Not everyone has a separate room to arrange a cabinet. However, the workspace is easy to organize in any part of the apartment, the main thing is to make it comfortable and arrange it so it sets up for maximum efficiency.
Choose the Right Space
You don’t have to zone your space the way feng shui dictates. To work from home, choose the most convenient place in the apartment. It can be a kitchen, bedroom, or a glazed balcony – there is more light and fresh air.
It’s better to place the desk to the right of the window (for comfortable daylight) or directly in front of it. You can do without a desk if the width of the window sill allows you to place a laptop and other tools for work on it.
Folding tables or sliding shelves will help save space and if you want to hide the “home office” from guests.
Take Care of Comfort
The main problem with the home office is having a stove, a bed, and a TV available at all times. Therefore, freelancers working from home may find it difficult to concentrate on work tasks.
To avoid temptation and to avoid getting up once more from the table in search of a phone charger or the necessary documents, keep everything you need for work at hand.
Have office supplies, a stack of paper or a notebook to take notes. Outlets and a USB hub can be brought out to your desk so you don’t have to reach for your headphones, laptop, and phone charger.
An uncomfortable chair is another reason for constant distraction. The incorrect position of the back disturbs the blood flow to the head and makes it harder to concentrate.
When choosing a chair, special attention should be paid to its back. Unfortunately, anatomical armchairs do not always fit well into the interior.
Some freelancers prefer to do without chairs at all: they work while sitting on the bed and pushing their laptop. In this case, purchase a comfortable orthopedic pillow for the back.
Think About Lighting
You should think about lighting even at the stage of selecting the work area. In contrast to natural lighting, it’s much easier to deal with electric light.
Modern lamps allow you to direct light anywhere, the main thing – to arrange the lamps so that other objects do not create shadows on the work surface.
So you shouldn’t place light sources on the side of your writing hand, behind your head and directly above it. And to keep the light out of your eyes, the lamps should be placed a little lower.
Cold spectrum lamps increase productivity, but note that using them late in the evening is harmful: such light disrupts the biological rhythms of the brain, at this time of the day, which is set to rest. It’s better to use warm light and not to work long before going to bed.
Pick the Right Decor
Zoning the workspace can help set the mood for work. This area can be highlighted with color, by contrasting the wall or simply by putting up a different wallpaper.
Color matters. For the home office, it is better to choose calm and cool shades, especially if the work is associated with constant stress.
Green increases productivity, shades of blue promote concentration, but the brown shades should be avoided – they don’t set up to work.
The note boards as they are filled will become not only a place for new ideas but also a full-fledged part of the décor. As bright elements, you can also pick up colored document folders or order a colored tabletop.
Create Atmosphere
Those items that are usually awkward to put in the office can be unashamedly placed in the workplace at home.
But the main thing is not to go overboard with photos and other cute stuff, otherwise, things that are meant to inspire will only distract from work.
Make the workplace more cozy with the help of live plants. According to statistics, those employees who have a potted flower on their desk propose successful solutions and ideas 15% more often.
Scents can also have a positive effect on the work mood. A few drops of essential oil in a small aroma lamp will recreate the right atmosphere: the smell of lemon will help focus, mint will stimulate thinking and will be useful before difficult negotiations, and lavender will relieve stress.
The beauty of working from home is that there are no restrictions from the bosses. You can set your own corporate rules for the home office, allow yourself more bright details and coziness. As long as it doesn’t negatively affect productivity.
