These days, it can often be tough to stay motived and productive at work, especially if you’re still working out of a home office. While many people are trying to adapt to this “new normal” of COVID, there have always been people who work from home, and in this article, the furniture experts at Fireside Furniture going to steal a few best practices from them about how to enliven their New Jersey home office environment and make our days brighter, healthier, and better. In other words, we’re going to upgrade.
Declutter Your Office, Declutter Your Mind
Working in a cluttered room can sometimes unintentionally make your mind feel cluttered as well, or overwhelmed. There is a reason that minimalism has gained so much traction recently. In order to get some relief from the clutter in your office, the style gurus at Fireside Furniture have a few suggestions:
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Invest in storage space. The promise of the world with computers was that we would all migrate away from paper and printed materials, but that has not happened (and may never will), so we recommend you have enough storage space in your office. This may mean a huge file cabinet, a large bookcase, or a hanging wall file. Fireside Furniture has some excellent options for drawers and shelves. You can also use odd boxes and baskets in a pinch.
- Saving space on your desk is easy if you can find a few things to hang on the wall. For example, if you have a bunch of tangled cables, you can hang them from a hook. If you have a lot of books and magazines, you can install a shelf. If you have wires from your phone, you can invest in one of these cable clips, a neat little gadget that keeps them out of the way. You may also want to add a small sticker or piece of tape to each cable as a label, to help you remember where each one goes (for example, the computer, the printer, the phone, the monitor, etc.). By itself, each item may not seem like much, but together it will make a huge difference!
There’s no question that having ample storage for your office equipment is important, and luckily for you, Fireside Furniture has some great options. Take a look at this gorgeous red oak roll top desk with matching bookshelves and file cabinets.
Adjust The Position Of Your Computer
One of the most important considerations for your home office is where you place your computer. If you are constantly hunching over and craning your neck down, you will eventually do irreparable damage to your spine and body. In fact, you may find already that your back is starting to hurt by ten in the morning. If this all rings a bell, you must fix it immediately. Here are a few tips:
- Keep your wrists even. To remain comfortable throughout the workday, you should keep your wrists resting easily and evenly on the desk in front of you. This may mean you need a Bluetooth keyboard or you need to adjust the height of your desk or chair. We recommend you check out some of the desks and chairs at the Fireside Furniture showroom to find one that fits you perfectly.
- Elevate your screen. First, make sure your screen — whether it’s a laptop or a computer monitor — is at eye level. You should not be looking down all the time to see what you’re typing. One option is to use a laptop stand, even a stack of books.
- Elevate your speakers. Music has been proven to have beneficial effects on mood, as well as boosting productivity. If you don’t already have good speakers for your office, we recommend you invest in some. And like with your screen, you should have your speakers at ear level. This will give you both a clearer sound, and keep you from having to continually raise the volume. An easy fix, but an important one!
- Consider the placement of your webcam. Many people use laptops that have built-in webcams and microphones, but plenty of other people have separate webcams and microphones, too. These days, online calls are ubiquitous, so it’s important to position the webcam and microphone in a good spot that is both flattering and well-lit. There are plenty of affordable options for portable, flexible stands, so this should be an easy fix!
In the next post, we’re going to look at a few more ways to enliven your home office space and take your work life at home to the next level!