Setting up the perfect office at home for 2021

Design a workspace that’s truly yours

It’s important to have a designated workplace. And no, this doesn’t mean your bed! You don’t need a room that serves purely as an office, as many people don’t have this luxury. Nonetheless, you can select a place that suits you. For example, you could choose your

kitchen table. After all, who doesn’t want to be a few steps away from fresh coffee? If this isn’t an option, you can set up a desk in your living room or bedroom. Having the right equipment is also a great help. Here are some essential tips:

1. For starters, a good desk and chair are important. You don’t want to sit on a wooden kitchen chair all day, then feel like you’ve been moving pianos, rather than working on a computer when the day is over.
2. Consider investing in a second screen. This won’t cost much and can make a huge difference. After all, you can view two things at once rather than one.
3. Speaking of equipment, don’t forget a mouse and keyboard. The humble mouse and keyboard are often underestimated. Yet, they play a crucial part in improving productivity and comfort.

Create a positive, comfortable environment

Our surroundings play a huge role in how we feel. Your working space should make you feel relaxed and comfortable. What’s more, this is really easy to do. Any frequent readers of the Getsafe blog will know we’re fans of houseplants. Therefore, it’s no surprise that this is our first tip for creating a calm environment. Add some houseplants to where you work, as they can improve your physical and mental wellbeing and increase your productivity by 15%.

Another key aspect for making your workplace comfortable is keeping it tidy! By doing so, you’ll feel more on top of everything you have to do and easily be able to find anything you need. Decluttered workspaces help to clear our minds and also boost productivity.

Make a schedule – and stick to it

By creating a plan for the day, you’ll introduce some structure. This may sound boring, but it’s actually really useful for helping you keep a healthy work-life balance. If you don’t have a timetable, you might find yourself working at unusual times – blurring the boundaries between your personal and private life. You don’t want to be distracted from your favourite show by your work emails! Not only this, a routine also adds a bit of normality to your day.

By setting certain times for getting up, having lunch, and signing off, you won’t lose sight of what you’ve done or plan to achieve.

Try to maintain a positive attitude

These times are rough for all of us. It’s completely normal to feel down about being stuck at home and to wonder if this will ever end. Rest assured that it will end. As vaccines are being rolled out throughout the UK, we’re hopefully getting closer to normality. Keep this in mind if everything seems a bit bleak. Additionally, you can always talk to someone if you need support. The UK government even has a page offering advice on this topic, which you can view here.

Speaking of positive attitude, try setting virtual coffee breaks with your colleagues

Having a chat here and there and coffee breaks with your teammates is probably what many of us miss the most when working from home. Having virtual coffee breaks certainly cannot replace real human interaction but it can still be a good way to stay in touch with your colleagues and keep motivated when workdays pass slowly. For some more ideas, we’ve collected a number of tips from our Getsafe employees on how to stay happy and productive during lockdown.

Enjoy the working-from-home experience

While the situation is far from ideal, we can all make the most of working from home. It gives us more time to spend with your flatmates or family, demands less time for commuting, and can offer greater flexibility to your day. We hope you enjoy making your personal home office into your happy place!

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