When COVID-19 shut down offices last year, people all over the country started working from home to avoid getting sick. Now, almost a year later, folks are still working from home as we wait for the vaccine to become widely available.
In our own home, our renovation plans didn’t include a work-from-home space for any of us, much less four of us! But with Ted and I both working from home while our oldest daughters attend virtual school, we have learned a lot about creating flexible spaces that inspire us, while leaving room for work life balance.
How to Create a More Productive Home Office
Here are some ways you can improve your home office while working from home:
1. Find your own space. While ideally we all would have a separate room to dedicate to quiet work space, sometimes you need to get creative carving out your own space. In our home, the only space that was quiet and away from the kids’ play area was a corner in our master bedroom. While keeping a desk in your bedroom has been taboo for years, by creating boundaries between work and personal space, this system works well for us. A bonus is that I get to enjoy the fantastic natural light all day long! We spent a lot of time and energy making this our favorite room in the world, so I feel lucky to spend an extra few hours each day here.
To keep a separation from work and personal space, I’m thoughtful about which way I orient my desk (away from the pile of unfolded laundry!), and a pair of good headphones goes a long way to help me focus. If you’re in a multi-purpose room, consider a simple room divider that can easily tuck away when it is not in use. I’m sure to close my laptop, tuck all our files away, and put our work phone on a charger in a different room at the end of the day to create mental separation as well.
Basements can be a great source of bonus space in your home too! If you decide to work in an unfinished basement, every effort you make will make your space a little more comfortable. Place a rug underneath your desk for softer footing. Install some temporary walls so you don’t need to look at cinder blocks all day. Add additional lights to make the basement workspace warm and cheery. If you get a draft in the winter, try a heated blanket as an effective alternative to a space heater.
When we remodeled our basement in Squirrel Hill, we created a workspace in a previous storage room. By opening up a wall, painting, adding some lights and decor, we were able to transform a previously dark corner into a cheerful, comfortable work zone.
2. Give it some color. The color of the walls around you can have an enormous impact on how you feel throughout the day. Fortunately, the most popular colors of 2021 are soft and inviting, offering some contrast to the hard year we all endured in 2020! Colors to consider using for your home office include gray, tranquil dawn (a light green-blue), and light blue. After testing half a dozen samples, I am thrilled with how “Romance” by Sherwin Williams came out in my workspace.
3. Invest in a great chair. Studies show that people who work from home often wind up working longer hours than they would in the office. Longer hours means more time sitting—so make sure your chair is comfortable and lends the support you need throughout the day! A well-designed, ergonomic chair can cost upwards of $100 or more, but the investment is worth the health benefits if you plan on sitting all day!
4. Consider using a standing desk. Standing desks have exploded in popularity over the last 10 years. Some people have even taken to creating their own by placing their monitors or laptops on top of tall stacks of books. However you go about it, make sure you’re comfortable and focused on ergonomics so you don’t hurt your neck or wrists.
When properly used, standing desks can contribute to higher productivity and burn more calories throughout the day. In time, they can even increase your energy levels!
5. Get a second (or third) monitor. Numerous studies have proven that a second monitor can make you more productive. Although these studies don’t always agree on exactly how much more productive you might be, some show productivity increases of 40% or more!
If you already have a second monitor, consider getting a third to give yourself even more space to work with. Another trick: Turning one of your monitors horizontal can prevent the need to scroll so much while writing or researching online.
6. Keep your workspace stocked with the essentials. Sure, your house might have scissors, masking tape, and a good stapler, but you don’t want to spend 15 minutes every day wondering where the kids placed your office supplies!
Make sure your home office is stocked with the essentials you use every day. If necessary, take a trip to the store to grab some of your favorite office supplies—then explain to the kids that your office supplies need to stay near your desk.
7. Focus on your lighting. Sit near a window, if possible! Soaking in natural light during the day can help you sleep better at night, and it can also boost your productivity! Pittsburgh winters are often gray, so you should also assess the lighting in and around your workspace to ensure your eyes remain comfortable throughout the day.
8. Get some greenery. Office plants have been shown to reduce stress, improve air quality, and increase productivity. If you don’t have a green thumb, a small succulent or cactus can add enough green to give you a small boost throughout the day.
Just be careful: Be sure to place flower pots where they’re least likely to be knocked over and spill all over your desk!
9. Figure out your storage. If you don’t have a large desk with tons of drawers, storage can become a nightmare. In the worst case, you may wind up with stacks of paper scattered all over your workspace.
If necessary, invest in storage containers, bins, or folios to help you organize your papers, pens, and office paraphernalia throughout the day.
10. Talk to your family about boundaries. One of my favorite perks of working from home is being there for small moments—seeing the coloring project my toddlers are working on and hearing about their imaginary friends. But there are downsides to working from home, especially during the winter when the kids spend most of the day inside. I’ve found it is much easier to set boundaries around when I can’t play by taking 15 minutes to play a round of Guess Who or Yahtzee on my coffee break. Then when I tell them, “I need quiet space, and we can play later,” they know I mean it!
Boundaries will look different for every family, but the key is to make sure the system you create works for everyone. Ted and I are intentional about which parent is responsible at any given time so that I can easily say, “Go ask Dad!” when it’s Ted’s turn, and he can do the same when he is working as well.
11. Don’t forget about the kids! If your kids are attending school online, the switch to working from home can be just as difficult for them. Some ways you can make it easier:
Give them their own space. Do they have enough space in their bedroom to spread out? If not, is there somewhere else they can go in the house that can be free of distractions while they’re attending class or studying?
Allow them to decorate. Kids love colors and designs, so give them the freedom to decorate their workspace however makes them happiest.
Check if they have the right technology. Your child’s school may have provided them with a laptop, but is it comfortable to use all day? Like you, your child may benefit from a monitor, an external keyboard, and an ergonomic mouse to prevent injuries.
Do you already have your home office exactly the way you like it? We’d love to see it! Feel free to share it with us on Facebook or Instagram, or send us a photo at theblocks@blocksintheburgh.com!
Cheers,
Julie & Ted