Setting Up a Home Office: Pandemic Productivity Edition

It has been over a year since we were all sent home to protect ourselves from a burgeoning global pandemic. Back then, it’s likely you carved out a work from home (WFH) space for yourself that you assumed was temporary, because, in March 2020 it really seemed unimaginable that we would be where we are today. (In many ways, it still is.)

Enough time has passed, however, that the short-term home office solutions you cobbled together so many months ago might not be cutting it anymore. Coupled with the fact that many of us may never go back to a dedicated office environment, it is time to clear off the clutter and create a work from home setup that will help you get your job done more efficiently.

Awareness is the First Step

Having spent so many months working in your makeshift home office you probably have a good sense of what your work routine looks like. We are going to start there. Make a list of every tool you need to get your job done. For most of us, it is a computer, webcam, printer, phone, some cords, some writing utensils, and some paper.

Remove and Reveal

Once you make your list, take a look at your space. Remove everything not on the list. (Don’t worry about where you will put the non-list stuff at this point. We will get to that. Just set it aside for now.)

Take a minute to appreciate all your newly discovered work surface.

Keep in mind that your WFH set-up wasn’t working for you because it was full of files and supplies you thought you needed but didn’t, and household things that were either on the tabletop before you claimed it or that migrated there because your “office” doubles as your bedroom, your living room, or your guest room.

Use Space Better

Now that you know what needs to be stored, put items away strategically. Consider your desk “prime real estate,” and use it to only store the stuff you use most frequently. Drawers are best used for supplies. Use drawer organizers to keep them tidy. If you don’t have drawers, store supplies in small desktop containers or purchase a drawer unit that is designed to fit under desks. You don’t need more than one cup for pens, so choose your favorite and move or donate the rest. Add an inbox to corral “to-do” items, and store project notes, client files, and other active paperwork in a desktop file box (don’t forget the hanging files). Got extra space? Give your work area some personality by adding a plant, a favorite picture, or an object or two that inspires you. Books, extra supplies, and inactive files should be moved to a nearby bookshelf or closet. (For bookshelf organizing ideas, see Home Office Makeover: How to Organize and Style Your Bookshelf Like a Pro.) Keeping your desk as clear as possible will give you plenty of space to spread out when you are working.

Now that your desk is better organized, take the time to find new homes for those non-work items you set aside.

Time Management is Essential

One thing I have learned this year is that working from home can be very distracting. Set yourself up to use your home office space as efficiently as possible with these productivity techniques:

Figure out when you are naturally most productive, and plan to do your most focused work during that time of day. Make that time sacred – and if others are home, make sure to ask them not to disturb you for specific amount of time. For instance, I like to do my writing in the morning and try not to open email or social media before that to keep me from being side-tracked.  

Avoid invisible tasks during work periods. Quick household chores like cleaning the dishes, doing a load of laundry, or paying bills can prove to be enormously disruptive. Adding these tasks to your calendar, like you would any other appointment, allows you to get them done without interrupting your workflow; and getting these tasks “off brain” relieves the anxiety that you will forget to take care of a menial, but important, responsibility.

Finally, at the end of each work period, make a list of three to five things you need to accomplish the next day. This game-changing habit will help you quickly get focused the next time you sit at your desk.  

The need to establish boundaries between work and home while working from home is challenging to recognize but essential in moving forward in our current work environment. These home office organization ideas should help you enjoy your home, and your job, again.

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