Creating Your Workspace at Home
The real estate landscape in Perth and all over the world is changing – and one of the most significant consideration is remote working. According to McKinsey’s report on the “Future of Work”, the push to work from home as a consequence of the COVID crisis, has fundamentally changed urbanisation patterns.
Recognising the effect and importance of the new industry trend, here are some ideas to help you “Create Your Own Office Space at Home” that are effective and functional.
What are the steps that you would need to take into consideration?
- Evaluate what your needs are based on your profession
- Designate then design a specific work zone
- Consider technology tools that you will be using
- Design your filing systems
- Think about comfort
- Keep it organised
Ideally, you should keep the workspace and family space separate. You deserve a dedicated space that promotes concentration, creativity with a bulwark to protect you from diversions lurking around the corner.
So, create a threshold. Thresholds help define where a workspace physically starts and stops. If you have a spare room, you should consider using it to shut off the distractions, pets and other visitors. If not, perhaps use a carpet or rug to define your work zone. Working out of two or three areas is often less productive although the other zones could be used as storage.
Your dedicated workspace should be equipped with plenty of lighting and hopefully, natural lighting, so that your eyes do not tire easily.
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic was notable for the relative ease with which millions of workers switched to working from home, using both existing and relatively new tools, such as Zoom videoconferencing. From digital networks and file sharing to conference calls and video chats, technology makes it increasingly feasible for professionals to be productive. That is why you will need to consider the technology make-up of your office: cordless earphones, the lighting and sound for video conferencing and hopefully have a view so that you can gaze off through a window whenever you need a break.
Interestingly, the dining room has become the most popular choice of room to convert into a workspace. All you will have to add in is additional storage space. Since dining rooms are usually used for more formal occasions, this would optimise the use of a less functional room at home.
Another winning option is the guest room. With COVID-19 restrictions, it is less likely that you will be having guests during this season so it is just perfect to be converted as a workspace.
If you have clients visiting your home, then you would want to have a workspace with a separate outside door or very close to an outside door.
Once you have completed the evaluation and design of the first 3 steps above, next, create a separate filing system for business and personal matters.
With our desks being used for both personal and business purposes, it will be good to get a filing cabinet or use separate drawers to file these documents separately right from the start. This will avoid double handling and save you lots of time and hassle in the long run.
Another great tip is to create a place where you can keep “junk”. We get clutter and junk that end up on our desks – so instead of letting these things get mixed up, put them away in a pile and clear them once they get full or periodically.
Expert Organising Tip: Pinboard. If you can have a pin up area, have one! This will help you put up ideas of what inspires you to do your job well and develop ideas to help frame for your thinking. You could even have an area on the board where you can categorise and prioritise your tasks as well as write down any thoughts that may pop up along the workday which may not require urgent attention.
Design comfort into your workspace. To promote calm thinking, bring in some indoor plants. Not only will you benefit from the extra oxygen, it is a proven way to reduce stress.
Always invest in a good chair. Choose a chair that is practical as well as beautiful so you can spend hours in it because you probably will. Otherwise, you may also consider alternatives such as using a fit-ball as a chair or a mobile sit-stand chair which have proved to be very popular in offices today. You will increase your mobility and engage your muscles more effectively during work, avoiding physical fatigue associated with the long hours on the desk.
Finally, habitually clean up your desk at the end of the day. This is an excellent practice to incorporate and make the workspace welcoming at the start of the next workday!
If you have any ideas on how to create a more productive or effective workspace, or one that you love, we would love to hear from you.
