5 Tips To Redesign Your Home Office To Maximize Your Productivity

Guest Post :: I used to think that I could never work from home because there would be too many distractions. I thought I would be too tempted to do anything other than work—sprucing up the house, paying bills, catching up on the DVR. So when I started my own business out of my own home, I needed a dedicated workspace that I loved to be in for me to maximize productivity. Having a home office that is designed to meet my needs ensures that I will get my work done as efficiently, and enjoyably, to maximize productivity as possible!

Here are 5 Tips to Redesign Your Home Office to Maximize Productivity:

1. Comfort is Key: to help you stay put and get those to-do items crossed off your list you need be comfortable in your office space. So think about these things:

• Do you like your chair? If not, now is the time to invest in a new one, ideally with
  an adjustable height.
• Is your computer at the right height? If not, try adding a few books under to raise it to eye level. No neck cramps here!
• Can you see well? Do you have some natural light and a good desk lamp? Strained eyes=headache=zero productivity.
• How’s the temperature? Try keeping a throw blanket on the back of your chair so if you get chilly you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to go get one from the other room.

2. Limit the Distractions: Covering your desk or the surrounding shelves with picture frames and décor that are not related to your work could take your attention away from the tasks at hand. Instead, try picking a couple of your favorite pictures and then using pretty office supplies (such as a gold stapler, brightly colored trays or bowls to hold your office supplies) or a patterned notebook to style your space without driving you to distraction. 

3. Access to Supplies: Keep the supplies you use most often in arm’s reach. Use the top of the desk for the items you use daily, the top drawers for the supplies you use frequently and the harder to reach drawers for the items you don’t need as often. For the larger objects like printers or shredders, keep them on a shelf nearby or try a bar cart on wheels that you can move close to the desk when you need it, and then move back to the corner when you’re finished.

4. Drawer Dividers: You can never use enough drawer dividers! Whether you DIY the dividers with egg crates or old shoe boxes, or purchase dividers (Home Goods has some nice options), using a divider for your office supplies and everything that you store in your desk will make you more organized and maximize productivity. Stop wasting time rummaging around the drawers looking for paper clips!

5. Personalize It: Whether it’s adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls, laying a new area rug below the desk, or hanging a few curtains —it’s important to bring your design style into the home office. You will maximize productivity  and will be much more efficient with your time if you feel comfortable and happy in your surroundings.

When Danielle Reidy is not hard at work in her home office, she is out working with clients through her organizing and styling business that she founded, Sadie Road. As the Founder of Sadie Road, Danielle’s mission is to bring balance and productivity into her clients’ homes through creative organizing and interior styling solutions. Find out more about Sadie Road here.