Even as you come and go from one office to another, establish a consistent routine and view it as such. Routine doesn’t have to mean you sit in the same office every day for the same number of hours. The point is not what the routine consists of, but to look for steadiness through the repetitive motions and expected outcomes of a hybrid work schedule. While the details of your personal routine should be determined by your specific job and preferences, do your best to maintain a solid schedule throughout your work week.
Home Office:Hybrid Work Schedule
Edition
Hybrid work. A relatively new trend in work styles, hybrid work means you’re in the office a few days a week and working from home the others. It’s great, right? Then why does it leave so many feeling exhausted and unsettled? The answer lies in our need for patterns and predictable routine. Often thought to be “the best of both worlds”, hybrid work by its definition lacks uniformity, and a lack of home office organization can result in a disrupted routine which can impact mood, increase stress levels, and leave you feeling less productive and exhausted.
The key to avoiding hybrid hustle is home office organization and knowing how to organize a home office. A thoughtful work from home office setup will leave you feeling more settled and productive. With these work from home organization tips and resources from our experts at Inspired Closets, you’ll know how to organize a home office, so that you can stay focused, productive, and ready for whatever comes next.
The complete home office organization checklist:
Essential Items for Your Work from Home Office Setup
The first step in home office organization is having the right tools. While your office should reflect your unique needs, there are a few key things that are essential to every home office setup.
Dedicated DeskErgonomic ChairSecond MonitorHeadphonesSolid Wi-Fi SourceA Quality Light SourceCabinet SpaceAdditional OrganizationWastebasket & Recycling Bin
One1/9
Dedicated Desk
More often it seems dining room tables or kitchen islands become desks and corners of bedrooms transform into offices. Having a dedicated desk creates a sense of privacy and helps you avoid distractions in your home office setup.
Two2/9
Ergonomic Chair
An ergonomic chair helps to improve posture and reduce back and neck pain, which in turn improves your overall productivity.
Three3/9
Second Monitor
Adding a second monitor to your home office setup allows you to view more files and windows on your screen, improving visibility and efficiency.
Four4/9
Headphones
Whether you listen to energizing music, inspiring podcasts, or calming white noise, a good pair of headphones can cancel out noise from the outside world increasing concentration and productivity.
Five5/9
Solid Wi-Fi Source
Connectivity will always be near the top of the list of home office ideas, because spotty internet access can make or break any workday. Ensure your coverage won’t quit on you by upgrading your router or installing Wi-Fi range extenders.
Six6/9
A Quality Light Source
If you rely on windows, your home office lighting can change drastically during the day depending on the weather, hour, or season. When thinking about your work from home office setup, don’t forget about a quality light source, like a desk or standing lamp, that can provide consistent lighting no matter the time.
Seven7/9
Cabinet Space
It’s likely you have documents, notebooks, binders, books, printer paper, and other items both small and large that need to be stored somewhere or else they end up stacked on your desk and cluttering your mind. Traditional offices typically have desks that include file drawers. If your desk at home doesn’t, consider adding a built-in credenza or bookcase with drawers to your work from home office organization checklist.
Eight8/9
Additional Work from Home Organization
Depending on your specific needs, you could organize your home office with:
- Small, accessible containers for pens, paper clips and other office supplies
- A standing desk file organizer that provides easy access to small files and supplies
Nine9/9
Wastebasket and Recycling Bin
When working from home, it’s easy for stray papers to pile up on your desk, causing unnecessary clutter in your space. Keep the mess away with a wastebasket and recycling bin in your office.
Home Office Ideas and Hacks:
Work from Home Office Organization Ideas That Will Have You Feeling More Settled
While the home office organization essentials get you up and running, they can only get you so far. As the novelty of hybrid work wears off, the jarring “one day in and one day out” routine leaves you feeling unsettled, but it doesn’t have to. When tackling your work from home office organization, consider these helpful home office organization ideas:
One
Leverage Routine
Two
Office Alignment
For some, moving between the home office and your work office can be a difficult and disruptive shift in the workday. To help ease this transition, consider aligning your home office with your in-office setup. By setting up your at-home desk, chair, and tools in a similar fashion to your workplace, you’ll be able to seamlessly transfer and shift between worlds.
Pro Tip
If you work on a laptop or tablet, invest in three power cords: one for your home office, one for your office, and one that can be left in your commuter bag for offsite meetings.
Three
Work/Life Balance
For some, hybrid work means having the flexibility to work from some of your favorite spots within your home, like in the living room in front of the fireplace or the kitchen table. For others, doing so blurs the line between personal and work life, which can lead to exhaustion, fatigue, and burnout. If you’re having difficulty enforcing your work boundaries while at home, consider using your home office as a tool to keep your personal and work lives separate. By committing to only working in your office, you’ll be able to easily focus and prioritize when it’s time to work and turn off when it’s time to sign out.
Pro Tip
If you have a spouse who also works from home, create separate workspaces to ease common co-working frustrations. Sharing space and resources with someone on a different work schedule can lead to irritation and wasted time: skip the frustration by creating separate workspaces.
Four
Do What’s Best for You
The perfect home office organization method that’ll help ease your hybrid work lifestyle should feel right for you and your job. Are you a maximalist who needs a loud, bright, and beautiful space in order to innovate and create? Make your home office a colorful and exciting place. Are you a minimalist who needs quiet and clutter-free areas to focus your mind? Opt for only the essentials.
Creating the perfect home office for your hybrid schedule can be beyond difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. At Inspired Closets, home offices are our forte. With years of experience, our experts are well-versed in the latest home office design trends and work seamlessly with our clients to bring forth innovative and inspired home office ideas to create custom solutions for you and your home. When you’re ready to upgrade your home office setup, complete this form and we’ll be happy to give you a call.
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