Lots of us all of a sudden find themselves working from home, something I, as a freelancer have been doing for many years. It’s tricky to be productive from home, why do you think so many people bring their laptops to cafe’s to get their work done? For me it’s all down to a good work spot so I thought I give you some tips on how to create the perfect home office.

How to create the perfect spot to work from home with www.hestershandmadehome.com

So there you go my desk! You might have seen me build this in my Pallet wood Projects for Outdoor Spaces book, or over on my Instagram. It’s a small table that works perfect as a work spot from home. If you don’t have a desk maybe a small table or your dining table will work. Otherwise do as me and build your own :D (I will be recreating this desk soon for a YouTube tutorial so stay tuned if you want to build your own pallet desk)

Make sure you have a comfy chair to sit on, try one of your dining chairs but if they don’t work get yourself a desk chair. Mine is from Argos and is a very budget friendly one, if you are still aloud outside have a look at your local shops (keeping a safe distance from everybody else) or otherwise order a chair online. If you are not comfortable behind your desk you don’t get any work done, so this is an important one.

Being productive is all about not being distracted hence my desk facing the wall. A window, facing the room or even seeing the tv in the distance will be way to distracting for me as my concentration span isn’t the best. Hence me looking at my brick wall. Having my desk nice and tidy also works wonders, if my workspace is to messy I can’t get any work done.

If I really need to get things done I put my phone in a jar, lock the lid and put the jar on the other side of the room. Not having the temptation the have a quick look at your Instagram or check the news (only stresses you out anyway) is great for your productivity.

Another tip is keeping to the schedule you normally have when you go to the office, so get up at the same time, use your commuting time to have a cup of tea/coffee and read the news or a magazine and start work at the time your normally sit down behind your desk. Do make time for coffee breaks though and make sure you step away from your computer when its lunch time ,maybe even try and go into your garden for some fresh air. The good thing about working from home is that you can have a home made lunch every day, it saves you money and is a great way to have some of your leftovers from diner the night before.

Make your desk look as pretty and inviting as you can, this little shelf is the Ikea Bekvam spice rack. It has my notebooks in them, a small plant, washi tapes and pot of pens, scissors etc. Having all you need close to hand makes you less likely to wonder away from your desk and get distracted by something else in your house. Normally this self also has a spare keyboard and mouse in it as my little toddler Kiki likes to sit on my lap and ‘help’ me with my work. She has her own keyboard as otherwise my clients get very interesting emails :)

A few pictures or postcards will add a personal touch to your workspace, you don’t want it to end up too sterile looking, a bit of personality makes work more fun.

Do try and get dressed every morning, it’s tempting sitting behind your desk in your pyjamas but productivity will be so much better when you have your normal clothes on. I’m not expecting you to be sitting behind your computer screen in a full suit but some casual wear will really help you get in the work mood. I used to have this thing that I couldn’t concentrate unless I had my shoes on, I know completely ridiculous! Luckily I can now type in my slipper too :D

As you can see in the picture above I did stop wearing makeup, this staying away from people phase might be very good for my skin :) And yes I shouldn’t touch my face but I promise you I have washed my hand very, very, well.

I like having a notepad on my desk so I can scribble down ideas and make a rough schedule of my week. The pad you see in the picture above is by Kikki K, as you can see my Kiki like to write her ideas on it too!

Do make sure you have enough space on your desk for all the paperwork you need and keep it tidy. For me a messy desk or even messy house really messes with my productivity.

If you have little ones in your house and you and your partner both need to work from home take shifts. Have a few hours purely for work while the other one watches the kids in a different room (if possible) and then swap over. You might need to work a bit more once they have gone to sleep, that is what I often do, and don’t be too strict about screen time at the moment. Sometimes Cbeebies/Netflix can be a great babysitter :)

So to recap:

Have a good table and a comfy chair to sit on
Find the perfect spot, if like me your attention span isn’t great, face a wall not a window. Also keep in mind you don’t want direct sunlight on your computer screen.
Get dressed, I can’t work in my pj’s and recon it isn’t great for your productivity either.
Try and keep to the schedule you have when going into your office
Have all you need close to hand to stop you wondering through your house
If you have children take shifts to get a few hours off pure work time and be prepared to work in the evenings where possible.
Put your phone in a jar to resist the urge to flick through the news or Instagram.
Make your work spot look inviting and fun to work in but try and keep it tidy and have enough desk space for the paperwork, notepads etc.
Have a proper lunch break, don’t eat behind your computer but have a homemade lunch and get some fresh air in your garden

I hope this might help you get some work done at home for however long this outbreak might last. Keep safe, wash your hands and stay indoors. Good luck guys xx Hester