How to set up a perfect office in your home

The age of working remotely is in its golden age, but you don't always shine as brightly from home. Suddenly, you find the picture on the wall more interesting than all the e-mails that need to be answered. And there they are, waiting for your answer. It's obvious that the boxes around you don't help... and neither does the barking of the neighbor’s dog or the fridge, which also isn't great when you can't help but snack in between meals. The latter can't be avoided; however, we can give you some tips to set up the perfect office that'll really help you get down to work.

1. Choose the right workspace

Your productivity rate is directly related to the design, comfort and organisation of your office. Working in smaller spaces without too many storage possibilities will be a setback when it comes to placing your materials, but especially when it comes to finding them. Choose the most ergonomic furniture possible to avoid long-term muscle problems and with enough storage space so that you always know what you've placed in every drawer of your desk. Use labels, post-its, whatever you want! It's important to know where everything is, but you already know that!

This will be your temple, so if you have children at home, the best thing to get are shelves with doors and locked drawers. Nobody better dares to move your things around!

2. Free up and clean your workspace

The computer on one side, your phone on the other... We know that your desk is going to be full of gadgets and awkward cables. The key is to place them all in the same area so that they can all be camouflaged in the same place. Not to mention that dust that accumulates on them.... Make sure to clean! Not only for obvious health reasons, but because maintaining a clean and well-ordered space encourages concentration and will give a better impression of you.

3. Bye-bye distractions

Your workday may have a few unforeseen events, but try to reduce them, because you can't be distracted and productive at the same time. Learn to separate your personal and professional life, and concentration will come on its own. One of the best advantages of working from home is precisely that your hours are flexible. In fact, this increasingly common practice in Switzerland is also called "flexwork". But don't take it so literally. If you make it too flexible, you can end up getting nothing done. Learn how to manage your time, set a schedule and do your best to stick to it.

4. Shine light on your ideas

Spending the day in a grey space without any natural light is depressing, no matter how much you love your job. Unfortunately, we don't live in everlasting summer, so switch on the lights and brighten up your mind. The decoration, the colours, the harmony are also important factors when it comes to letting your ideas fly. So why not put a motivating sentence on the wall that inspires you every day? "When you feel like giving up, remember why you started."

And voilà! You've now got the ideal working environment! Creating a comfortable and well-organised home office is easier than you thought... If you weren't able to do your best work up until now, maybe it wasn't all your fault. But from now on, there are no more excuses. Good luck!


Are you interested in more career tips? In our sections about job search, application, working life and many more Michael Page offers you valuable advice for your career progression.

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