Optimizing Your Home Office for Maximum Productivity | ProductiveandFree

Nearly one-third of the U.S. workforce works remotely at least part of the time, which means nearly 91 million people are in need of a workspace in their homes. Suffice it to say that if you are trying to fit a home office into your living space, you aren’t alone.

Your home office doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant — but it does need to be effective at helping you focus on your tasks. Here is how to put together your home office to maximize productivity:

Choosing the Right Space | ProductiveandFree — **Unsplash**

Choose the Right Space

Ideally, your home office will be quiet, private, and comfortable. The best option for a home office is an unused guest bedroom; the second-best option is another closed-off space away from your home’s high-traffic areas. If you don’t have a bedroom to spare, you might consider transforming a shed or garage into your dedicated workspace. As a last resort, you should carve out a corner of your bedroom, where you have total control over the décor and can close (and perhaps lock) the door against interruptions.

You need to think critically about a space before you select it for your home office. How much time and effort are required to make the space livable? Are there enough outlets to power all your work-from-home tools? Can you envision yourself happily spending hours on end in the space? If you can, you might try experimenting with different locations, working from a mobile device or laptop, to make sure you fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of each potential home office area before making your decision.

Equip Your Office

Once you have a space picked out, you can begin acquiring and arranging your office furniture. You will need a desk that can accommodate the equipment you regularly use to complete your work, and you will need a desk chair that provides appropriate support for your frame. Likely, you will also need storage solutions to organize paperwork, gadgets, or other bits and bobs necessary to your work.

You might be tempted to invest in office furniture that is trendy or aesthetically pleasing. While the look of your office does matter somewhat — you should strive to create an office space that suits your taste as you will find more enjoyment while working — you should avoid sacrificing function for form. Your objective in acquiring office equipment is to ensure your furniture and tools support your workflow.

Clean and Declutter

A cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, as the saying goes. Efficiency experts agree that a messy work area impedes one’s ability to focus on the tasks at hand, so when you are setting up your home office, and regularly afterward, you should take the time to clean up.

It should go without saying that you should keep your home office clean with regular chores like vacuuming and dusting. You should also engage in weekly decluttering: primarily filing or throwing away documents and returning gathered objects to other rooms in your home. You should try to keep your desk free of anything you do not need consistently, like a coaster for your beverage or a calendar.

Reduce Distractions

You chose a space far from the hubbub of your home, and you are relentless about reducing clutter — but these aren’t the only distractions that can prevent you from being productive in your home office. If you want to make certain that your mind will focus only on your work, then you might want to consider the following:

Sound. Being physically separate from others doesn’t fully prevent them from interrupting your focus. You might consider soundproofing, especially if your office is in an uninsulated space like a garage or shed. In addition to acoustic panels, you might lay thick rugs and cover windows with heavy curtains, both of which will absorb excess sound.

Air. When you are in a closed room, the air can quickly become stale and polluted by contaminants. You might consider placing an air purifier somewhere in your home office, so you can reduce the likelihood of respiratory irritation, like asthma or allergies, and neutralize irksome odors, both of which might take your mind off your work. Living plants can also help keep your air fresh and clean, though you should try to avoid cluttering your windows or desk with excess greenery.

Media. Your computer, television, and phone are distraction machines. If possible, you should prevent yourself from using these tools in non-work capacities during working hours, perhaps by installing apps that limit your access. If necessary, you may need to store your phone and TV away from your workspace while you are on the clock.

You aren’t the first remote worker to struggle with productivity at home. With tools and strategies to help you focus on your work — and with plenty of practice — you should be able to find a way to function productively in your home office.

Katie Brenneman

Katie is a passionate writer specializing in time management, marketing, and education-related content. When she isn't writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.