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What a great idea – the ability to work from home.  No more tedious drive in.  No more parking.  Get up when you are ready, and just get what you need to, done.  But how do you set your office up so you can actually perform like a productive human being?  Good question.  Here is a top five list of things you can do to make working from home, work for you.

1.    Have a designated room for work:

If you are planning on working from home for just a day, or most of your work life, having a designated room for work is critical.  If you are lucky enough to have the space in your house or apartment, set up a library/work area.  Having a room where you can isolate yourself from your home-life will make sure that you don’t get distracted.  Much like going into the office every day, the trash will still be waiting for you when you get home, you’ll still have to build that play-set for the kids on the weekend, and you’re still going to have to go get groceries for your better half.  But the key thing to remember is that all these things, and more, still have their time and place.

2.    Home away from home:

Just because you need to make yourself feel that you are not at home doesn’t mean that you can’t be reminded of it.  Like bringing decorations to work that remind you of the cool things you do at home, you should decorate your home office as well.  Put some awesome pictures on your walls, have giant ornate bookshelves, and get a life-size Stormtrooper.  It should certainly make you happy to pick your head up and look around.

Just be wary of putting too much in your home office.  There is a fine line between tasteful decoration, and your entire GI Joe action figure collection littering your desk.  Yes, taking down Cobra is great and all, but taking down your inbox is even better.

3.    Get comfortable, you’re in it for the long haul:

Companies may not have all the money in the world to get you the best, most ergonomic office gadgets.  And while you should certainly do your due diligence in requesting things to make your life easier, sometimes you just have to make the plunge and purchase your own gadgets and furniture.   Plus, you have a good possibility of writing off some of this awesome stuff on your taxes.

Some personal recommendations to an awesome home office include: the Herman Miller Aeron office chair, a desk with a great amount of chair and legroom (or maybe one with a lift in it so you can stand when you want), and definitely take the time to try out new keyboards and mice.

4.    You still have to have friends:

One thing you miss out on when you work from home more than you work at the office is a great deal of personal human interaction.  Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” would suggest that someone not surrounded by their peers/superiors would not experience the same amount of friendship, respect, or spontaneity that being in the workplace can provide.

So what’s the solution?  Keep in good contact with people through email.  When you have meetings, make them video chat when you can.  And most of all, make sure you still take some time to come into the office to build/keep great relationships with your team members.

5.    There is an end of the day:

Remember when I told you earlier not to mix your home life into your work?  Well don’t mix work into your home life as well.  You have to make sure you set boundaries.  This article makes a great point:

 “Many experts assert that too much work is bad for you, however.  Overwork can be unhealthy for the body – stress and heart disease have long been understood to be partners.  [Blake] Ashforth says it’s also no good for the mind to work too much, rarely clearing your thoughts of the daily grind.  Psychology researchers in the Netherlands identified what they call ‘leisure sickness,’ and presented their findings to the American Psychosomatic Society in 2001.  In a study of more than 100 people who suffered from headaches, fatigue, nausea and muscle pains on weekends and holidays, the researchers found that ‘people who are perfectionists, carry large workloads and feel very responsible for their work are more apt to suffer from these symptoms.’”

Make time for your friends and family.  Have a monthly card club, scrapbook, or brew some beer.  Make sure you have a hobby or friends to keep you occupied outside of work.

When it’s all said and done, everything deserves a great deal of moderation.  Consider working from the office three days a week and from home two.  Make Wednesday work from home day, the day where you get a great deal done without distraction.  Whatever you choose, when you come back, you’ll be sure to knock the socks off your teammates and leaders.

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