How to perfect your home office

A home office space needs to be more than just a place to plonk your laptop.

It needs to be a place that inspires and lets you get down to business.

If you already work from home or the coronavirus outbreak has forced you out of the office, then here are some essential tips to ensure you’re in the right working environment.

Pick the right location This really depends on the kind of work you do and the kind of person you are. Do you need a quiet area away from distractions and the busy flow of everyday family life or do you need to be in a workstation not too far from the kitchen or perhaps the children?

Do you have your space It is so important not to feel cramped when you work and to have enough working space to make you feel comfortable. This may seem obvious but you should be easily able to go from side-to-side and to also stand up and sit down without banging your knee onto the desk or slamming your shin into the radiator.

Don't underestimate how much better your productivity will be if you're comfortable in your home workstation.

Keep the wiring tidy When you have chargers, monitors, laptops and lamps, things can get pretty messy with wiring and cables everywhere. You can minimise the chaos with things like wireless devices or even cord tamers.

Has your office seen the light? In any office, good lighting is essential and you really can’t beat natural light. A side light like a lamp is also important along with decent blinds to avoid glares from outside. You can even rebound natural light onto your desk by using a mirror if you can't get close enough to a window. If you can though, make sure to position your desk in front of a window to get the view.

Make sure you have storage This is something that many people who work from home never seem to take into consideration. Not having enough storage such as shelves or cupboards can really hamper productivity. Place an inbox on or close to your desk and make sure your storage is close by.