10 Tips for the Perfect Office to Keep You More Productive and Happier
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| Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash |
Hanifmr.com - I have been working as a freelancer in my own office for almost 12 years.
At first, it was a home office for a long time and has now been an external office for a few years. During this time I learned a lot about working in the office but also realized that it is not so easy to work alone in your own office.
That's why I've put together 10 tips for the perfect office for you.
10 Tips for the Perfect Office
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| 10 Tips for the Perfect Office to Keep You More Productive and Happier |
The following tips are intended to help founders and freelancers to get used to working in their own office as quickly as possible and to be productive. But these tips are also intended for your health, fun at work, and long-term motivation.
As always, you shouldn't just blindly adopt these tips, but try out what works best for you and what you feel comfortable with. After more than a decade of self-employment, however, I can safely say that these tips will be helpful for most.
1) Facility
When you set up a company, you usually don't have a lot of money to afford a complete set of office equipment. Most of the time, existing furniture is used and even the PC has mostly been used privately beforehand.
It was no different for me back in 2006 when I set up my workplace. I sat at a desk that I already had at home and there was also a relatively old office chair. As a work PC, I simply used my private PC, which wasn't brand new at the time either.
However, it quickly became apparent that not everything was optimal in my new home office. While the table met all of the requirements, the chair wasn't very good. This quickly became noticeable in back pain.
So I got myself a new office chair pretty soon, which cost a little more but was very good for my back. At this point, you shouldn't save, because you will quickly have physical problems. Anyone who sits at the computer for many hours a day should consider the office chair and desk as their absolute most important work equipment.
Another important point is the technology used. Of course, it doesn't have to be the very latest PC. As a rule, this is not necessary and is simply far too expensive.
However, you should still make sure that outdated technology does not hinder you. Anyone who spends more time waiting for the computer than working is not only wasting time but is also slowing down their own business. Therefore, you should know your own needs and requirements about the technology exactly and save money to replace the technology later.
2) Light
The subject of light also has to do with the furnishing of the office. On the one hand, it is of course ideal if you have large windows that let in a lot of daylight. This is the most pleasant light for working at the desk.
However, not everyone has these optimal conditions. In addition, it gets light late in winter and, above all, dark again early. The lamps in the office are therefore also very important. Good lighting ensures that you stay focused and your eyes don't suffer.
In my home office, for example, I had a window, but the protruding roof box did not get as much light into the room, especially in autumn and winter. That's why I used an additional floor lamp in addition to the ceiling lamp and, of course, a table lamp.
Today I use a special table lamp that adapts to the ambient light and also has no spotlight, but illuminates the entire desk evenly.
3) Order
Oh, I was messy as a student. I didn't have any real order, but that didn't bother me that much at the time, at least that's how I felt.
That changed with the job. In the beginning, I still put everything on top of each other and my desk was full of notes. I also tried to remember a lot. But then I changed that very quickly, because the overview was lost and, above all, it wasn't so good for me either.
With my independence, I have even increased my tendency to be tidy. So many tasks, documents, and memories. Without a certain order, a lot goes under. I write down everything that is due or what I want to do. That clears my head and I don't forget anything.
Keyword: clear your mind. On my desk, there is only what I need to complete the current task. So I can concentrate very well on the task
Incidentally, I try to keep things tidy on the PC, too, because a lot accumulates there too very quickly.
4) Single-Tasking
Many people think that doing different things at the same time is a good thing. But from a scientific point of view, this is not the case. On the contrary, humans are not capable of multitasking.
Therefore, you should only focus on one task at a time. Answering e-mails, watching TV/streams, or communicating on Facebook and Twitter should not be combined with working on a task.
I now always stick to this single-tasking way of working and that has made my blog routine much more stress-free and efficient.
5) Set Priorities
For me, working with to-do lists is closely related to keeping the office tidy. The crux of the matter here is not just knowing what you want or have to do, but also prioritize the tasks.
Some tasks need to be done immediately and are important. These should be at the top. Other important tasks follow. Tasks that are not so important and are not time-critical either end up at the end of the to-do list or even drop out entirely.
As a self-employed person on the Internet, I've never had the problem that I didn't know what to do. On the contrary, my list of tasks and ideas is always very long. It is extremely important to prioritize.
6) Avoid Distraction
I already touched on the subject of distraction briefly above. But I want to and have to go into it again in more detail. When I founded a business and worked at home, it often happened that I let myself be guided.
Be it the television, the Internet, or other things in your own home, when important, but also strenuous tasks are pending, it is all too easy to get distracted. And so, back then, I often worked late into the night, but not always really efficiently. Without the distraction, the working day would often have been significantly shorter.
So this tip for your office again: Banish any distractions from your sight and avoid them on the PC by closing your email program, logging out of Facebook, and so on.
7) Say No
Almost every self-employed person knows the problem that at the beginning there is a lack of orders, customers and income. You are happy about every new opportunity to earn money and that leads to the fact that you always say yes.
But that's not good in the long run. Despite the stress and strain, you still promise the customer special requests or accept another order with a tight deadline. Many self-employed people find it difficult to say no.
But it is extremely important to learn this again. Saying no not only helps to reduce your stress from a certain level but also ensures that your income increases. By focusing on the really good jobs and rejecting others, you can get higher hourly wages.
That's why I can only advise everyone to rethink their way of thinking and to abandon the founder attitude a little.
8) Eat That Frog
This is a saying and means that at the beginning of the day you should do the hardest task because then the rest of the day will be a lot easier.
This is an approach that I have had good experiences with. In the morning you are usually fresher and can deal with more complex tasks. After lunch, on the other hand, it is usually harder to think deeply about more complex things.
However, there is also another approach. By completing a few simple and quick tasks at the start of the working day, you immediately have some sense of achievement. This motivates you to approach further tasks.
For me, a combination of the two approaches has proven its worth. By changing a little, there is no boredom.
9) Call It a Day
A good working day includes finishing work and enjoying your own free time. This is difficult to imagine for founders, as I have noticed myself.
I worked at home for a long time, so the “way to work” was only a few meters long. But in the long run, it is not healthy to do without leisure and relaxation. This is noticeable physically, but it can also have negative psychological effects. Quite a few founders suffer from burnout.
That's why I set myself a time in the morning when I want to finish work. If I finish my tasks faster, then I either do a few little things or leave earlier. If, on the other hand, the main task takes longer, I spontaneously decide whether I should finish it or stop here and continue the next day.
So it's not about dropping everything on the minute as employees do. Rather, it is about escaping the founder's way of thinking that you have to work all the time. In addition, it is often the case that you can do more in less time because you work more concentrated and more efficiently.
10) Nourishment
Finally, a word on the subject of nutrition. This often suffers from desk criminals, since in addition to the lack of exercise, people usually do not eat well. A lot of coffee, pizza, and a lot of snacks are often on or next to the desk.
But that can take revenge over time because if you don't feel healthy, it does not just work that suffers. Therefore, over time, I have started to pay more attention to a healthy diet and to drink a lot, apart from coffee.
And of course, you should do sports to compensate for long periods of sitting in the office.
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