When you work from home, as so many of us do during this quarantine period, you likely spend most of your waking hours in the home office. So it only makes sense to organize this space and make it more visually pleasing. When everything is nice and tidy, you increase your efficiency and have a bit more fun while working. Here are some valuable tips that will actually make you look forward to working every day (gasp!).
1 – Store office supplies in compartments
Stash your office supplies in containers so they are easy to find. You can do this by attaching storage trays (using a bit of putty underneath) inside drawers to create a grid. In each storage tray, you can keep one class of items. For example, electrical chargers and wires can go in one tray, batteries in another, and pins in another.
2 – Use a label maker for your items
A label maker is a phenomenal organizing tool that makes it so much more convenient and fun to classify various items around your office. You can even produce custom labels by finding a digital image or icon you like, then printing it out and using it for your label. Create labels that meet your office’s beauty and functionality needs.
3 – Organize files in color-coded hanging folders
Keeping files in color-coded folders allows you to easily access the ones you need. Color-coding is especially important for files, since they all look the same when there is nothing discernible to tell them apart. With color-coding, you can simply take out the appropriately colored folder, access what’s inside, and put it back where it belongs. Everything stays neatly organized from start to finish.
4 – Use vertical storage to save space
It’s pretty safe to say that the home office is usually not the largest room in the house, unless you live to work. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to suffer and toil hard in a cramped space. Vertical storage can make any room feel bigger than it actually is, since it doesn’t take up a lot of floor space. In fact, it gives the illusion of a taller space by taking advantage of the height of the room.
Vertical shelving can serve multiple functions, whether as a dresser, storage for books, or a place you can display some décor.
5 – Display the calendar and appointments on a corkboard
Corkboards are a nifty way to display your calendar and appointments for the day or week. Simply attach important documents using thumbtacks, and you’ve got a simple and inexpensive notification system. You can put other items that you want to see easily on the corkboard, such as your work schedule and urgent announcements.
6 – Have a designated command center
The command center is where most of the action happens. It’s important to identify and designate one so that you can strategize the location of things around your office. The command center should be close to all of the most important files and supplies, those that get a lot of “foot traffic” during office hours. For instance, if you often write during work, it wouldn’t make sense to place the pens in the farthest drawer, would it?
It’s also a good idea to have a place for bills and incoming/outgoing mail in the command center. These are things that commonly pile up in households because they don’t get sorted right away; and once they get around to being sorted, it’s already difficult.
You can also install hanging shelves the command center so that there’s enough space for all the essential work items.
7 – Put up a vision board
A great home office wouldn’t be complete without a motivation tool. A vision board or dream board up on the wall reminds you every day of what you’re working for and helps you get through the most challenging of tasks. Simply print out pictures and words that inspire you and that represent your goals for the coming year (or decade, if you’re a master strategist).
8 – Make it beautiful!
Beauty is highly subjective, so whatever it is that you find beautiful and gives you those good vibes to start working, apply it to your office space. Decorating a room is like giving it a hug and welcoming it to be a positive contribution in your life. Make your workspace a happy place and you’ll be way more inspired to actually get work done.
