The New School Office
Create a Home Office that Works for You
Have you dreamt of a 10-second commute? Or spoiling yourself with a leisurely coffee pitstop on the way to the office? With the average commute in the UK taking 59 minutes (27 in the USA), let’s look for the silver lining and call your new #WFH commute a dream come true!
The space you arrive in should inspire happy productivity. Create it around the tools you need to get the job done. It should reflect both your professionalism and your personality. Your office is in your home, after all!
With this in mind, here are essential ingredients for an effective home office. In case you missed it, check out our 7 tips to work from home like a pro.
Are you ready to create your home office? Let’s get designing!
The Effective Home Office
The perfect example
Essential Ingredients:
1. Open window - Let in some fresh air and the sounds of birds chirping
2. Coffee/tea - Make a cup of coffee for the morning commute and a cup of tea to unwind after a day of energy and creativity!
3. Healthy Snacks - Satisfy cravings with food that keeps your body fit and your mind sharp.
4. Dog - Share your office with a furry friend!
5. Trainers - Use your extra time at home to become a fitness guru.
6. Pens - Gather your stationery in one place to avoid scrambling around on a call.
7. Ring light - Shine a light on your remote meeting or class - and look your best!
8. Mobile phone - Don’t forget to video call your family and stay connected.
9. Speakers - Jam to your favourite tunes! Check out our Upbeat Lockdown playlist below. Oh, and make sure your microphone and speakers are prepared for remote calls and classes.
10. Second screen - Track social media, keep notes in front of you during calls or classes, type while researching, or otherwise increase productivity.
11. Whiteboard & Calendar - Organise your thoughts and post important sticky notes. Keep an eye on your schedule, stick to your routine, and plan ahead.
12. Lamp - Help out your eyes and shine a lamp on your work. Especially important when spending hours staring at a screen.
13. Office Chair - Keep that back straight! It’s easy to start slouching while working from home in your comfy clothes...
14. Lock - Stop surprise visitors during business calls or remote lessons.
Essential Tools:
Video conferencing: Tools like Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype range from free to paid. Here’s what to look out for:
Screen share: Essential for those all-important meetings and classes.
Mute and hide camera: For when others are speaking or you need to pop to the toilet!
Chat: To share links to docs or let people know that you can’t hear them!
Tweetdeck: Track grade or departmental Twitter accounts, or follow other schools and top hashtags.
Need that extra end of the day boost? We have got you covered! Here is a Spotify playlist that we created to keep you grooving through the rest of the week. If you think you’ve found the perfect song for keeping you upbeat while working then let us know and we can add it to the playlist!
So, there you have it. What would you add to our ingredients? What are some things you're doing working remotely or practicing distance learning? Share your great ideas with hundreds of #InspiringSchools around the world. Simply tag us in your Twitter photos (@intSchools) and we'll spread the word.
Remember, we're in this together. If you need further help or want to connect with a friendly face, drop us an email. One of our #DigitalJedi will come to the rescue!