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Sprucing Up the Home Office

Credit: Office Anywhere

If you’re going to be there a while, it should be comfy.

Working from home sounds awesome until you actually have to start doing it. It’s at this point you realize that your home office is woefully under-equipped for daily professional work, and that’s assuming you have a designated home office and don’t just keep your computer in your bedroom or living room. Even if it’s a temporary arrangement, you want your home work space to be a little more than just a desk and a chair, just like you want your office work space to be a little more than a desk and a chair.

Consider, in addition to an ergonomic office chair, a few strategically-placed “comfy zones” around the room. Sitting in one spot for a really long time can wear on you physically and emotionally, so you want to have a few other spots you can switch to over the course of a day. Obviously, this is easier if you have a laptop instead of a desktop computer, but in a pinch, you could work a computer from anywhere with a wireless mouse and keyboard and a big screen. As for the actual “zones,” make a little pillow pile or get a beanbag. Something to sit on, but not in the way you sit at your chair.

Credit: Gear Patrol

You also want the room to have personal touches. Since it’s in your house, there are probably a few already, but you want to keep a few in your direct peripheral vision, just as a fun little breather for your brain. I’d recommend a little statue, a small houseplant, or maybe an executive toy of some kind like a Newton’s cradle or fidget cube. I would advise against keeping a TV or your phone in your line of sight, though, unless you need them for work; they can be a bit distracting.

The appealing factor to working from home is working in a comfy spot in your jammies. Remember, though, as important as comfort is, you’ve still got work to get done. Try to strike a balance between personal flair and work convenience.