Whether or not you are a telecommuter, you probably have an “office area” in your home.  This might be a fully dedicated, fully equipped room with a lock and key, or it may be any number of variations on the table + office supplies combination: the computer desk tucked into the corner of an untidy family room; the laptop and folding table hastily setup and broken down each day between the couch and the TV; or the workbench and printer buried in a basement near the laundry and water heater.  

In any case, the home office quickly becomes a microcosm of a home – a home within a home – in which, once “work” is engaged, the sense of the rest of the house ceases to fully impact the consciousness.

If you use your office space only sporadically – to send the odd fax, to print flyers to the yard sale - then a random configuration of laptop and folding table might do.  However, if you are regularly logging 3+ hours at a time at your workstation, there are a few things you should do to organize your space.  This is not simply because it will be more comfortable (though it will be more comfortable); it is also because your efficiency will be enhanced by a well-planned area.

Here are a few suggestions to consider when you set-up your home office:

1. Give yourself enough space.  If you are a small person, you may be able to work in a closet.  But most of us require sufficient room to stretch our arms and legs – and room to push away from the table/desk and turn our chair at least 180?.  Don’t be fooled by advertisements featuring slick designs of desks within cabinets or other tight spaces.  If you have no other choice, go for it (and they do look cool).  But ask yourself - is it more important that your workspace stows away, or that you are comfortable while you are in it?

2. Make yourself comfortable.  Just because you have all the space in the world doesn’t mean you’re instantly comfortable.  Don’t ignore the fact that your backside hurts just a little when you first settle into your chair.  In four hours you will be numb (FYI: numb is not good).  Make yourself a checklist: eyes in line with the computer monitor?  phone easily accessible?  And remember being comfortable isn’t just about ergonomics. Gather all the stuff you use regularly around you, and keep the most important items closest. Forget having pens within arm’s distance if you never write anything down; leave them off your desk altogether if room is scarce and it’s a cup full of pens vs. a cup full of coffee.

3. Plan the “home base” for your office accessories (and keep them there).  Where do paper files and documents live?  Where do receipts live?  Where does your wallet and cell phone go when you take them out of your pocket/purse?  Having a home for these things means that you can actually put them where they belong, not just put them down (and maybe you’ll have a chance at finding them again when you need them).

4. Set up task stations.  These are places where certain tasks are to be accomplished; it’s not enough to simply own a fax machine and a stapler.  Think about how you typically use them. For example, place your fax near the fax memos, stapler, paperclips, file cabinets, and notepads so that you have a “faxing area” where everything you need to create, send, and file a fax is together and you will be more likely to remember all the steps – as well as be less likely to dread going over to the fax machine.

5. Enjoy the space you’ve chosen.  You are the only one who can know what makes a pleasing office for you.  If you’re not into interior design or a major change is not an option in your space, that’s ok – small adjustments make a big difference.  Just ask yourself: are you looking for a calming work environment?  Stimulating?  Inspiring?  Then create that mood for yourself the best you can. Even if that means putting up one great picture or poster, placing a small potted plant in the room, or hanging that shelf so that it’s exactly the right height for you, you can affect your happiness in your home work environment.  If it’s a shared space, agree on a general scheme that everyone can live with (if not enjoy) and when it’s your turn to use the space, take your wacky stuffed lizard out of the drawer and place it near your monitor.

You can produce good work (and probably have produced good work) in a shabby work space.  But why should you?  You waste time, increase stress, and could possibly be causing yourself bodily harm in an ill-conceived work area. Do yourself a favor and plan your “office home” as well as you planned the rest of your house.

*Some suggestions in this article were loosely adapted from Julie Morgenstern’s “Organizing From the Inside Out” products.