September 23 2024
Picture this: you get to work for 9 am and the first thing you have to do is find your keyboard among the paperwork that is scattered across your desk. You must then push the remnants of yesterday’s lunch aside as you try to make some sense of the documents in front of you, eliminating the scraps of paper as you go.
It just wouldn’t happen, would it? You wouldn’t let your office desk get that messy.
Firstly, your boss wouldn’t be particularly impressed – but, arguably more importantly, it would lower your productivity and motivation while increasing stress levels.
So, if you wouldn’t do it at work, why let it happen at home?
Whether you use your home office on a daily basis because you do freelance work or just go in it every now and again – you want it to be a space where you feel calm and peaceful not stressed and agitated. If it’s the latter, you will never get anything done.
You need to arrange your office in such a way that guarantees you are motivated and productive while in the working environment. So, maybe it is time to move a few things around?
Start by clearing out the clutter
The first thing you need to do is have a sort out. This may seem like a mammoth task if you have a lot of paperwork to get through, but the sooner you have it organised, the easier your life will be. Do you have bank statements from 10 years ago? If so, get rid of them. You don’t need irrelevant or out-of-date documents taking up space. Just keeping the last few months worth will be sufficient – that way your most important documents will be organised and easy to access. If you don’t have a bin in here, then get one and you may want to invest in a shredder so you can put any private personal documents through this when you no longer need them.
Storage solutions
Now you only have your most important documents left, it is time to make sure they are organised neatly. In order to do this, you will need a range of storage solutions.
Documents can take up a lot of space, especially if you don’t need them regularly. If you want to guarantee that important paperwork is safe, secure, and easy to access, while giving you back the space you need, take a look at our document storage.
Then, for the documents you use on a daily basis, drawers with separate compartments are handy so you can split paperwork into relevant sections and use labels so you can quickly and easily see where everything is. Shelves are also a good idea, particularly for books, because they take up the wall space rather than much needed floor space.
You will also want to get some office supplies, such as a pen holder and folders – so that everything has a ‘home’ and is therefore easy to tidy away, even when the space starts to become cluttered.
The position of your desk is important
This is the most important part of your office. It is the spot where you will spend the most time, so you want to get it right. According to feng shui, your desk should be in the ‘Command Position.’ The Command Position is located diagonally across from the entry to the room, with your back to a solid wall – giving you the widest possible view of the room. It is believed that that visual control over your space gives you a greater degree of true control over your work life.
Remember to look for a desk that has plenty of drawer space, to help with your organisation – and ensure your seat is comfortable. Your lower back should be properly supported and the height of your chair should enable you to use your keyboard with your wrists and forearms straight and level with the floor, while still letting you place your feet flat on the floor. Your screen should be at eye level and make sure the mouse is close to you – a mouse mat with a wrist pads may be helpful.
Furniture
Besides your desk, you will need some other furniture for this room – you may want to look at multi-functional pieces that can offer extra storage. A comfy seating area is often a good idea because you can move over here if you need a break from sitting at a desk in front of the screen.
Soft colours
Soft colours like light blue, greens and lavender will give a more relaxed feel and provide a quiet and tranquil vibe – perfect to get through your long to do list or simply relax and read a book when you’re done.
Lighting
You want to ensure you have a lot of natural light in the day and soft lighting for after the sun goes down. Blinds are ideal for the windows in here, so you can avoid getting the sun in your eyes – or reflecting off the computer screen. Likewise, a lamp positioned by your desk will brighten up your working area if you are there in the evenings. That way you won’t be squinting because of the glare of the screen in the darkness.
Inspiring artwork
If you are looking to ‘feng shui’ your office, then you should choose some artwork or other objects that depict what you would like to see manifest in your life. Perhaps you could hang an inspiring artwork on the wall opposite your desk so you can see it as you work.
Plants
Plants are a major benefit to any room because they purify the air but when placed in the office they have been known to reduce stress and increase happiness and productivity. The best place for these is in the corners of the room because it is believed they will prevent energy from stagnating there.
Less is more
The key thing to remember is that less is more – you don’t want this room to be cluttered or it will have a detrimental effect on your productivity. Then the things you do need in there should be organised to keep the space tidy and stress levels down.
Now you have arranged your office in a more suitable way, you may be left with some items that don’t fit but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to get rid of them. This is where our units come in handy because you can store them here for as long as you need and access them whenever you want.
