If you're one of the millions out there making the transition to telecommuting, it's time to turn that spare bedroom or garage space into a home office. As tempting as it may be to throw a desk in the corner with a lamp, taking it a step further will ensure you build a space where you can truly be productive.
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Choose the Right Floor
Flooring is an often overlooked part of home office efficiency. The truth is, for an optimal quiet office environment, you need flooring that will minimize the noise in your home. Certain types of floors, like laminate, are much better suited for noise reduction. Install insulation in the subflooring for extra soundproofing, and increased energy efficiency.
Lighting Options
Natural light is best, but if you're stuck working in a place where a lot of natural light isn't possible, there are plenty of bulbs out there designed to mimic natural sunlight. Sitting in a room with fluorescent lighting for too much of the day can mess with your circadian rhythms. Worst case scenario, you can always get a sun lamp, used to treat seasonal affective disorder, and place it across the room.
Since staring at the computer screen can be stressful on the eyes, and the light it emits can also disrupt your sleep cycles, consider installing an app on your computer like Flux that will adjust the monitor lighting in accordance with your geographic location. It will make working at night easier.
Paint the Walls
Research shows color affects us - with some colors stimulating us, while others calm us down. Making a single assumption about the best color to paint your office walls on the other hand, could prove detrimental to productivity. According to color psychologist Angela Wright, the color you paint your office should largely depend on the type of work you do in the room.
If you do a lot of mind work, blue is a good choice, but try to select a shade that has an orange tint to it, or place orange in the room as well. This way, you can introduce a bit of emotion to help stimulate your mind.
If you're using your office as a place to design and be creative, opt for yellow instead of blue. It helps keep you optimistic, while boosting your ego.
Red provides productive boosts for those who are physically working, to provide physical strength and stimulus. Unless your home office is where you'll host clients as a personal trainer, it's safe to say red is one you should avoid.
On the other hand, if you want to create an environment that brings balance, go for green. The balance of blue and yellow create a calming and reassuring effect.
Get the Right Wi-Fi Setup
If your office is in the basement, in the garage, or upstairs, you'll definitely need a strong router to ensure you get good Wi-Fi signal. Though Wi-Fi can travel anywhere, walls can interfere with signal strength. Ideally, your office should be located closely to the modem or router, but in situations where that's just not possible, it's time to bring in the big guns.
Look for a router with either an N or AC designation, as these offer the best speeds and connectivity under the current Wi-Fi protocol. If you have a lot of things like Netflix, video game consoles, and smart appliances sucking up your signal, opt for a dual band router.
Upgrade Your Outlets
Whether you choose smart outlets that allow you control the things you plug in with your smartphone, or outlets with built-in USB plugs, or outlets with small LED lights to provide some soft light at the end of the day, there's no reason to go with plain, boring outlets anymore.
Opt for Quiet Technology
Electronics can be noisy, and quiet is essential to boost your productivity. Select a Wi-Fi printer like one from the Canon Pixma line, which boasts a quiet mode. You can even customize the quiet mode to run within certain hours of the day. Invest in a quality pair of noise-cancelling headphones, so you can drown out the sound of friends and family who may nearby in other parts of your home. Make sure your computer has a good fan so it can cool without making a lot of noise - and if you notice the fan running louder than usual, give the computer a good cleaning to get rid of the dust and dirt that's making the fan work overtime.
Invest in Ergonomic Office Furniture
Whether you're going to be in your office part-time, for a just a few hours a day, or full-time, at eight or more hours a day, getting the right furniture is paramount to efficiency. Look for a desk chair with good lumbar support, that can be adjusted in terms of height. Choose a desk that allows you sit at an optimal height and angle to the desk, with freedom and flexibility to adjust the monitor as necessary. Guidelines from NC State University say:
- Seat height should be anywhere from 16 to 20.5 inches from the floor, while allowing a 90-degree angle for the elbows for typing.
- Seat width should be 17 to 20 inches, with lumbar support and depth that doesn't cut into the back of the knees.
- The seat's backrest should be at least 12 to 19 inches wide, and adjustable in terms of height and angle.
- The seat should be padded enough to allow for optimal comfort and circulation.
Designing your home office for efficiency and productivity will take time and effort. Fortunately, many fixes are quick, easy, and affordable. Taken task by task, you'll find yourself with the optimal home office environment in no time.