Working from home requires a delicate balance of your attention, time and living space, especially in a smaller NYC apartment. For both daily and occasional telecommuters, moving where you do what you do when working from home presents challenges—and opportunities for improvement. So, whether you’re carving out a brand new home office space or just want to make your current one more efficient, here’s some advice to help you gain control of your environment and maximize your productivity.
Dedicate a Workable Work Area.
The worst place for a home office? Your bedroom. Experts agree that if you have somewhere other than your bedroom to do your work, move the desk out. You don’t want to associate your work place with where you rest. Instead, consider a kitchen counter with a free corner and open space underneath or an underused closet or hallway. And remember to get anyone you live with on board, reminding them that when you’re there, it means you are off limits until the work day is over..
Minimize Personal Items.
We all want our workspace to be a reflection of ourselves, so we bring in family photos, our favorite books and other personal items that, in the end, equal little more than a messy space. A good way to keep it simple is to include only items that are essential to your work. Remove all personal items from your work station and find storage space for the other things you want to keep, then recycle, donate or trash the rest.
Cut the Cable Clutter.
Downsize the number of cables on, around and under your computer by storing or getting rid of what you rarely or never use. You can also upgrade what you can for wireless devices, like your mouse, keyboard and printer. And if there are still unsightly, cumbersome wires, you may want to purchase a USB hub (which typically costs around $30) so you can plug several devices into your computer using just one cable.
Opt for a White Board.
In most industries, work incudes making notes, managing deadlines and keeping track of to-do lists. Wall calendars and appointment books are usually great for this, but if you want to lose the paper and save precious wall space, try adhering a magnetic dry erase white board to the fridge or other magnetic surface and be on your productive way. It keeps everything in one neat and organized place that is easily updated with the swipe of the eraser.
Now that you’re settled into your new home office, contact the experts at Gotham Mini Storage, the best Manhattan mini storage location, for the perfect place to store those extra non-work related items that you just can’t part with.