The Best Home Office Setup

For many workers, the pandemic lockdowns meant they had to set up home offices overnight. Most believed (and hoped) that the setup would be temporary, so they carved out a place in the bedroom, on the dining room table, or the living room coffee table to call their “home office.” Others, with more means or more foresight, invested in remodeling and setting up a true office that was conducive to focus and Zoom calls.

Many companies have recalled workers to the office, but a Stanford University study says that 30 percent of American workers still work from home. (Before the pandemic, about 5 percent of workers were remote workers.) If you’re one of them, it may be time to take another look at your setup. Here are some tips to make your home office a more productive and more pleasant environment to work from.

First, design and productivity experts say that your home office should have a clear separation from the rest of your home. If you can locate your workspace in a room with a door 9guest room or actual dedicated room), you’ll be able to shut the door at the end of the day and leave work behind, mentally and physically. This is especially helpful if you have clutter on your desk; even if you’re not a neat freak, studies have shown that clutter increases stress.

If you don’t have an extra room that will serve as an office, you might like these creative “office in a closet” solutions.

Being able to close a physical barrier to your home office also makes it easier to take breaks for meals and to enforce hours in the evening and on weekends that you’re definitively offline. It’s important for your mental health to create a routine that feels like going to work and coming home from the office. Blurred lines create a feeling of always being “on,” which impacts mental health.

An entrepreneur.com article offers suggestions to optimize home office design. Writer Josh Goldenberg says “One of the simplest changes to make is with lighting. The best option is a room with a window that brings in natural light. If that’s not possible, look for lights that aren’t pure white — they tend to be harsh on the eyes and taxing on the brain…To create a calm work environment, install lights that have a warm, yellow hue. Note that LED bulbs, while efficient, produce soft, cool light.” Floor and table lamps can create a warm, inviting atmosphere to complement your desk lighting.

Ergonomic chairs and large screens will make your desk more comfortable for long periods. But it’s also important to make your workspace a lace that feeds your senses. Decorate with beautiful office accessories, area rugs, and colors that energize, sooth, or make you feel like the space is done in your taste. Make sure you have storage for important documents or tools you use only occasionally (the clutter thing again.)

Pay special attention to the view behind you that your Zoom meeting participants will see. You may not care about investing in a curated shelf that sends a message (there are plenty of filters to block the view.) But make sure your lighting is flattering and that the background isn’t messy and chaotic – there may be times when the filter isn’t on.

Your home  office should be a place that soothes you and helps you do your best work. Spending time on its location and look will pay off in the long run.