What a weird time we are in, am I right? You’re likely working from home these days for the first time. And perhaps you are having a hard time navigating how you do that without all the comforts and structure of your office at work. Maybe your office is a mess which reduces your ability to concentrate, or you can’t find anything when you need it. Maybe you don’t even have a home workspace. Or, perhaps you’ve nailed the space thing but are lacking on the productivity front. Either way, I’ve got you covered with my work from home tips below.

Top view of home office workspace

Organizing Your Workspace

If you are blessed enough to have a home office, then lucky you! But even if you don’t, you can still create a productive space with these tips below.

Have a dedicated workspace. If you don’t have an office already, designate space in your home only for work. A table in the living room or basement, or even the end of the dining room table. Try to avoid the kitchen or other high traffic areas if you have kids or others that live with you. You want to try to create a space that you ‘go to’ every day to mimic what you had when you went to an offsite office.

Declutter your workspace. To the extent that you can, depending where you setup your workspace, remove everything not work-related, no longer needed, or inspiring. If you’re in an established office, remove old papers, notes, mail, etc. If you are taking over a space in your home, clear off the workspace and relocate those items for the time being. The point is, you want to have a useable space that is not distracting or messy. If space allows it, bring in a plant or a photo so your space has some personality. And a coaster for that coffee cup is a must (in my opinion).

Only keep what you need regularly close by. Keep those items you need regularly at arm’s length. You don’t want to waste time getting up and searching for them. This includes things like pens, notebooks, current files, etc. Anything you only need occasionally can be kept elsewhere to reduce clutter. Those would be things like printer paper, old files, etc.

Have a home for everything. Designate a home for all your work and office items. This allows you to easily find what you need when you need it. Likewise, you’ll easily be able to put it away when you’re done which allows you to keep that workspace tidy. You’ll be happy you followed this step when you aren’t wasting time searching for things.

Use organizers to keep small items contained. Office work can sometimes come with many small items. Things like paper clips, staples, push pins, pens, etc. Instead of having these items rolling around in a random drawer together, use a desktop or drawer organizer to corral small items into individual compartments. You can use anything you have on hand at home right now: a cup for pens, glass jars for paper clips & pushpins, etc. or you can purchase something more customized online.

Attend to your workspace at the end of each day. Clear your desk or workspace and put everything back in its home before leaving ‘work’ for the day. A tidy office is much more inviting the next morning than a chaotic one. And if you have designated a home for everything as suggested above, this shouldn’t take too long.

Working From Home Guidelines

If you have never worked from home before, you might be having a hard time getting into the groove and avoiding all those distractions. These tips should help if you are struggling.

Keep a schedule. When you’re spending your whole day in one space, it can be easy to let your work and home obligations (or even just lounging) intertwine. To minimize this, wake up the same time daily and set specific work hours. Limit work outside those work hours and non-work inside work hours to ensure productivity and limit burnout.

Designate an office space. We touched on this above, but work at a designated location in your home to provide the structure missing when no longer going into the office. While it can be tempting, I suggest avoiding the bed or couch unless you can stay focused there. Be honest with yourself here, people!

Get dressed. Change out of your PJs to create a mind shift from ‘home’ and ‘sleep’ to ‘office’ and ‘work’. It’s easy to roll out of bed and into work but that act of getting dressed (even if just into clean loungewear) signals a shift into work mode. Plus you’ll look better for those zoom calls. A shower every now and then should also be part of the schedule.

Remove distractions during work time. Create a distraction free work environment. No TV, social media, cell phones, etc. (unless needed specifically for work). Turn off your phone and (non-work) email notifications when working. They are distractions that will suck your attention away and result in productivity loss.

Make a daily list of priorities. I love making to-do lists for many reasons. For one, they ensure you are meeting work expectations and hitting goals. Second, they are a way to brain dump so you can get it out of your head. This allows you to create some separation between work and non-work. Create your list at the end of each workday or at the beginning. Try both and see which works best for you.

Take breaks. It’s easy to just ‘go’ when you get into the groove and remove distractions. While this can be great for productivity that day, it can lead to burn out. Instead, schedule and keep a daily lunch break along with shorter stretching breaks and perhaps even an afternoon walk. Set timers to alert you of your break times and schedule them into your calendars.

Working from home can be a real change if you are used to an office environment and I hope these tips provide some helpful guidance. In the end though, my biggest hope is that you weather this time with health and gratitude. We’ll get through this together.

 

As always, I hope you found this post interesting, informative, inspiring, or entertaining (I’ll take any one as a success). If so, please let me know in the comments section. Also let me know if there is anything you’d like to see on this blog by writing me at feedback@theorganizingblonde.com.

 

XOXO,

The Organizing Blonde