8 Ways To Upgrade Your Home Office

Working from home is becoming more and more common. Businesses are seeing the value in allowing employees to telecommute, and many people are freelancers who do all their work online.

If you’re one of the many people who work partially or entirely from home, your home office is more important than you may think. The right home office enhances your productivity, whereas a poor home office can leave you feeling sluggish.

Looking for some simple ways you can upgrade your home office? Here are eight options to take it to the next level.

1. Add a Splash of Color

You work from home. You can set up your office however you want. So why would you want it to look as boring as a traditional office?

If your office is full of dull colors, you won’t be comfortable and it certainly won’t boost your creativity. Bright colors are great for your mood, and you should incorporate at least one or two of them into your home office. Painting the walls would be the most extreme solution, but if you’re not ready to go that far, you can always put up a painting that inspires you.

2. Bring in More Light

If you’re relying entirely on your home office’s overhead lighting, then you probably don’t have enough light. Although this may not seem like a big deal, low lighting can make your eyesight worse, make you feel tired and even cause slight depression. A good lamp makes all the difference here. It’s also good to have your office in a room that gets some natural light during the day.

3. Choose Your Chair Wisely

How you sit plays a major role in your overall health, and a high-quality ergonomic chair will keep you in the right position. You’ll feel better and you won’t need to get up as often to stretch your legs. When looking for a chair, make sure you get one with lumbar support and that is very adjustable.

4. Get a New Desk

Your desk may not be quite as important as your chair, but the two are neck and neck. You need a desk that accommodates your usual day. If you don’t need any other supplies throughout the day besides your computer, you can probably get by with a small corner desk. If you’re constantly reaching for papers, pens and devices, you may want a larger desk with more organizational capabilities. If your home office doubles as the place where you play the latest PC games, you’ll want a gaming desk that’s good for work and play.

5. Elevate Your Monitor

When your monitor is lower than your eye level, it causes you to hunch over. Raising it to eye level will alleviate this issue. You can use something as simple as a few books to elevate your monitor. If you have a laptop, you can get a USB keyboard and mouse to avoid any awkward positioning when you elevate it.

6. Keep a Couple Relaxing Items Nearby

It’s natural to get a bit antsy when you’ve been sitting for too long. A relaxing item, whether it’s a grip strengthener, a foam roller, a stress ball or something else, can help you let off some steam.

7. Add Storage Space

Dealing with too much clutter? It may be time for more storage space. There are plenty of convenient storage options, and it all depends on what will fit into your home office. You could hang shelves, get some storage cubes or put a small cabinet beneath your desk.

8. Get a Plant

A small plant won’t take up much space in your office, but it can brighten it up quite a bit. It’s always nice to have a natural element in your office. Just make sure you get one that doesn’t require much maintenance.

You probably don’t want to overhaul your entire office in a day, but applying any of these tips will have an immediate impact and make your home office a more enjoyable work space. Find a couple areas where your office could use some improvement and give it the upgrade it deserves.