Thanks to technology, more people than ever before can take their careers into their own hands- and for many, this can mean working from home. There are so many benefits to this arrangement, such as no time or money spent on commuting, no boss breathing down your neck and much more flexibility. As women, this can be especially valuable as so many of us are juggling a career around childcare and other family commitments. However, whether you run your own business, work as a professional blogger, a freelancer or work from home in any additional capacity- you absolutely need a good space to work from. When this is your livelihood, you really need to take it seriously, and there are many ways you can go about it. For starters, no sitting on the sofa or working from the kitchen table. When you have a home office, distractions generally are minimized. You know once you’re in this room you need to be getting down to work. It also has another benefit- helping you to find the best integration between work and home. When your home is also your workplace, it can easily have you feeling as though you’re in constant work mode which can actually reduce productivity. If you have a set workspace that you work from, however, when you’ve decided to shut work mode off, you can close the door and know you’re done for the day. So, if this is going to be your next move, what exactly do you need to consider for your home office space?

The Room
First things first, you will need to decide on the room itself. If you’re lucky enough to have a spare bedroom available then that makes it easier for you right from the start. Otherwise, if you know you’ll be working from home for the long haul, then it could be worth either moving to a house or apartment with more rooms to accommodate your office or upgrading your home. Extending outwards, up into the loft or down into the basement are also options. Your career is such a huge part of your life, and while moving or making structural changes to your home might seem extreme, but this is your livelihood. To be productive and have your work quality be the best that it can be, you really need appropriate space. A garden room can be a good option for an office, for example. These can be fully insulated ‘rooms’ that you can put in your backyard, they’re much quicker to be put up than a regular extension and depending on your town ordinances, you may not need the general building permits, but of course, verify before proceeding. This addition can also be a great option as you have separate space away from the house, yet your home is still right there and easily accessible.

The Decor
Psychologists have studied the impact of decor in the workplace, and according to them, making the right choices here can boost your mood as well as productivity. Light, neutral decor works well as it makes any room look bigger, brighter and feel more spacious, however, blue is an excellent choice as well. According to color psychology blue is a very calming color for humans and produces the highest levels of productivity in experiments. Plants are also a helpful addition to your office decor, as they again boost mood and productivity according to research. Like blue, green is also a calming color and our psychological response to having plants in our environment is thought to be extremely beneficial. The levels of light in the room are also significant; therefore you should adjust your window treatments if necessary. You want to let in as much natural daylight into the room as possible, but quality blinds will allow you to adjust the light so that it’s not affecting your vision. These simple things can all make your home office a more pleasant place to work from, and significantly boost your mood and motivation to work.

The Desk
For most of us working from home still means we spend the majority of our workday at a desk. If this is the case for you, then it makes sense to invest in the best and most practical piece of furniture. It’s usually worth selecting the largest one that works in the room you have (you want lots of desk space, but you don’t want the rest of the room to feel cramped) so take some measurements before you buy. Another idea is to make a desk custom to you. Running a piece of kitchen worktop along one wall will give you loads of room to work from, and this option may be cost savings. You can buy legs to prop it up from any DIY shop and it’s something anyone with moderate DIY skills can do. If you are making something like this, an adjustable keyboard drawer will save you space on the top which you can use for things like your printer, pen and pencil holder, your computer, books and anything else you might need. Mounting shelves or wall mounted planting pots above the desk can help to save you space if you want less cluttered working space. As well as the desk, don’t forget about the chair. A basic dining chair or occasional chair simply won’t do. You’re going to be spending a significant amount of time here each day so make an effort to get it right. Go into office supply stores and physically sit in many models so you can determine what works for you. Without a doubt make certain to get one with good neck, back, and lumbar support.

Storage
Keeping good records when you work for yourself is essential, and while so much is done online these days, there’s always going to be tons of paperwork you’re left to deal with. File these items away carefully, in a small filing cabinet at the very least. Keep things organized so that you know where to find them quickly when you need them. Having a safe and organized system for keeping everything neat and orderly, will also help with your time management challenges

If you’re going to work from home for someone else or have a home-based business, creating a workspace that is conducive to productivity is a must, and it’s certainly worth the investment.

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