Home Office Organization: Best Tips for Productivity in 2024

What’s cool about working from home is that you can designate a workspace and pick a schedule that suits you. But being productive will always be a challenge, and the common culprit of demotivation is clutter. Hence, it would help to have these home office organization tips up your sleeves!

6 Home Office Organization Systems You can Set Up

Before we dive into tips for organizing a home office, it would help to have home office organization systems in place.

Maximize space with home office shelving

All items are within easy reach with shelving of your home office. You can also use this space for books, photos, and other things you want to have at hand. 

Cabinets: essential for an organized workspace

Having dedicated storage for all your office supplies and equipment can make a difference. That’s because you no longer have to scour the entire house to look for what you need. 

File organizer

You can also use an inbox to place all assignments, bills, letters, and other essential projects on your to-do list. However, this isn’t a permanent storage container.

If there are pieces of paper lying there for a couple of days already, you can either opt to file or trash it. 

While you’re at it, consider getting an outbox to handle all the paperwork that needs to be filed. 

Floating cubbies

It would help that you have floating cubbies above your desk. Piles of paper can quickly accumulate if you’re not careful. 

Moreover, having these cubbies on the wall means more desk space for you. If you tend to accumulate piles of papers and office supplies on your desk, then this is ideal. 

Compartmentalized drawers

Because drawers slide in, they give you an illusion of being organized from the outside. However, they can be messy inside.

Hence, you can replace your old ones with compartmentalized drawers. If you are strapped for cash, you can use old containers to organize your drawer.

Plastic bins

Plastic bins are excellent storage and organizing solutions. You can stack them up to create as much storage space as you need. 

Bigger bins fit relatively well under desks and tablespaces. While and light grey bins can create a clean, aesthetic style in a room that has a light color scheme. 

---

10 Home Office Organization Ideas You Need to Try

If you are in a work-from-home setup and struggling with productivity, we have listed ten home office organization ideas that you need to try: 

Designate work zones

You can easily be distracted when working from home. That’s why you must designate specific work zones to boost work efficiency.  Have a specific space where you can do your work and where you don’t spend your leisure hours. Choose a quiet area in your home. Being able to shut the door on distractions can do miracles for your productivity and focus. 

Invest in office supplies

Another easy thing you can do is buy organizational supplies. This includes anything from cups where you can place your pens and pencils to a drawer organizer to keep your cords from tangling. Another example is a magazine rack and file organizer, so you are not mixing work-related documents with other files. Keeping your things in order and accessible is the golden rule of thumb when it comes to creating your ideal desk setup.

Let natural light in

Set up your workspace in a spot where you get as much natural light as possible. Because you’re spending most of your day indoors, sunlight can help improve your motivation and productivity. According to Harward’s research, natural light reduces headache and drowsiness up to 63% and 56%, respectively. And when you are perky and have no headache to deal with, you can be productive.

Declutter your workspace

A cluttered workspace often leads to a cluttered mind. That’s why it’s crucial that you only have things that pertain to a specific task at any given time. 

To get rid of distractions, you have to learn how to declutter your workspace as much as you can. As a general rule, almost everything that you’ll be needing for work should be within your arm’s reach throughout the day. A suitable desk with ample storage plays a vital role in a clutter-free work area by keeping essential items at hand but not directly on top of a workspace.  If your desk doesn’t have drawers, you can buy a rolling filing cabinet.

Keep your workspace clean and tidy

Often, we leave our desks cluttered. However, you should take care of your workspace just like any other space in your home. A clean office is a productive office. Take the time to wipe your desk, sweep the floor, and sanitize your office equipment.

Sort your papers and documents efficiently

It’s pretty easy to feel disorganized if you have plenty of paperwork piling on your desk. Setting up a filing system plays a crucial role in making your home office organized and tidy. Search for a method that works best for you, and then try to follow this on a daily and weekly basis. 

Consider wrapping cables and cords 

If you don’t have enough electric outlets in your workspace, you might want to consider adding some. The investment is worth it, and your work area will look generally better without all the wrapping cables and cords all over the place. Charging stations are also another excellent solution for getting rid of the power cord clutter. If none of these is an option, consider wrapping the cables and tucking them out of the way.

Take advantage of vertical space

In the same way, you need to take advantage of the vertical space you have in your home office. This is especially true if you have a smaller desk area and don’t have any desk drawers. 

The empty wall behind or above your desk might be the perfect spot to fill in your essentials and organize your home office.  Using this vertical space also allows you to keep a clean desk space and create a more focused and productive environment. 

You can get creative with floating shelves as well. You can hang these vertically, or to give off a more artsy feel, stagger them. 

Invest in comfort

When it comes to choosing furniture in your office, always choose to invest in comfort.  Unfortunately, not many people consider comfort when picking suitable chairs, tables, and work desks for their home office. But how will you get everything done and manage to stay productive if you’re struggling with eye strain or body aches when working? 

Poor ergonomics can negatively affect your productivity in the long run. Remember that a significant part of your day will be spent in your home office. So, ensure that you invest in comfortable devices and furniture.

Customize your space

Just like when you need specific tools and apps to be efficient at your job, you also need a space conducive to productive work. How your workspace looks will depend on your line of work and preferences.

For instance, if you produce music or podcasts, you will need a soundproof room. If you are a content writer, you will need a space that can inspire you to write for hours.

---

Organizing Home Office: In Closing

We have said it now, but we will say it again: an organized home office is a productive home office. And when you follow the tips and systems listed above, you can be an effective employee or entrepreneur within the comforts of your home.

So, what is the checklist for a home office setup that makes your more productive?

• Comfortable and useful furniture (cabinets, desks, lighting, whatever you need)
• Office supplies (from pens to organizers)
• Designated zones
• Clean working space free of clutter
• Organized and sorted out desk setup
• Customized workspace
• Not forgetting to relax and have a good time occasionally 😉

If you are managing a team of 5 or more and looking to boost efficiency, Everhour is the perfect tool to keep your team on track. With seamless time tracking, you can easily estimate task durations, set clear budgets, and generate detailed reports inside Asana, Trello, Jira, or any other pm tool.