4 Hacks for a Happier Home Office

Many people work from home on a part-time or full-time basis. Instead of commuting to their jobs by car, they commute a few yards from other rooms in their home to their home office. They spend about a third of their working day there, making sure that their work gets done in a timely manner. But what many people don’t do is make their office a part of their home, isolating themselves from their own creature comforts. Does this sound like you?

Following are four hacks to help you make your home office more like home and less of a sterile working environment. Take advantage of the fact that no one’s around to judge your choices except yourself, then do up your office to suit your tastes.

Jobs You Can Do at Home in a Small Office Space

Image via Flickr by Lord Rex

In the event that you don’t need a lot of space, look at an unused closet, an alcove, or a space in your home that’s not being used for anything else. Spots such as this don’t need a whole lot of work to become functional, and they’re using space that would otherwise be ignored.

The genius of this type of a space is that it’s great for jobs that don’t require you spend all day at the computer. Positions in which you need to go out and meet clients every once in a while, such as working as a representative for Amway, are perfect for a small office space. You won’t wind up with a case of claustrophobia due to working in a small space all day.

Make Your Office a Part of Your Home

Don’t isolate yourself from the rest of your home unless you absolutely have to. If most of your working day is free from distractions, you can let the office flow into the rest of your home. For example, is your office in a part of your home that’s less traveled? Keep the door open, and put in a couch and maybe a television for taking breaks. It might sound like a weird idea to put in a television, but you’ll find yourself using the office outside of office hours as a place to escape. There’s nothing wrong with using the room for more than one purpose, provided that you can discipline yourself to minimize distractions.

Add Creature Comforts

Some people think that an office should be devoid of anything comfortable. After all, you’re there to work, not to enjoy yourself, right? Wrong. Although work is a necessary part of life, you don’t have to sacrifice your comfort. Put up some of your favorite art prints or posters, get a comfy office chair, and invest a little money in a sound system. Maybe get a footrest for your chair so that you can kick back from time to time. The goal is to make the space one where you want to spend time — and for good reason. You’re working from your own home; why not make it an extension of yourself — and make it feel good?

Keep Everything Within Reach

No matter how small or unusual the space you’re working with, make sure that you keep all your important items within reach. Do you use your printer frequently but find that your space is limited? Create more space by putting in a shelf or filing cabinet and setting the printer on top of either one. The idea is to keep the printer close to you and add some more practical decoration or storage space. Although it’s not necessarily a bad idea to get up and move around your home to get something you’ve printed, it’s annoying to have to constantly do so.

Remember: It’s your home and your space. There’s nothing to stop you from doing what you want to do with your office. You arrange things the way you like them, tailor things to your taste, and enjoy what you’ve done. Work is sometimes a drag, but it’s less so when you’re working in your own personal space and in the way you like.

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