From reducing lunch costs to eliminating stressful commutes, switching to a home office has more than a few upsides.
To maximize your personal office space, you need to make sure it’s set up for success. Consider the following 8 things when designing your home office:
1. Pick the Right Room
You need to choose the right room to create your ideal home office.
Take advantage of extra space by using your den, guest bedroom, or finished basement for your home office. For those with limited space, the living room, kitchen, or even the bedroom is a great option.
Separate your chosen space from the rest of the home, ideally with a door, to avoid distractions.
2. Use Natural Light to Your Advantage
If possible, try to set up your home office in an area with plenty of natural light. Besides boosting morale, natural light also boosts the productivity and quality of life of employees, according to a study by Northwestern University in Chicago.
Soak up the sun from the comfort of your home office! Not only does using natural light make you feel good, but it is also easy on your energy bill too!
Looking for other ways to stay green? Energy-efficient monitors are part of Island Key Computers’ commitment to reducing environmental impact. The Lenovo displays meet rigorous energy efficiency performance levels backed by multiple organizations, including Energy Star and EPEAT.
3. Think Ergonomically
When setting up your home office, you should keep a few ergonomic rules in mind:
- Make sure you are seated so that your feet are resting firmly on the floor or a footrest.
- Ensure that your forearms are parallel with the floor when you are using your keyboard.
- If you can, position your computer so that the top of the screen is at eye level, or a little lower.
These small changes can save you a lot of neck, back, and joint pain!
Workstations from the Lenovo ThinkStation P Series are designed to be reliable and flexible. Moreover, the modular design of our workstation desktops means making changes to your set-up is a snap, allowing you to create a comfortable, enjoyable working environment.
Lenovo has also made strides to innovate and design its products to empower and give independence to those with special neurodiverse or mobility needs. Consult with our team to find the right accessibility tools and tech to stay on the ball in your at-home office.
4. Choose Quality Seating
When it comes to furnishing your personal office space, make sure you don’t skimp on seating. Invest in a good quality, comfortable, ergonomically-designed office chair to keep back pain, a cramped neck, and shoulder strain at bay.
Can’t afford a nice chair? Try shaking things up and try a standing desk that you can easily switch between to help you keep your posture and circulation in check.
5. Invest in the Right Technology
Choosing technology is all about getting the options that are right for you. Think about purchasing a laptop rather than a desktop if you travel frequently to meet with clients. Consider a wireless printer instead of a cable-connected printer if you don’t have room for one in your home office.
A basic home office technology setup could include:
- A desktop computer and monitor (or a laptop)
- A keyboard
- A mouse
- A printer
- Modem
- Digital camera
- A surge protector
- A scanner
With MIL-SPEC testing, Lenovo ThinkPad P Series workstation laptops offer durability and reliability. Workstation laptops from Lenovo are portable, powerful, and offer faster performance than traditional laptops.
These laptop workstations perform like a desktop workstation, making a great choice for engineers, designers, or any creative professional who needs to work away from home.
6. Maintain a Good Lighting System
Natural light is best, but it can’t be your only source of illumination. Consider adding task lighting and small lamps to your workspace to help reduce eye strain and brighten your workspace.
7. Make It Yours!
Hardware and storage are essentials, but consider adding some personalized, creative touches to make your space unique and truly your own.
The right window treatments, rugs, plants or flowers, and even some simple DIY decor can transform your stale home office into a place you actually enjoy spending time in.
8. Keep it Dedicated
You should resist the temptation to use your new office space for anything other than work. Using a workspace for activities other than work can stifle your productivity, even after “work hours.” Keeping distractions out of your home office will help you focus on what matters most—getting your work done.
Island Key Computer has a team of certified, in-house professionals and consultants in each of our locations that specialize in hardware service and repair. By partnering with market leaders, we provide products and services that are smart and affordable. You can count on us to provide you with reliable, expert solutions that will help your business thrive.
For more information on our services and Lenovo workstation solutions, get in touch with our experts today.