How To Build A Functional Home Office

Too many people seem to think that working from home is as simple as setting up a desk, telephone, and laptop or other device and bingo, you’re good to go! The reality is often far different. Even though you might be doing some genuine work, you are still at home and your mind is conditioned to feel a bit more relaxed when you’re there.

You don’t have to give up on your dream of setting up the perfect home office though, all you need is a clever strategy for making it work, and we’re going to show you how to do that in 5 simple steps.

#1. Develop a routine

It’s going to be very easy to lose focus and perhaps not work as hard as you should if you let yourself relax too much and this could happen very easily when you’re working from home. For the entrepreneur or mobile worker who has decided to set up shop at home, one way to keep your edge in the relative comfort of your home is to develop a routine such as you would have if you were going to work in a conventional office space like most people do. Seemingly simple things like taking a bath and getting dressed early in the morning, could be just what you need to condition your mind for action.

#2. Have a dedicated office space

Another smart thing to do, which really should be a bit obvious, is setting up a dedicated office space purely for work and nothing else. Ideally, if you have enough room, a dedicated room would be a good idea for your “home office”. Keeping as much of your home as you can out of your office will be key, as your mind takes cues from everything around you. Also, having some form of professional looking arrangement would help a lot in case you need to have meetings with clients from time to time.

#3. Work efficiently

Everyone has a particular time of the day at which they are most productive and you will need to find yours and stick to it. You have the advantage of being able to work whenever you feel like, but you will need to be self-disciplined to keep up your productivity.

#4. Work life balance

Just as “home” has a tendency to creep into work when you set up a home office, “work” too could easily spill over into your home life. Statistics show that workers with the appropriate work-life balance are usually the most productive, so you should do everything you can to make sure that you keep these elements of your life separate.

#5. Set some rules

You’re going to need to be tough with some of the people in your life if you’re serious about making your home office productive and fit-for-purpose. For starters, access into this space should be restricted to only yourself, any staff you might have, and your clients (of course). Family members who need to reach you while you’re at the office should be made to follow the same process as they would if you were not working from home even if that means calling you on the phone instead of simply sauntering over at will.

The greatest challenge to working at home is being able to ignore the plethora of legitimate and illegitimate distractions that will inevitably call for your attention, particularly if you have kids. You may never be able to fully cut these out, but if you use these tips, you will be able to improve your productivity and justify working from home.