With more and more people using their homes as offices in the coming year, it is important to stay organised and to designate work stations so even though you have no choice but to bring work home (since you are already there) you don’t have to bring it everywhere in your home.
When working from home, people can tend to let home life and work-life blend together. Boundaries, real and figurative, are great to set up so you can keep them separated.
With just one new addition to your office (be it a desk or credence) or a quick rearranging of what you already have in your house, you can see a huge difference in how you feel about your workspace.
Here are some tips and tricks you can use in your own home office to get more organised, feel less cramped and become more productive for the year to come:
Tip #1: Upgrade Your Storage
When you are working from home, you get up to grab some coffee and….where did the pen go? Paper clip? Tape? It’s so easy to lose things and a lot of the time, you need them to be at an arm’s reach in case an important call comes in or you get an urgent email and need to quickly troubleshoot a problem.
Storage is a fantastic solution. Make sure you have small to large containers for everything. Being organised doesn’t have to be boring, and who knows, maybe you will find ways you like to store things that help you in other areas of your home as well!
Tip #2: Set Up A Mailing Station
Having a mailing station will help keep clutter to a minimum since mail comes in every day and in a home office, it’s your job to make sure every piece gets to where it needs to go. Designate a station where each step of mailing has its own folder, bin or drawer. Make folders for incoming and outgoing mail respectively and separate ones for bills and make sure to have a labelled file for old mail you need to hold on to (More about labelling coming up!).
Make sure to stay on top of your daily mail, and set up a certain time for dealing with the mail coming in. Go through old mail bi-weekly and trash what is not needed to keep your filing up to date. Without all that mail cluttering your workstation, you’ll find it’s much easier to be productive and MUCH easier to find correspondence when you need to.
Tip #3: Label Everything!
From label makers to chalkboard labels, adding this one vital step to your home office will upgrade your organisation to the next level. It’s a very simple idea with very awesome results. Not only will you be able to find anything you need at just a glance, but it makes putting away things at the end of the day a breeze, saving you time and energy. Also, if you have an assistant or someone helping you in your home office, it makes it substantially easier than having to tell them 10 times an hour where everything is in the workspace.
Once you get started, start labelling the files in your filing cabinets too! Let that flower of organization blossom into other parts of your office. Get labelling, get organised and make yourself feel like the boss you are!
Tip #4: To-Do Lists Are A Must
Not only is listing all of your daily tasks down in an outline or planner a great way to make sure you don’t forget anything that needs to get done for the day, but it also gives you a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment to cross or check off each task you complete. Making a to-do list helps to visualize the day ahead and also helps to keep notes, meetings, errands and miscellaneous tasks together in one place so nothing gets overlooked.
Extra office hack: There are even free printable to-do layouts you can find online if you want to save time and money.
Looking to give your workspace the upgrade you deserve?
These are just a few of the many ways you can turn your home office into the ultimate organization station. From clearing clutter to labelling for easier retrieval, small steps and little changes can make a huge difference in the long run. Being organised doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort and you can even make it fun and personalise it. Added style and touches of your own flair can really make your workspace a place you enjoy and feel happy while being productive, day after day.
At MMT Furniture Designs, all of our pieces are designed to fit into any office or home office. Our furniture includes plenty of smart storage solutions and guarantees the utmost functionality.
Being equipped with the know-how of what to look for when it comes to making your home office as functional and enjoyable as possible will keep you working happily all day long. Give your work area a makeover and see the difference in your productivity and overall comfort during your workday.
Ready to revamp your space? Discover the wide variety of options for your home and home office at MMT Furniture Designs.