Sometimes you can’t put the genii back in the bottle once it’s free, and so it is with working at home. While recent events made it a necessity, now that those unfortunate circumstances have faded into the past a lot of people simply don’t want to return to the company office due to the many attendant inconveniences like long commutes, and having to be up close and personal with sometimes less than desirable co-workers. Data compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for August of 2023 showed that 37% of Australians continue to work from home regularly, a number that has crept down only slightly from the 40% recorded in 2021! The real point is to do the work and do it well, so if you can accomplish that to your employer’s satisfaction from home, then why not? And, if you really want the lifestyle to be a lasting success, it’s time to invest in a high-quality home office where you can do your best work, even in your pyjamas!
- Office Furniture – One of the areas that often gets neglected by home office workers is the use of proper office furniture designed to give you maximum comfort while assisting you in performing your work tasks efficiently. Working while sitting in a dining chair at the kitchen table just isn’t going to be optimal for your best efforts, and will probably give you a sore back, you need to use task-specific items like comfortable, ergonomic, adjustable chairs and desks to keep you on target and productive!
- Location – As we mentioned earlier, the kitchen is not going to be the right place for your home office to be a success in, there are too many distractions, and it’s just not set up correctly for you to do your optimal work in. Ideally, you have a mostly unused guest or storage room that you can repurpose to be your working sanctum sanctorum, a place where intrusive kids and pets are not allowed during office hours, and where you can house all the materials and tools your job requires conveniently so that they are readily accessible throughout your work day. Barring a whole dedicated room, stake out a corner of the basement or garage where family foot traffic is light, and erect some folding portable partitions to give you some privacy. The main thing is that even if you are at home, you feel like you are at work, and can concentrate without interruptions!
- Lighting – This basic requirement of modern life also tends to be neglected when setting up a home office. If possible, choose a location that has natural sunlight, ideally near a window. You will also need to supplement that natural light with properly bright artificial lights that are comfortable to read and work under. Be careful to position your computer’s monitor in such a way that there is no glare from any light source obscuring your view of it. Good lighting helps you do your best work because it prevents you from developing headaches and eye strain, so you can stay on the job in comfort for as long as necessary!
Enjoy your home office lifestyle, you will do great!
