Staying Sane in Your Home Office

Working from home can be both a blessing and a curse. The commute is great, but your coworkers are a potted plant and a lamp so they're not super helpful. You're completely in charge of your own workspace. At first, you think: at least you can finally have everything exactly as you want it. Quickly, that good intention can deteriorate into w working in your pajamas at a desk covered with clutter. Here are a few tips to help keep your home office neat and organized. 

Organize Supplies

If you work from home, odds are you don't have a supply closet, so you'll need to start your own. It's just like back to school shopping, in a way, but with more printer toner and less composition notebooks. Make sure you have a space where you can store the supplies you need. You should be able to tell at a glance what supplies you have and what supplies you need to stock up on. Also, this space should, ideally, not be on your desk or in your immediate workspace. That can be difficult if you have a small home office. You may need to get creative. 

Utilize Wall Space

One way to expand your storage space is by utilizing free wall space. There are many wall mounted storage options that can double or triple your storage spaces. You can also use wall space to help you manage your tasks and your to-do list. A chalk or dry erase board can easily become a to-do list. A cork board can hold a calendar to help you keep track of deadlines. Even a plain space of blank wall can become home to the sticky notes that help remind you of tasks. Think outside the box in order to maximize utility, especially in smaller spaces. 

Clear Your Desk

At the office, the presence of bosses and co-workers pressured you to keep your workspace clean. At any moment your neighbor could look in and see the pile of trash and clutter on your desk. At home, there are no such social pressures inspiring you to tidy up, so you must inspire yourself. It's tempting to let yourself go a bit and give in to the clutter, but you'll feel better and be happier if you don't. Keep your desk clear of everything except the work that needs your attention right now. Organizing your supplies and utilizing wall space can help with that. 

Clear Your Desktop

Not just your physical desk but also your digital one should be clear of clutter. Digital mess on your computer screen is just as distracting and stress-inducing as the physical mess in your spaces. Organizing your desktop with folders and clearing out the trash of redundant documents takes only time and a little mental effort. Your computer will run better and your workflow will be smoother. Remember to do the same for your backup systems periodically. Backing up to hard drives or cloud storage systems often creates redundant copies that can be deleted to free up more storage space. 

Personalize

You might think that you don't need to personalize your office much. After all, you're working from home, it doesn't get much more personal than that, does it? Don't let the "from home" part of your situation distract from the fact that you are still working. It might feel ridiculous to say that you miss your family when you're working from home, but you might find that you actually do. Personalize your home office just as much as you would your work office; it will help keep you sane and happy. 

A clean workspace reduces stress and makes you more efficient. Anything that reduces stress is vital when you're working from home. It's all too easy for the isolation to start getting to you and drive you crazy. By making sure that your workspace is clear of clutter, you can help keep your mind clear and ready to work.