After the pandemic, “the new normal” has become a common phrase. Working remotely is one of the new normals that we are dealing with in our daily lives.
However, remote work brings distractions and clutter during work hours. Many do not have a separate workspace either because they never planned to work from home and some can not afford it as having a dedicated workplace is itself a luxury.
In this article, we’ve outlined some tips and tricks on home office organization that won’t require a separate workroom, will not cost you a buck, and will boost your productivity significantly.
Before jumping into the tips, let us remind you that procrastination and reality are different from what you expect.
So, let’s go through some expectations vs reality saga, so you can remember these points and not make the same mistakes.
Home office organization: Expectations vs reality
Expectations:
The remote work culture started with great zeal and enthusiasm. We all crafted our to-do lists, organized our workspaces, and bought a boatload of stationary. From study tables to wall spaces, we converted anything we could find into our work from home space.
Most of us all thought that working from home would bring extraordinary motivation to work.
However, reality took a different turn. Let’s look at the reality of how it turned out
Reality:
Working remotely eventually turned out to be unproductive as many shifted from tables to their couches and beds. Laziness crept in real quick. According to a recent study, 38% of remote employees work from beds, and 45% of Americans regularly work from the couch.
The new form of work also had certain health repercussions as keeping laptops on laps is not recommended as it leads to poor posture that can cause minor health problems.
Working in your comfort does not have to be unproductive or cause any health problems. Taking little steps like keeping a pillow over your lap as a table can help you form your posture and work more efficiently.
Below are some tips to improve work from couch lifestyle:
- You can purchase a lap desk for your home office.
- A homeworker should take regular breaks to free the stiff body and stressed mind. Stretch and meditate. It will keep you energized and focused throughout the day.
Tips for organizing your home office
Decluttering the home office is vital to maximizing productivity. There are tons of studies that show that working in a minimalist, decluttered environment increases focus to a great extent. Here are a few tips to organize your home office:
01. Create a dedicated home office space for yourself:
If you have not created a dedicated workspace for yourself, then this is the time to do it. If you already have a separate workspace, it’s always better if it is organized with useful things and non-distracting objects.
If you do not have a separate room, that’s alright. Just find a space where you can sit quietly with the least number of distractions and put all your focus to work.
Keeping your surroundings clean and quiet will motivate you to stay dedicated to your work and keep you focused.
02. Let your family know about your decluttering goals:
To keep your home office organized, let your family and friends know what are your goals for the day and that you want to focus on your tasks and become more productive. It’s a good idea to let them know of your break times.
This will help you to stay focused on your high-priority tasks and be less distracted by unnecessary ones. Organizing your home office and focusing on your tasks can also impact other family members and friends.
03. Surround yourself with beautiful and valuable objects:
Surround yourself with plants, decorative items, and other things that bring you joy and tranquility. You will be able to function better and stay motivated in a workspace that is free of extraneous objects.
04. Recycle items that you have at home:
Use items you already have in your home to furnish your workspace instead of buying new ones. Bring your imagination of home office into reality, try building DIY decoratives, or use an old vase to make your space aesthetical.
Surf YouTube and Pinterest for inspiration on how to reuse old items to make something completely new and beautiful.
Conclusion
We all need to see the reality and focus on finishing our tasks no matter what our workspace looks like.
The allure of working from bed can be strong. However, it is certain to cause a slew of health concerns over time that will likely emerge later on in life if not now.
Working from home is no doubt challenging but it’s your working style and ability to focus on your work that will decide how productive you are throughout the day. Try KonarkPro to see how it can turn your non-productive day into a highly productive one.