In Business & Blogging, Interior Design

Home Office Space Organisation

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on
Home Office Space Organisation

I have been a freelance copywriter for over twelve years now and while running your own business is wonderful and flexible and offers you a lot of freedom, it does come with a lot of stuff! By stuff I’m talking bank records, invoices, receipts, books and magazine, your printer and so much more. Home office space organisation has never been so important to me and I’ve finally managed to get the balance right, halfway between functional and attractive. Similarly, home office design is also important for those using the space for personal finances, studying and more. Here are some top tips to help you with your home office space organisation.

Storage Needs

There are various types of storage required when it comes to your home office. You do of course need to be able to store items safely and securely but also need to be able to access everything easily. An organised system that works well for your space is essential, as is storage that is both fit for purpose and has room for future needs. It’s great to be able to store all of your home office items perfectly but remember that there is more than likely more paper and more items likely to come into the office, despite the fact that we are all trying to go paperless where we can.

Sideboards

The first item of furniture I always bought when it came to home office storage organisation was a bookcase (or two). I liked the flexibility that bookcases offer and to be honest still do. The problem with open storage such as this is that it is hardly aesthetically pleasing! An attractive sideboard offers contained storage for a multitude of home office items and keeps everything hidden away. This is particularly important if you have converted part of another room, i.e. your bedroom, into a home office area. In addition to enclosed storage, a sideboard also allows for creative use on the top, either for a monitor, plants, picture frames or anything else.

Filing Cabinets

Filing cabinets are a must when it comes to home office storage organisation. To ensure your information and client information is safe and secure, ensure that your filing cabinet is lockable. A filing cabinet can come in all shapes and sizes, not just the easily battered grey metal variety, allowing it to blend in brilliantly with your other furniture.

home office storage organisation

Go High

Use attractive shelving options in order to store items up high, maximising your home office space organisation efforts and adding an additional design aspect. Floating shelves offer flexible shelving however do be aware of the maximum weight limit shelves like these can comfortably hold.

Home Office Space Organisation: In Summary

Being organised, having systems in places, streamlined processes and excellent storage are all essential whether you own a business, work from home or use a home office to keep on top of home admin, paying bills and so on. While effective storage is a must, don’t automatically choose functional and boring when you have the option to choose practical and attractive. This adds to the overall feel of your home and no doubt helps to boost your productivity and sense of wellbeing.

 

In Freelance

Freelancers: Keeping Yourself Healthy

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on
Freelancers: Keeping Yourself Healthy

It might seem to some that us freelancers must seem to lead a charmed life. We can work from home or hotdesk or avail ourselves of a number of freelancer friendly workspaces if we don’t wish to incur overhead costs. I, for example, run a coworking group here in Thirsk.

Freelancers can (at least in theory) start work whenever they like and finish whenever they wish. They have the flexibility to fit their working activities around their lifestyle and family commitments. Indeed, in many ways, it is a charmed life. However, freelancers face a struggle for balance that their salaried friends may not comprehend. They can find themselves working ridiculously long hours when up against a deadline, often going hours and hours without a break. They can go days on end without ever leaving the house. They can find themselves damaging their health in some pretty serious ways, despite their best intentions.

Sound familiar?

I’ve been freelancing for 12 years now and here are some ways I recommend you try in order to keep yourself healthy and happy in 2019.

Get Out

When a deadline looms near you may feel that every moment spent away from your computer screen is wasted. Nonetheless, it’s imperative for your mental health that you venture out every day. Take yourself for a walk, ideally somewhere where you can be close to nature. This will provide your mental health with a pick-me-up and the act of walking will help you to overcome any issues with creative block which can rarely be resolved by staring at a blank screen.

Take Care of Your Digestive Health

The life of a freelancer can often be stressful and is almost always fuelled by coffee. The bad news is that stress and coffee can be a damaging combo for gut health. Poor digestive health can have a knock-on effect on everything from the appearance of your skin to fluctuating weight and even your sleeping patterns. Be sure to eat a healthy diet and use products from Erbology.co to keep your energy levels up and your digestive health harmonious. Speaking of eating…

Give Yourself a Lunch Break

Yes, it can be hard to tear yourself away from your desk when you’re in the zone. Yes, it can be frustrating knowing that every minute you spent cooking and eating your food you’re not making money, but you can only get so much out of an empty fuel tank. Making sure that you take the time to eat can prevent the creative well from running dry while giving your brain a break will make you more productive in the long-term.

Take the Time to See Your Friends

This is important! Unlike your salaried friends, you don’t have the luxury of colleagues. People with whom you have an infinitely renewable source of banter and with whom you can engage in the kind of social repartee that is so important to your mental health. For this reason, it’s extra important that you maintain your relationships with your friends. This is something I make sure I prioritise.

Make sure that you don’t get trapped in the freelancer bubble.

 

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