No place like home

Make your home office work for you

When you first envisioned your home office, you didn’t picture the cat-litter box next to the fax machine or a tangle of wires taped to the ceiling. You never imagined the number of interruptions, distractions, and inconveniences. Here, then, are a few tips from experts to get organized and efficient in your workplace away from your workplace:

• Keep your home life out of your office. (Yes, that television has to go.)
• Get–and use–a do-not-disturb sign.
• Set and maintain defined work hours, so your family knows when you should not be disturbed.
• Keep your work out of your family life, too. When you commit to family time, do not break away for even a few minutes to take care of things in your office.
• If cramped for space, consider using a laptop as your only computer.
• Make time on a weekly basis to keep your space organized.
• Use the walls for shelves, fixtures, telephones, and other equipment that you can get off your desk and out of the way.
• If possible, locate your office in a space with its own entrance.
• Get out of your office now and then.
• Put yourself in the center of your workspace, where you can more easily access everything you need.
• Keep outlets accessible–you will need all of them. If you must position furniture in front of an outlet, consider hiring an electrician to move it or create new outlets.
• If you spend a lot of time in your home office, buy a good office chair and other furniture that won’t give you aches and strains.

Photos © Eyewire and Comstock Images.

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