a short period of time. Save yourself the stress of making a long-term furniture commitment and consider renting your office desk or office chair from an online marketplace such as 1RentPlace.
With the rental option, you can easily swap out luxury furniture and décor when you want to change up your space or style.
Be Prepared to Pick Up and Go
Working from home five days a week can get tough. Now that things are opening up again, take your work on-the-go to a local coffee shop for a change of scenery to spark your creativity.
As a remote worker it’s essential to have to tools that are mobile. Invest in a lightweight laptop like the MacBook Air or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1Carbon.
Carry your new laptop and other supplies in a handcrafted business bag from Ghurka. Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Megan Markle and Cameron Diaz are all fans of the artisan leather maker, and the Blazer No. 278 backpack or the Garrison No. 147 briefcase not only make it easy to pick-up and go, but you’ll be the talk of your corner café.