Did you know that there are 53 million freelancers in America these days, which is 34% of the whole population? The numbers are indeed impressive. Freelancing is considered a serious business rather than an unstable job more often. However, do all of these freelancers know how to equip their workplace? Probably not.
Why equipping a workplace is important in the first place?
While freelancing has its perks, it could also be a very challenging process. Many freelancers find it hard to work as productively from their homes than they did in office. Because of that some of them eventually start going to various coworking spaces. But sometimes that’s not the option – and so you have to look for alternatives.
Moreover, coworking spaces can be good because of networking and atmosphere, but this still doesn’t mean they’re always comfortable. Sometimes you might purchase into a membership only to find out there’s not enough place for you, the chair is too rigid, people sometimes ask you “Could you please proofread my paper?’’, etc.
In these cases, it’s better to invest the money into organizing the proper workspace at home. Moreover, often you don’t even need a lot of money to do so – you can purchase the most basic thing and then buy some additional ones.
So, here’s how you can organize your workplace in order to become more productive and effective in your work.
1. Zone it.
If you are able to create a home office in a separate room, that’s great. However, if you aren’t that lucky, you still need to figure out a way to separate your workplace from an area where you rest and spend time with your friends and family.
Sure, some of us can work effectively even from their beds – but it isn’t good in the long run. This way the lines between work and rest could become blurred, making to unable to rest well enough even in your free time.
So how can you create a work zone in your room? Sometimes, you can do it with the help of furniture – for example, put a bookshelf between your workplace and the rest of the room. But even if it’s not possible, you can still create a zone without actually separating it. For example, you can use different light in different areas, paint that part of the room differently, or make your workplace more businesslike while leaving the rest of the room cozy.
2. Organize your workplace right.
However, some of us take “business life” too serious, making sure a workplace has nothing except work-related things. This approach could be effective for many – yet it isn’t a rule you should stick to if you don’t feel like doing so. After all, people do decorate even office workplaces, keeping things that motivate them or simply make them happier there.
So if you want to, you can hang some motivational posters above your workplace, put a plant there, set some toys on your table, etc. However, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind while doing so: everything still should be organized well.
If you want, keep your table clean. If you don’t, put things you might need during your work or things that make it cozier there. Just make sure that you will be able to reach something easily when you need it. If you take notes, keep a notebook and a pen near, so you won’t need to rummage through the drawers looking for them. And make sure that your plant doesn’t block the quick access to your pen holder, for example.
3. Invest in your health.
If you’re in freelance for the long run, investing in your workplace is one of the wisest things to do. Sedentary work isn’t good for our health in general, but you can do something to minimize the risks.
Consider purchasing a good computer chair, investing in an ergonomic keyboard and computer mouse. If your eyes become too tired after a day spent looking at a screen, buy eyedrops and computer glasses. Also, ensure that your PC’s or laptop’s screen is good enough – and think about purchasing another one if it’s not.
Make sure that your workplace is bright enough. It’s always better to place it somewhere near the window, where you’ll have enough natural light even in winter. Invest into electric lightning as well, choosing fluorescent lighting bulbs that produce a more natural light and don’t strain the eyes much.
These are the basic things you need to pay attention to while creating and organizing your workplace. However, doing so is only the half of the job. It’s important to not only build a workplace at your home but also to actually treat it like one. This means limiting all the work to it, resisting the temptation to move to a cozy couch, and keeping it clean and organized all the time – just like you would do with your office desk.
Sophia Clark graduated from the University in the City of New York with B.A. in Journalism, 2011. She is a creative writer from New York who loves to share her thoughts with readers. In her free time, she enjoys writing fiction as well as reading it. Her big dream is to publish a novel one day.