How to set up your home office
Deciding how to set up your home office can be fun, as well as a key factor in your ongoing comfort, health, and productivity. And, a better home office setup can noticeably improve your physical and mental wellbeing, allowing you to get more done with less stress. Here's how to do it.
After working remotely for the best part of two decades, I know that deciding how to set up your home office can be fun, as well as a key factor in your ongoing comfort, health, and productivity. Shopping for chairs, desks, and pot plants can be a treat after a day spent on client work, but it can also lead to expensive mistakes.
A lot of the choices will come down to personal preferences, but there are some design principles which will work for most remote workers. And a better home office setup can noticeably improve your physical and mental wellbeing, allowing you to get more done with less stress.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to acquire everything you need, especially if you’re happy to spend time shopping for second hand bargains or browsing free online listings.
Choose the best location you have available
Most homes were not designed for remote work, and if you live with other people, it can be difficult to persuade them to sacrifice a bedroom or dining room for your office. You may need to negotiate some compromises, especially if you’re setting up in a shared space.
Having a dedicated area will help you get into work mode, and try to find somewhere with lots of natural light and ventilation. This will help boost your mood and energy, and garden sounds can be great background noise for working depending on your neighbours.
Additional lights will help with working at night and during the winter months, and also help you look better during video calls. You can disguise a tiny windowless office by blurring the background on a webcam, and some cheap desk lamps or ring lights will make a huge difference to how you appear on screen.
In an ideal world, you’ll have plenty of space for a dedicated desk, chair and space for equipment and paperwork. But if not, look for desks with built-in storage, smaller shelves and boxes for filing and other solutions for clutter. For example, I store a selection of cables and chargers in small drawstring bags tied to shelves behind my desk, as I don’t have any drawers to hide them in.
It’s also worth considering how far you may be from your broadband router if you’re relying on Wi-Fi to access the internet, and checking your mobile phone reception to avoid constantly missing or dropping calls. This is even more of a consideration if you’re planning to work from a garden office, for example.
Prioritise ergonomics and comfort
We can all be seduced by the latest tech gadgets or a cosy office aesthetic, but ergonomics and comfort should be your first priorities. It’s a lot harder to stay productive if you’re dealing with back pain, neck ache or eye strain. And while IPSE members have access to illness and injury cover, it’s better to prevent avoidable problems which can become long-term issues.
Good quality ergonomic chairs and desks can be found for relatively affordable prices, especially second hand when businesses are clearing out their offices or with IPSE Rewards discounts. Adjustable sitting and standing desks have become much cheaper over recent years, even if you have to manually switch heights rather than just pressing a button. And many other adjustments are even more budget friendly.
You can make sure your laptop or monitor is at eye-level with a monitor stand or arm, or even just a pile of old books, and use a footrest if your desk and chair are too high. With cheaper chair padding failing after long hours of use, memory foam cushions can give them a new lease of life. And switching to a mechanical keyboard or different style of mouse can help lower the chance of repetitive strain injuries. I’ve used all of the above, including occasionally switching to a trackball to help with wrist problems.
Taking regular breaks and exercise will also help, but if you’re spending long hours folded into an uncomfortable position, it’s time to reassess your workspace.
Don’t skimp on equipment
It’s easy to justify choosing the cheapest possible solution when you’re paying for it. But it’s not just a false economy when it causes you physical issues - cutting corners with your equipment can also hurt your business, especially when you might be able to save money via IPSE Rewards.
High speed internet is essential for most home offices. But you also need to consider if your computer is up to the tasks required, and ensure everything is backed up in the event of a hardware failure. An external hard drive or even a RAID storage system is worthwhile, as long as you’re actively using it alongside cloud storage, so that you’re covered in the event of both physical loss or an online service being unavailable.
After using cheap external keyboards to prevent wear and tear on my laptop, my first good mechanical keyboard was a revelation as someone who types all day. And larger, good quality monitors are an affordable way to give you much more screen real estate. Investing in a decent webcam gives you more confidence on calls or recording videos, along with decent lighting as mentioned earlier.
It’s also important to think about less noticeable equipment. Any multiple plug extension leads should be surge protected to protect your computer, and practising good cable management (along with keeping spares) will help to prevent clutter, minimise fire risks and stop you from accidentally unplugging things by mistake.
