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5 Affordable Ways to Set Up a Home Office

Working from home due to Coronavirus? While you may not have a formal home office setting, you can set up a makeshift office for an affordable price. Here’s how.

 

1) Set Up a Desk

If you’ve never worked from home before, you likely don’t have a desk or any separate workspace to utilize. And while it may be tempting to work from your couch or bed, it’s challenging to work effectively without a proper setup.

Even if you don’t have a desk, you can make your own workspace with little material. Set up your dining room table to be a temporary makeshift desk. Or, for a more permanent solution, purchase a cheap, used desk from a neighbor off Facebook Marketplace.

 

2) Organize Your Setup

Now that you have a separate workspace, it’s time to set it up.

If your company provided multiple monitors, set them up in a functional way. Hide as many cords as you can to keep your workspace clean and organized. And if there are items you use on a regular basis, such as highlighters, paper, or a calculator, make sure you have that nearby and neatly stored.

The key here is to create as functional and organized of a workspace as possible in order for you to do your job smoothly and optimally.

 

3) Remove Distractions

Home is full of distractions – television, pets, kids, and even chores can serve as a distraction while working from home.

In order to make your workday fully effective it’s vital to remove as many distractions as feasibly possible. While it may be impossible to remove every single potential distraction, it’s a good idea to scan your surroundings to see what may causes an interruption to your day.

 

4) Add Some Decor

What does your office environment look like? Does your office environment add to your ability to contribute to your work team?

When I started working from home, creating a comfortable work environment was vital to help me transition and remain fully productive. When you’re spending 40+ hours a week in the same spot, it’s important to feel comfortable in your space.

Adding small decor items, such as plants, photos, and candles to your home office space can make all of the difference in the world, without breaking the budget.

 

5) Separate Work from Home

Lastly, one of the biggest challenges of working from home is trying to keep work and home life separate.

Failure to separate yourself from your home office can create additional stress for you and your family members. It can feel impossible to fully disconnect from office work, and impede your ability to truly relax.

If possible, work in a separate room, where you can shut the door when you are finished with work for the day. That way, you create total separation from work and home life. If you’re not able to dedicate a full room to your office space, then clean up your work area as much as possible at the end of the day so you won’t be tempted to work.

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