Whether you are looking into starting a business from your home, have been self employed for a while, or have found yourself working from home as a result of a hybrid working scheme, here are our quick tips to help you become even more efficient and make the most out of your workspace.
1. Organise Your Home Office Space
The first thing you want to do to ensure you are efficiently working from home is to set up a comfortable home office space. Whether a dynamic environment with a standing desk, or a static space with a regular desk, it is important that you are comfortable to allow you to focus on your tasks at hand.
You should also ensure that there are no distractions present, so try and tidy as much as possible and only keep your work-relevant items at hand. An organised home office setup will lead to an organised mind.
- Make sure your desk is deep enough to suit your space and the purpose of the desk; a desk that is too small will become cluttered quicker.
- Avoid tangled cables and cluttered surfaces with cable trays and tidies to keep your cables organised, or under desk storage solutions, such as an under desk drawer, for your files and other accessories.
- Use monitor arms and a CPU holder to lift your screens and hide your large PC unit to free up more desk space.
- Establish an organised filing system for documents. Use folders, binders, or digital tools to categorize and store important papers.
- Make the most of your vertical space by installing shelves or wall-mounted storage units.
- Regularly declutter by getting rid of unnecessary papers, old equipment, and anything else that doesn't contribute to your work.
2. Get the Right Furniture
On the topic of comfort, getting the right office furniture is essential. At the beginning of the working from home wave (which began as a result of the pandemic), lots of people would sit at their dining table on a regular chair, assuming that this would only be temporary and totally manageable for a few weeks or months. However, several years on, using the wrong furniture can have more serious health consequences.
Firstly, using an everyday piece of furniture starts to blur the lines between domestic and work life. Sitting down at the same table to eat dinner after you’ve been working at it all day makes it more difficult to relax and switch off from the office – and this is for people working at a dining table, many people don’t even have a set-up of that sophistication!
Secondly, sitting at an uncomfortable chair or desk that isn't the right height is bad for your health - in fact, emerging studies suggest the dangers of sitting for long periods of time include loss of muscle, weight gain, hip and back issues, and increasing your chances of developing some types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, deep vein thrombosis and varicose veins.
- Invest in a height adjustable desk. Available in both electric and manual variations, a standing desk encourages you to switch between standing and sitting positions, with a myriad of health benefits
- Choose an ergonomic office chair which promotes good posture and provides strong back support. There are even ergonomic stools and posture balls that offer a unique, core-engaging way to sit! Read our full guide on choosing an ergonomic chair for more.
- Consider additional ergonomic accessories, such a footrest, standing desk mat, walking pad or treadmill to reduce strain and pain in your muscles when standing up or sitting down.
Once you've got the right furniture, sit on it properly! We spend a significant amount of time sitting at a desk, and prolonged periods of sitting down can have a detrimental effect on our health. See: How to Sit Properly at Your Desk to make sure you're getting it right.
3. Set Clear Work Hours
Flexibility is probably the biggest benefit that you can get by working from home as you are your own boss, and can set your own times and manage your schedule as you please. Unfortunately, it can also be a curse as some people require a strict schedule with set hours allocated to doing work in order to not get distracted.
Our advice would be to schedule yourself specific work hours for each day, where your only focus is completing your given tasks. Everyone is different, so this will depend on your unique needs and requirements, bit you are a morning person, for example, you could start work a bit earlier than normal, while those who prefer a lie in can often work late into the night. Most important thing is to create a healthy schedule that works best for you, and not to get distracted in or out of office hours.
3. Take Regular Breaks
Although it is easy to get distracted while working from home, the opposite can also be true. Some people often get so focused on their work due to being completely undisturbed that they forget to take breaks and may even skip meals. While getting in the zone to power through a difficult assignment might initially appear efficient, it can frequently lead to a quick burnout and a massive drop in productivity. It is important to try and take a 5 minute break every hour, and to make sure you are still having 3 square meals and healthy snacks throughout the day to fuel your brain!
Again, one of the biggest issues you’ll come across when working from home is the barrier between work and rest becoming increasingly obscured. It’s not like you can finish up at 5, take the journey home, and leave work behind you as you shut the door – your commute is only a short walk from one room to another!
One way to offset this in the middle of your working day is to take a proper break, at a certain time, and step away form your computer. Doing this can not only help you to associate wherever you are set up for work with, well, working, but it can also remind you that everywhere else in the house is for relaxing and non-work time.
4. Stay Active
One of the biggest challenges of working from home is staying active – especially true if you’re not going for walks or to the gym before or after work.
Over and above making use of your breaks to get your body moving with high or low intensity exercise, there’s a simple change you can make to your working day that will help to offset any issues that might arise from the sedentary lifestyle most of us are experiencing under these restrictions.
Switching between sitting and standing at your desk throughout the day helps to keep you fit. Not only does it burn more calories than merely sitting (although the amount isn’t huge, this adds up to a significant number over the course of a working week!), but it helps to avoid back pain that can arise from sitting down for extended periods of time.
However, switching between sitting and standing can be a pain without the right equipment – especially if you prefer to change on a regular basis. An automatic electric desk make this an absolute breeze, readjusting to your preferred height at the click of a button.
5. Clear Task List (With Rewards!)
Once you have tidied your work space and created a routine involving breaks and meals, it's time to start doing work! We highly recommend creating a task list to working away at your assignments in increments.
Breaking it down from major project level points, to small tasks that you can tick off one by one, really adds a sense of accomplishment and can keep you on track - especially if you're working away from the office or for yourself.
By including small rewards for completing certain difficult tasks you can easily keep yourself motivated. A quick walk outside after completing a difficult call, or a short coffee break and a snack to compliment yourself on a job well done, can keep you motivated when working from home.
6. Avoid Distractions
The majority of people working from home will be using technology in some shape or form, whether that be their computer, tablet or smartphone. Technology has made working from home a lot more viable for many people due to the ease of communication, and access to information, but the same goes for access to distractions! Self control is important to keep yourself off of social media, unless of course your work requires it, in which case make sure the time spent online is actually being productive. You should also keep Netflix and games outside of your work schedule, creating a clear divide between when you are working and when you are enjoying your free time.
We would suggest using separate rooms for each task. If possible try, and keep a room, or even an area used solely for work, while the rest of your house is for your leisure, this will help your mind associate you being in each area with what you are meant to be focusing on, improving your productivity when working from home!
Conclusion
Organising your home office space, investing in the right furniture, setting clear work hours, taking regular breaks, staying active, and maintaining a clear task list are key components in creating an efficient work environment. Indeed, optimising your home workspace is crucial for enhancing productivity and improving your overall health.
By implementing these tips, you can create an environment that promotes efficiency, wellbeing, and a successful work-from-home experience.
Looking for a standing desk for your home, office or workspace? Check out our collection of standing desks, available for next working day delivery if ordered by 3pm. Our desks come with a 7 year warranty, 30 day risk free return, as well as access to a UK-based customer service team to answer any questions that you might have. Otherwise, our blog provides more useful tips on using a standing desk for a more balanced lifestyle. Feel free to contact us with any questions, with the handy live chat feature on our site, or vie email at info@ergodesks.co.uk.
Need additional help choosing a desk? Read our full guide on Choosing the Right Standing Desk for the Ultimate Home Office.
Date Published: October 21, 2019
Last Updated: January 15, 2024