Keeping paperwork in order will save you time and money, even in a digital age, so shelves, filing cabinets or boxes, and other storage solutions are worth the investment. And nice pens, stationery, and notepads make signing contracts more of an occasion. A reliable printer and scanner which isn’t constantly out of ink means paperwork won’t be delayed, and a decent paper shredder will help client confidentiality and disposing of junk mail.
Other invaluable equipment for me have included a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones for working without distractions, and speakers for background music when I’m alone. An external powered USB hub means I can leave more peripherals plugged in and simply switch them on and off as needed, including a desk fan for working in the hot summer months.
And make sure everything is covered under your insurance, with IPSE members able to get exclusive discounts on specialist cover.
Encourage good habits
Being focused on your work is a good thing, but you need to maintain good habits to prevent burnout. And you can set up your home office in a way that encourages you rather than relying on willpower.
If you need to exercise more, then find space for a yoga mat or some weights to use during screen breaks. Books aren’t just for the background of your Zoom call, and having them close to hand will help you wind down. In my office space, I have a guitar nearby to encourage me to practise, and to give me something to do while I’m thinking about my business.
Even if you’re working metres from your kitchen, I’ve found that water bottles and insulated steel tumblers help hydration more than having to actually go and get drinks throughout the day. And a healthy snack at arms reach reduces the temptation to raid the cupboard for crisps and chocolate.
It’s likely that you’ll be tracking your time on client work, but having a physical timer and reminders to take breaks, exercise or take care of household tasks can be really effective, and more satisfying than pressing a button on screen. And even in a permanently online world, a physical notepad is a great way to jot down random thoughts throughout each day.
Having some microfibre cloths and other cleaning supplies in your office will help you keep everything in good condition. Aside from squinting at a screen covered in dirt, computers and other electronic equipment will be a magnet for dust, which can seriously impact performance and reliability.
Add inspiration and personal touches
With most advice on how to set up your home office being practical steps, adding your own personal inspiration and taste is something that’s entirely unique and fun.
Whether you prefer modern or retro aesthetics, ‘cosycore’ or a minimalist approach, your space should be somewhere that feels comfortable and motivational, and reflects your personality. Not only will it make your office a more pleasant place for you to work, but it can also be a potential conversation starter with clients.
If you own your home, it’s easy to make changes to your workspace. If you’re renting, options may be slightly more limited, but you can use accessories, coloured light bulbs and temporary picture hanging hooks without making permanent alterations to the property.
Art, motivational quotes, and family photos can provide useful inspiration to keep going through challenging times. Rugs are useful to protect flooring and add warmth. They can also provide some sound deadening, particularly if your office is upstairs.
Plants can help to oxygenate a space and have various health benefits. And you can always talk to them about difficult clients if there’s no-one else around.
Ornaments can add a lot of personality to your home office, even with very limited space, whether it’s a handcrafted holiday keepsake, or a character from your favourite TV show. And alongside desk toys and knick-knacks, you can also keep mementoes from previous successful projects, which can help if you’re suffering from imposter syndrome.
Have a declutter routine at the end of the day
My personal home office is in a shared space with the living room, which can make it hard to switch off at the end of the working day. This makes it particularly important for me to have a set routine of decluttering my desk and mind.
Clearing empty glasses and plates away, watering the plants, giving my monitor and PC a quick clean and putting everything away helps me to switch from work mode. It also makes it much more pleasant to start work the following day. Checking any notes, filing paperwork and shredding anything that isn’t necessary also means I can stay relatively on top of admin without losing important documents.
When you’re working from home, it can be tempting to go straight from the end of your professional day to playing video games or binging videos, but having a routine break in-between helps to separate your leisure time and make the most of relaxing and recharging.
How IPSE can help you
Whether you’re working from home full-time, or want to build a more hybrid routine between client offices and co-working spaces, IPSE can support you with a range of advice, discounts and more.
- Get discounts on insurance, equipment and more through IPSE Offers.
- When you want to get out of your home office, check out IPSE events and access to unlimited co-working.
- Get more advice on working from a home office, including desk exercises and tips on ergonomics to prevent injuries.
- Financial guides related to remote working, including which expenses you can claim, or whether a garden office can add value to your home.
- If you’re new to remote working, find out how to start working from home to set yourself up for success.
- If you’re new to self-employment all together, check out the IPSE Incubator - a 30 day programme to help you launch your business
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