How to Set Up the Perfect Remote Office in Santa Monica
Working from home can be great, but as we all know, it comes with its difficulties. With offices remaining closed and more companies switching to digital workspaces, people are forced to find some kind of home space to work from. In these unprecedented times, establishing a separate space where you can be productive and remain focused is more important than ever.
Luckily, Santa Monica provides a fabulous backdrop for the perfect work-from-home office space. With sunny weather, blue skies, and abundant natural beauty, remote workers in Santa Monica can enjoy the world around them and benefit from less stress and more productivity.
In this article, we will take a look at how to set up a perfect space to work from home in Santa Monica.
Setting the Stage for Success
Research studies show that a majority of workers find that they are actually more productive when working from home. With fewer external distractions, WFH employees can get straight to business with minimal stress and maximized focus.
But there are definitely important factors to help pave the way for a successful remote working environment. Consider how you will be using your space: will you have frequent video meetings? Long-distance conference calls? Will you want to play music in the background while you work?
Take some time to prepare your atmosphere so that it is all ready for whatever tasks and purposes may arise throughout the working week. First off, establish your tech specs. Make sure you have the best internet speeds possible to avoid glitchy video chats and interrupted work meetings. If your internet is slow, look into switching providers or installing a new Wi-Fi router. A fast internet connection will allow you to trust that your workflow won’t be disrupted by technical difficulties.
Sights and Sounds
Your workspace is not just your desk and computer screen, it is an entire environment. While setting up your home office, you will also want to think about your sound. Set up a speaker system in your workspace for ambient background noise to help keep you focused throughout the day. Soundproof your doors and walls to protect against noise from the rest of the house- especially if you have children, pets, or both. You don’t want barking dogs or homeschooling lessons to distract you during your workday or interrupt an important business meeting.
Be sure you consider how your space will appear on virtual co-working platforms. Prime your space for professionalism by creating an attractive, uncluttered background for video calls. Make sure that whatever personal items are visible present images you would like to share with colleagues, clients, and employers. Video chatting presents a more intimate view into each other’s personal and professional lives; you get to control how much you want to reveal in each video call.
Soak in the Atmosphere
Working from home comes with several advantages: no long commute through traffic-congested freeways, more flexibility to determine your own schedule, and more possibilities to enjoy your local atmosphere. In Santa Monica, you can incorporate natural beauty into your remote office. If you have windows facing the ocean, enjoy the restorative effects of watching the waves break as you take a necessary screen break. Follow the golden rule: 20 seconds every 20 minutes to keep your eyes and mind fresh and alert.
Recent studies have shown that natural light is highly beneficial for productivity in the workplace, with an increase of up to 40%. So take advantage of the ample sunshine in Southern California and choose a workspace that lets in plenty of natural light.
Take a rejuvenating afternoon break by walking in the sunshine. Let the sound of the waves reset your mental stress levels, allowing you to feel refreshed and ready to tackle the remainder of the afternoon’s work. Savvy employees know that some of the best ideas come when we take a break and change up our environment. Taking a walk is a great way to refresh, reset, and make space for new ideas to come. Use the advantage of working from home to interact with new sights, sounds, and people. You may just have a lightning bolt moment of inspiration that you can take with you as you return to the home office.
Embrace the Comfort- and Keep it Separate
Leaving aside the starchy, constricted uniforms of the workplace and embracing the comfort of working in your sweats is only one aspect of creating a more comfortable home workspace environment. Since you will spend the majority of each workday inhabiting your home office space, you will also want to invest in top-notch office furniture.
Take the time to research to find which options meet your needs. Consider embracing an ergonomic desk chair that will support your posture as you sit facing the desk. Look into which desk chairs offer the best combination of comfort, style, and support. Focus on back, thigh, and arm support.
Or use a standing desk. Research shows that sitting for prolonged periods is bad for general health. Invest in a full-on standing desk, or, for a more flexible approach, introduce a standing desk extender into your routine. These desk extenders allow you to transform any surface into a standing desk. They are usually height adjustable and very affordable and allow you to swap between sitting and standing throughout the day.
If possible, you should have two monitors, allowing you to move seamlessly between working platforms. Keep your work equipment separate from your after-work hours. Isolating your computer screen for work will signal to your brain that you are ready to be productive and focused as soon as you sit down at the desk.
Home Office Time
Once you have set up your perfect remote office, put in place routines for productivity. Clean your space often. Establish consistent working hours, when you are unavailable for social calls or other possible distractions. The more you are able to establish a space that is clearly marked for work, the more you will be able to concentrate.
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