How to Set Up the Ultimate Home Office - Our Guide

Working from home is becoming more of an option for many companies today. There are many benefits to having a distributed office. Furthermore, in light of the adjustments businesses must make regarding keeping their workforce safe from COVID-19, working remotely is a necessity for the time being (WFH as it is often now known as).

One way to stay productive when working in this setup is by using a sit-stand desk. This type of workstation keeps you literally on your toes, which helps you stay alert and healthy. Aside from getting a standing desk, you can also do a few other things to set up the best possible home office for you. Here are our tips.

Choosing the Best Equipment for You

Check your internet speed - The first thing you need for your home office is a proper Internet connection. Since you will be spending a lot of time online, a good wireless hub that can support your data needs without much buffer time is vital. Getting a separate phone line or additional work mobile number for your home office may be a good idea as well since you don’t want clients or business colleagues kept waiting.

Headphones or external speaker with a mic – If you’re doing a lot of calls or conferencing, you will also benefit from having a great set of headphones with a mic or a dedicated conference speaker. For extra movement, take calls over the speakerphone, while walking around the room or doing some stretching. One of the great things about using a standing desk is that you can be pacing at your desk while on a call, which can help you keep your muscles and joints more active, keep your energy levels up and can even help you generate new ideas.

Natural light in your space - The next step is to ensure your space is well lit. Choose a room with plenty of windows or sources of natural daylight. If the room is naturally dark or has few windows, task lights or daylight-replicating fixtures will make a world of difference. Even if you are working on a computer screen, you will minimise eyestrain if you work in a well-lighted place. It’s also better for your mood and energy levels.

Background noise and ambient sound - Finally, consider the sound of your home office workspace area. There a lot of options. You could get yourself some privacy by investing in quality noise-cancelling headphones. Or use storage solutions like bookcases or decorations like portable screens to help diffuse distracting sounds from outside. Another idea is to use an air filter or fans, as they serve two purposes; as a way to properly ventilate a workroom and as sources of ambient noise.

Benefits of Having Ergonomic Setup

A productive worker owes some of his efficiency to a good work system, these are essentially your ‘tools’. Organisation and creating a pleasant workspace can do wonders for your productivity. If you have a place to store your pens, for example, you won’t waste nearly as much time digging through your desk in search of something to write with. An ergonomic home office will have the best supplies in the best possible place.

Keep yourself productive by having ‘zones.’ Divide your office into places for intense work, for idea generation or relaxation, and for interacting with coworkers over video conferences. You should place your standing desk in the area where you feel like you will do focused work or sprints of productivity. Dividing your workplace into zones gives you psychological space for when you need to take a break, and primes you for returning.

Setting up your workspace for success also means investing in tools that will help make you comfortable while you are working. For jobs that lean heavily on editing and programming, for example, a dual monitor arm for your standing desk will be essential.

Part of what makes a comfortable standing desk setup is the support provided for feet. An anti-fatigue standing mat offers lower body support through long work hours. For times when you really cannot leave your desk, mats like these will help you power through.

The home office essentials that every WFH setup must have are an external keyboard, mouse and laptop stand. This will ensure you have your screen raised. Choose Bluetooth or wireless options if you can to avoid the clutter of wires.

Be conscious of creating any bad ergonomic habits when working from home, such as slouching your neck forward and down to look at a laptop or tablet on a low surface (such as a kitchen table or bench). It’s really important that the top of your screen is in line with your eye level. This alone will avoid a lot of potential issues arising with your posture.

Tips to stay motivated when working at home

Have a routine to follow every day. For example, when you wake up for the day, you should eat breakfast, workout, take a shower, and finish everything on your to-do list before you leave for the office. if you get to the office by 8:00 A.M., you must also be at your home workspace at this time. This helps you keep yourself in the headspace necessary to produce comparable results even when you’re in a different place.

That said, you should not be too hard on yourself if you must deviate from your routine at work. After all, you are not actually inside your office building, and there are differences you will have to deal with, like needing to address urgent matters at home. You must also leave some time for rest, for interacting with family, and for your personal projects.

But what we want to stress here is that taking some time to do a daily plan of your priorities and organise your time management for the day can work wonders for your productivity. Even something super simple like asking, “what are my top 3 must achieve items for the day” can help you set the right focus when working. When working remotely do your best to find the right balance between productivity and rest, take breaks and keep fresh. Having a good day plan, a routine or structure plus an optimised setup is important for your overall health and wellbeing.

Make MOVI standing desks a part of your productivity plans. We offer sit-stand desks and accessories that can help you work from home better.

Let’s ramp up your stand up workspace, experience higher productivity, and better health every day with us. We improve many workplaces around Australia, converting your existing desk to a stand-up desk in seconds. Contact us today for more information!

A quick note about COVID-19

We are continuing to operate as normal throughout this time. We are making all deliveries with TNT Express as they have been a trusted and dependable courier service for us. Shipping is fast on all products. Our manufacturing facility is back at full production capacity so any sit-stand desk stock that becomes unavailable will be temporary, as we restock as quickly as possible.

Thanks for reading.

Dan & the MOVI team