If you’re like many professionals, you’re probably spending a lot more time working from your home now. This may not have been your choice, and you may not be accustomed to working remotely. What’s more, your home office may also be letting you down. Indeed, it’s not unusual for professionals to have difficulty adapting to new surroundings –– particularly if they’re not optimized to promote productivity. Here, we’ll take a look at four common problems with home offices and outline what you can do to fix them in a pinch:
Noisy Neighbors
One of the big problems professionals encounter while working from home is noise pollution. This might come from street traffic, loud next door neighbors, roommates, or even family members. If at all possible, set up in an isolated area within your home. Don’t try to create an office in your living room or kitchen. Also, professionals may want to invest in noise-cancelling headphones if sonic distractions prove too much to bear.
Clutter
Unfortunately, it’s easy for home offices to fall into disrepair. After all, you don’t have the benefit of a cleaning crew to help you out here. And many professionals accidentally mix files from their work with personal documents. This, obviously, is not ideal. As such, it’s a good idea to clean your office at least once a week. Throw away all needless copies and loose papers, and keep your desk free of clutter or unnecessary items. You’ll also find this will free up a lot of space for you to bring more important items from work –– like models of 2 ml cryotubes or an extra monitor, for example.
Lackluster Furniture
Sitting on an uncomfortable chair for eight hours every day can cause even the most dedicated professionals to struggle to produce their best work. In addition, desks that are too small (or too big), rickety tables, and broken file cabinets can all derail your efforts to work from home successfully. Consider going the DIY route to fix some of these issues on your own, or else, purchase some new furniture for your office space.
Boring Surroundings
In an attempt to eliminate distractions, some professionals create home offices that are drab, boring, and overly spartan. Don’t make this mistake. You don’t have to follow the trends of a corporate office or commercial construction in your own home. Rather, you should endeavor to customize your office with things that bring you joy. Open windows, positive posters, and interesting decor won’t detract from your focus, but will actually help you perform better on a daily basis. If you’re happy with your surroundings, you’ll be happy in your work too.