Home Office Organization Hacks
Your home office should be a sanctuary. Nobody likes sitting in an office that someone else designed, taking orders from a boss that doesn’t give them the time of day.
That’s why you took the initiative to work for yourself. Now that you’re here, make your office work for you. A big part of that is getting the right organization in place. We’re going to talk about some home office organization hacks today, giving you a little inspiration to get things under control.
Hopefully, the ideas below help you increase productivity and feel in control of your workflow. Let’s get started.
1. Start Simple
There’s something profound about sitting at an empty table, accompanied by only your work. The less there is to distract you, the more you can hone in on what you’re trying to get done.
You need some things in your home office, sure, but we often overload with different knick-knacks and decorations when we first start out. Try starting with almost nothing and adding things as you go along.
That way, you’ll only incorporate something that you need instead of starting out with a heap of random and unnecessary objects. That initial trip to Office Max or Amazon might leave you with too many things to reasonably use every day.
Start with your computer, a table, a chair, and your necessary folders. As you move forward, create a working list of things that would practically benefit you.
2. Have a Filing System
Regardless of whether you use a laptop all day or you’re working with papers, you need some way to organize your documents.
Those that use physical documents, make sure that you have a cabinet or system that can accommodate everything you need. That might mean you invest in a plain old filing cabinet or a series of bins that can hold papers snugly. Make sure to get some exhibit tabs to streamline your organization.
In that spirit, you should also have a paper shredder and use it liberally. If you don’t need something, don’t let it take space. People who use laptops for all of their documents might benefit from a small filing cabinet and a printer as well.
There’s always mail or different tax documents that you have to keep a record of. Plus, printing things out and keeping physical copies gives you a different way to engage with your work materials.
In either case, it’s good to have a scanner. Many printers come with scanners attached. Those that work with a lot of physical paper can make a habit of scanning all of their documents and keeping them organized on their computer.
That reduces the amount of storage space you need in your home office.
3. Assign Organizational Categories
Make different sections of your office to house objects and documents from different areas of your work. For example, you might have an area dedicated to all of the paper and work you need to do for your home and family.
Mail and taxes, for example, might get intermixed with your work papers and get lost. The same principle applies to those who do work in different creative areas. Maybe you’re a writer who also takes photographs to supplement their content.
You could have separate photo and writing stations to free up mental space. However, your work happens to divide itself, make sure that you have spaces dedicated to each of those divisions.
4. Don’t Skimp on Aesthetics
It’s hard to do good work in a space that you don’t enjoy. Aesthetics do have an impact on your productivity and quality of work. Further, an enjoyable space improves your sense of wellbeing throughout the day.
A well-decorated room helps you to make a good impression on virtual calls and meetings as well. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time to look for great furniture, artwork, and other interior design features to improve your space.
The money you invest into little things that make you happy and clear-headed is certainly not frivolous. Those things will allow you to work longer, stay happier, and do a much better job for your clients.
5. Multiple Work Stations
Working from home often means a few daily instances of staring into the void, wondering when you can get outside or move to a different part of your home.
It’s tough sitting in the same spot all day. At least at the office, you have a bathroom to walk to, people to converse with, and different things to stimulate your attention throughout the day. Working from home is a matter of sheer focus and concentration.
Anything you can do to stimulate that concentration is beneficial. It’s wise to have a couple of workspaces that you can utilize within your home office. Maybe there’s a closet that you could turn into a second desk.
You could have a few different types of work that you do throughout the day. For example, maybe you write advertising copy for half of the time and research keywords for the other half.
If there’s a type of work you do that doesn’t require you to type or write, consider creating a relaxed workstation for those times of the day. You’re watching informational videos and learning about new concepts? Why not have a comfortable bean bag or recliner to use while you do so?
Switching things up gives you a fresh take and allows you to stand, stretch, get some circulation, and return to your project. At the end of the day, it’s up to you.
That said, a few different options to choose from at the beginning of the day make your work feel less routine, more in your control, and a little more enjoyable.
Need More Home Office Organization Hacks?
Hopefully, the ideas above gave you a better idea of how to decorate a home office. Effective home office design can be the difference between a fruitful remote career and one that drags on before you find something else to do with your time.
We’re here to help. Explore our site for more home office organization hacks, business tips, technological insights, and a whole lot more.
