Let’s face it — most of us aren’t going back to the office anytime soon. In fact, many companies have said they will not require their employees to be in the office full time ever again. 

This is a dramatic shift from where the professional world was just a few years ago. This change was so quick it caught many of us off guard and we were left scrambling to set up a home office. 

If you find yourself in a hastily thrown together home office, here are some things you can do to spruce up your workspace and improve your productivity and overall well-being.

Get some plants

It seems almost too simple to be true, but adding a few plants to your home office can have substantial benefits. Studies have shown that having indoor plants can improve your mood, boost productivity, and lower stress. It’s also one of the most affordable ways to improve your home office. 

If you’ve had trouble keeping your plants healthy in the past, don’t worry! There are many indoor plants that require very little attention, like snake plants or succulents. 

Set Up an Ergonomic Workstation

Sitting all day five times a week can do serious damage to your body over time. That’s why you should set up your workstation with ergonomic rules in mind. 

Setting up an ergonomic workstation involves everything from your seat height to the distance between your screen and face. Having an ergonomic workstation will help you with a host of problems, from easing neck and back pain to reducing eye strain. 

You will want to set up your ergonomic workstation based on your height. Use this workspace planner from Ergotron to determine your ideal setup. 

Find a Comfortable Chair

Now that you know how to set up an ergonomic workstation, you will also want to choose a chair that won’t cause you pain after sitting in it for most of the work day. This is one area of your home office you shouldn’t skimp on. Comfortable office chairs don’t come cheap, but it’s perhaps one of the best investments you can make for your health. 

Utilize Multiple Monitors

Juggling multiple browser tabs or documents on a small laptop or single computer monitor is the ultimate productivity killer. The solution? Add a second (or even a third) monitor to your work set up. Having multiple monitors makes nearly every task so much easier, especially in the accounting and finance world where you may be referencing multiple reports or documents simultaneously. 

Though a decent monitor doesn’t come cheap, you can write it off on your taxes. You may even be able to expense it depending on your employer’s policies.

Keep Your Office Clean and Tidy

Before the pandemic, when everyone was working in the office, many of us got used to our office space getting cleaned by someone else. But unless you have a maid, it’s up to you now to keep your office tidy. 

Keeping your office clean and organized will not only help improve your productivity, it can also help boost your mood. When you’re organized and not faced with a daunting mess every day, you will be less stressed and better able to focus on work tasks. 

Ready for a New Job? We Can Help.

If you’re ready to make a career change, contact Burchard & Associates. We help accounting and finance professionals find career opportunities in the St. Louis area. Check out our available opportunities or contact us today to learn how we can help you with your job search.