6 Steps to Set Up a Home Office (the right way)
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Working from home was “the dream.”
Spending more time with your family, pajama day forever, being the Slick Rick on your MacBook Pro at Starbucks at 12:30... we all had our preconceived notions about what that dream looked like.
Then, in March 2020, it got real. If you were blessed to continue working, you most likely did so from home, whether or not that was your dream. It probably wasn’t as cool as you’d imagined it to be. When I started my business from home, I had every intention of spending more time with my kids and contributing meaningfully to society. Let me tell ya, if you don’t have a schedule, a designated workspace, or a built-in routine to meet deadlines, you are in for a rude awakening.
Most clients I talk to don’t even know where to begin when embarking upon this journey. So, I’m going to tell you where to start and break it down into six simple steps to start you off on the right foot. Slick Rick can just sit quietly and take notes, ok? I’m also going to offer a bonus tip at the end so read the whole post.
Start by setting up a proper home office space.
Boom, that’s the beginning. If you skip this step, you’ll be spending lots of extra time running around. You do the familiar zigzag through the house looking for things, losing said things, sacrificing comfort and privacy, losing track of time, suffering from the onset of random headaches from bad lighting... Need I go on? No, you get the point.
Step 1. Designate a workspace.
Ideally, this is a room where you close the door to minimize interruptions and distractions. If that is just not possible, remove some doors and create a cool office nook in a cleared out closet. Necessity is the mother of invention. If a closet office nook is not in the cards, set up a portable workstation.
I suggest using a tiered cart that can store supplies away when you’re not using them. The top shelf can have your laptop, maybe a small monitor, and other electronic devices/accessories. The next shelf or shelves can have some small, stackable bins with office supplies. Think staplers, pens, notebooks, chargers, paperclips, headphones, and so on. If the cart is big and sturdy enough, you can even stick your printer/scanner/fax/shredder 5000 machine on the bottom shelf. It’s totally possible, I’ve done it.
Step 2. Have a good lighting setup.
If possible, be in a space that has good natural light to fill the room. This not only helps you to see better, but can help boost positive feelings and give you a sense of the time of day. In addition, you’re going to want a good electric light source to fully and properly light your work surface.
Step 3. Invest in an L-shaped work surface.
If you are a serious work-from-home-er, then you’ll want one. Use one side of the L for your computer and all of its friends (remember the printer/scanner/fax/shredder 5000 machine?) Use the other side for manual writing tasks, laying out projects, storing work-related books and other reading materials, office supplies, and a mini-fridge for all the snacks. That’s MY work from home dream.
Step 4. Try out a Varidesk.
My husband set up his computer on one of these on top of his desk. Let me tell you, it’s the coolest thing. I’ve seen standing desks before, but that means you’ve removed the option to take a break and sit. The Varidesk allows you to get up on your feet for a bit, get some blood flowing to your poor pinky toes, and keep working till lunch.
Step 5. Invest in the best office chair you can afford.
I don’t mean some crazy $5000 leather and gold office chair. Invest in one that’s going to allow you to get your work done without needing to go to the chiropractor on Saturday morning.
Hint- gamers know what’s up.
There are some really comfy, gaming-friendly chairs that will provide epic support for your backside while you work.
Step 6. Define your business hours.
This one is kinda goofy, but so worth it. Psychologically, you want to mimic the aspects of a traditional workplace that you know make you more productive. Managing your time and having a firm start and end time to your workday is imperative to avoid burnout and maximize your productivity.
Here’s that bonus tip I promised you. (Side note- I’m so honored that you’ve chosen to spend your time reading this post long enough to make it here!)
Step BONUS. Sit down on a Sunday and write your hours of operation.
Jot down a quick and broad weekly routine for work. Now is your opportunity to think about what routines and systems worked well for you in the workplace and fix the things that DIDN’T work. To make the most of your day, I recommend tackling the hardest or least favorite tasks first thing. Give each batch of tasks a firm time slot and do your best to devote your full attention to each time slot.
Here’s a bonus to the bonus tip.
Schedule time at the beginning and end of your workday to transition. Twenty minutes is usually all you need and I suggest setting yourself a timer or an alarm for your transition time. These twenty minutes mimic your commute. Clean up breakfast, put real clothes on, listen to a motivating podcast, and set up your workspace. When your alarm goes off twenty minutes before closing time, quickly wrap up your workday, put everything away, play the song Closing Time by Semisonic, and learn all the lyrics by heart so you can belt it out.
How do you feel? Better than Slick Rick, I bet. I wish you all the best working from home. Use these tips to help you make it a dream come true!
Yours In Living the WFH Dream,
Melanie