If you’ve found yourself unexpectedly working from home lately, you might be wondering how to make the most of your make-shift office in your small space. Don’t worry, you don’t need a huge, perfectly equipped home office to be productive. 

Considering you spend a large part of our days working, you shouldn’t settle for feeling cramped. Without compromising on any of the necessities, maximizing your space can brighten up your day-to-day work experience. Here are some simple solutions for getting things done when you’re tight on space.

Find Good Light

Try setting up your work space near a window or in a room with good lighting. Light helps open up spaces, making your new home office feel less like a last-minute responsibility in a small corner. Quality light also helps us maintain energy and focus while working. So, you’ll be doing yourself and your space a favor!

Make it Mobile

Invest in a small and transportable desk. This could be a lap desk, a foldable standing desk, or even a laptop stand for your dining table. When working in a small space, distinguishing your work space from your home space can be challenging. Having the option to dismantle and store away whatever you’re not using–especially your work–is a huge help to any space challenges. In the case of the standing desk or laptop stand, they’re also beneficial for your posture and overall ergonomic health. 

Try Noise Cancellation

If you share a small space with other people or live in a loud city, noise cancelling technology can help you remain focused and at peace while working. You can opt for earplugs for complete silence (also great for sleep!), or noise cancelling headphones for playing some work-friendly tunes. 

Digitize Everything

The first thing to eliminate in a small space is clutter! Do yourself a favor and digitize as much of your work as possible. This includes things like your notes, calendar, and other important documents. It won’t even require a scanner- plenty of apps can scan documents directly from your phone or turn photos into PDF’s. Digitizing everything will let you store your physical copies away and work in a clutter-free space. 

Store it Away

If you’re working in a common area, like your kitchen table or living room, be sure to put your work away when the day is over. Working in any small space is already tough, but even more so when it’s your home. To maintain some type of normalcy, having a hard-stop on your day, logging off work, and storing it away will help you reclaim your space as home again.