As a remote worker, separating work from home life can seem tasking. Although you can work on your bed or in the living room, it may not be suitable in the long term. It is easy to become distracted, and this affects your overall work performance. The easy way out of this is to create a separate home office.
Having your workspace is not only essential but also beneficial and psychologically effective. Your environment can affect your state of mind. And a dedicated workspace trains your brain to register it as a strict work environment. This helps to create specificity and increase motivation to get your tasks done.
There are other good reasons for a separate home office. If you read further, you will find out how beneficial it can be. We also outlined factors to consider before creating your workspace and ways you can get started.
What Are The Benefits of Having A Dedicated Workspace?
A home office is a unique space in your home where you carry out all your business activities. Below are the benefits of having a well-equipped workspace:
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Boosts Your Productivity
Working from home may seem to lower productivity, but the reverse is the case with a separate home office. One reason is that you don’t need to commute to work or follow strict office guidelines.
Also, you can design your office to your taste and feel at home while working. A separate space will help you think better and boost your work performance in the long run.
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Increase Your Focus and Work Speed
A boost in your productivity comes from increased focus and work speed. With all the necessary gadgets in place, your ‘work mode’ is switched on, and you become focused.
A home office helps to get rid of external and internal distractions. External distractions come from your environment, while internal distractions are in your mind. With a good space to think, your focus will increase, and so will your work speed.
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Makes You More Professional
Video calls, conferences, and virtual presentations are all norms in remote working. You will need to appear and sound professional whenever you present yourself.
A well-equipped home office can give you that advantage. It makes you appear competent to your employer or client. As a result, you leave a good impression and grow your reputation as a reliable business person.
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Encourages Work-Life Balance
Bringing your work home can put some pressure on balancing your home life and work. But when you create a separate workspace, it helps you to achieve that balance.
A work-life balance allows you to pay attention to every area of your life. When you need to work, you can carry out your work activities in your home office. And when you need to do things unrelated to work, it becomes easy to attend to them.
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Cost-Effective and More Convenient
Having a home office may seem expensive, but it is cost-effective in the real sense. Creating a workspace is an investment that will bring many returns in the future. And this also includes convenience.
You get the freedom to design your workspace to your taste. You can include essential gadgets specific to your work, take breaks anytime, and listen to some music. You can do what you want without any specific rules.
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Helps You to Maintain Discipline
While enjoying your convenience, you will need loads of discipline to keep you on track. Working is not as fun as enjoying your favorite TV show in the living room. But having a separate home office can help you to have a sense of discipline.
You can have productivity tools in your workspace that help motivate you and track your tasks. They also help you manage time and energy. As a result, you stay focused, motivated, and productive.
Factors to Consider Before Setting Up A Home Office
If you plan to set up your home office, you need to keep these things in mind:
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Type of Work
The type of work you do will determine the kind of home office you need. It will also affect the type of gadgets you will need to get. For example, Let’s say your work involves having virtual meetings or project presentations. You may need to invest in professional office design for a good background and gadgets like webcam and microphone.
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Location
The location of your home office can affect your work performance. Your environment can influence your focus and drive. So it is crucial to choose a good location that suits your taste. It is always a good idea to situate your office in a well-lit, properly ventilated area.
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Space, Size, and Design
You must determine the best space and size for your home office. Your workspace should be spacious enough to accommodate you and your work equipment.
Your office interior design is a personal choice but an important aesthetic. You may prefer a minimalistic or rather peculiar layout, but it is best to consider your type of work first.
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Cost and Budget
Setting up a home office will require some spending. So, you may need to have a detailed budget that outlines how much you can spend on things you need. It is important to categorize the items you need to buy in order of priority. So, you know the essential things to get first.
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Essential Gadgets and Tools
Every office needs essential gadgets to achieve tasks. The tools you need for your workspace may depend on your work type. But some of the basic things you will need are a suitable desk, an ergonomic chair, and a laptop.
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Clutter Management
A clean and organized office is important to improve motivation and portray professionalism. You will need to determine how you clean, organize, and store items in your workspace. You can invest in getting:
- Wireless electronic devices,
- A storage or file cabinet, and
- Cleaning services to tidy up your work area regularly.
Ways to Create Separate Home Office for Work
Setting up a home office may seem as simple as designating a corner of your home for working. But you may need sufficient space and a boundary to separate your home from your workspace. This is important to help you focus better and be more productive.
Below are two ways in which you can create a separate home office for work:
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Select a Suitable Space/Room in Your Home
If you have an extra room in your home, you are lucky because you can use this room as your home office. But if you do not have a room, you can make an area to serve as a workspace.
Making space will require you to modify your home’s décor or furniture. To define your workspace, try to include a separation, like a curtain or large cupboard.
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Create a Detached Office in Your Yard or Garden
If you are a solopreneur or you need absolute focus, then a garden office may be an inexpensive option. A garden office is a small, efficient, stand-alone office erected in a yard or domestic garden. It requires an electrical and internet connection from the main building.
Generally, a garden office is referred to as an outbuilding and may not need planning permission as long as it is small enough and satisfies other legal requirements.
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How To Separate Home Office from Living Room
If you neither have space nor the resources to create a garden office, then there are other options. You can tap into your creative juices to make a small, workable space in your living room.
Below are some of the best ideas to create and separate your home office from your living room:
- A corner desk in your living room can serve as a good area. It may not accommodate all your tools, but there are ways to tackle inconveniences.
- Consider using the space under the stairs. It can be small but workable. Investing in a pair of noise-canceling headphones can help to eliminate noise from the stairs.
- If you have an alcove, it may be a good idea to set up your workspace.
- Painting a room section with a different color can create the work environment you need. Remember that an office is just a workspace.
- Construct a wall desk to save floor space. This is a creative way to maximize all the space you can.
- Designated an area in the living room to work. This unique area can be your couch or your dining table. This works as long as you maintain a work time to stay focused.
- Actively set up and take down your ‘workspace.’ You can do this by using work tools during work time and keeping them away when you are finished.
Conclusion
Working from home can create freedom and convenience. But it is essential to have a separate home office. It would be best if you had a designated workspace to help you focus and stay productive. A home office can also keep you motivated, double your work speed, and help you stay disciplined. You can create a space in your home, use a spare room, or even build a garden office outside your yard.
But before setting up your home office, there are factors to consider. Some include location, budget, space, and essential office gadgets. With these factors in mind, you can create the best home office for you to work.
