How to design a productive remote workspace

Here’s the art and science you need to know to create an awesome home office

The first step for remote workers is to set up a space that helps them to do their best work. While a spare room or purpose-built study is great if you have one, it’s not vital to succeeding as a remote worker. Here are the principles that will help you create the best workspace no matter your living situation.

Set aside a designated space for work

Building 20 research shows that remote workers with a designated workspace are 25% more likely to strongly prefer working from home. It is important to have a dedicated work area when working from home to help you get in the zone and focus without distraction. In an ideal world, everyone would work in a separate office or study, but sometimes this just isn’t possible.

If you are not able to design a remote workspace in a room other household members won’t need to use during the day, there are still steps you can take to create a home office. Start by creating a division between your work area and the rest of the room. This can be symbolic, such as by marking the boundaries with plants and other decorations, or by using cabinets, shelving, and screens to create more physical barriers.

There should be a clearly marked point where you step into and out of your work area, and household members should be asked to respect that boundary. It can also be a good idea to signal to your housemates when you need to concentrate. It doesn’t matter what the signal is (a closed door, a Do Not Disturb sign, or wearing headphones) so long as it’s clear, visible, and agreed upon.

Ergonomics matter

When you went to work in an office, you might have gone through an ergonomics assessment so that your employer could set up your work area to avoid injury. When working from home you need to do this yourself, and its importance should not be underestimated.

The average office employee is absent 12 days a year due to ergonomic issues. Home furniture was not designed for 8-hours of typing at a computer, if you use it for this purpose you’ll get injured.

The way you sit at your desk is the main focus here. You don’t want to crane your neck forward to see your monitor, so ensure the top of the screen is level with your eyes. If you work on a laptop, the only way to get this right is to elevate your laptop above your desk and use an external keyboard. Hunched Over Laptop Syndrome is the most literally named medical condition and you don’t want it.

You should also use an external mouse instead of the built-in trackpad. Make sure your mouse is on a desk that lets your arms rest at a level position. This means you can control the cursor using more of the muscles in your arm instead of straining your wrist.

The position of your legs can restrict blood flow. To avoid this, your chair should allow your knees to rest at right angles with your feet flat on the floor. If you can’t adjust your desk and chair to achieve this, use a footrest to get the right position.

Sitting down all day saps your energy and productivity. Shake off that lethargic feeling by getting up regularly to stretch and move around. Avoid sitting down for more than an hour at a time without moving. Consider investing in a desk that can be adjusted to a standing position, as these can have a lot of benefits for your posture. Here’s a cardboard option from the team at Refold!

Make it a space you want to be in

When creating a home office, your workspace should not just be a comfortable place to work, but also a pleasant one. Working in an unpleasant environment reduces your motivation and productivity. Light, sound, and decorations play a big part in this.

Light

68% of employees are unhappy with their workplace lighting. As a remote worker, you don’t have to put up with this. To start with the obvious, design a remote workspace in a well-lit area. Natural light is easiest on the eyes, but take measures to ensure there won’t be sun glare on your screen. You want your workspace to be between 300–500 lux, there are heaps of free ‘lux meter’ apps in the app store. Similarly, avoid having a strong light source directly in your line of sight or a shadow cast over your work area.

Sound

There can be a lot of distracting sounds to deal with when creating a home office. Some you can limit, such as by asking household members to keep their TV and music down during work hours. But others are more difficult to prevent, like noise from outside traffic.

You want to make sure you’re workspace noise is below 65 decibels (test your noise level here). If you do have noisy kids, pets, or a construction site next door, noise-canceling headphones are worth their weight in gold.

If you’re listening to music here are five principles to keep you focussed:

1. Shhhh… Libraries are on to something; silence is golden when learning something new.
2. Drag yourself across the line. Use upbeat music to get your energy up and motivate yourself to do repetitive tasks (for example, emailing and data entry).
3. Condition yourself. Like Pavlov’s dogs, Michael Lewis (author of Moneyball, The Blind Side, and The Big Short) has conditioned himself to be able to jump into deep work by sticking to one playlist. The idea is that eventually, you will automatically associate the music with deep work. A word of warning: you’ll never want to hear any of the songs on the playlist outside of work again.
4. Slow and steady when problem-solving. Researchers found that musical tempo in the range of 50–80 beats per minute can help induce the alpha state in your brain, where your mind becomes calm, alert, and concentration is heightened. Minimal lyrics are best.
5. Don’t worry, be happy… with creative work. Ritter & Ferguson (2017) conclude that creativity is highest when listening to ‘happy’ music. Exciting times for Bobby McFerrin.

Decorate (a little)

A worldwide study conducted by four universities in Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands shows that with even a minimal introduction of plants and decorations, employees show a productivity boost of at least 15%.

Nothing brightens up an office like a few plants. A bit of greenery brings some nature into your home office and provides a break from your more artificial surroundings. They are also a functional decoration that can act as visual or sound barriers.

Furthermore, taking care of a plant can form a relaxing daily routine. Make sure you pick a plant you can easily look after though; a withering plant on your desk probably isn’t the inspiration you are looking for.

Conclusion

Creating a home office you look forward to working in every day is one of the perks of working from home. It also offers major benefits to your overall productivity when you get it right.

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