Setting up a workstation at home: How I set up mine and what are the benefits

It’s hard to believe that it's been about 5 months since most people around the world have been working from home. What was once something rare or sporadic for some people has now become normal for everyone.

I remember when I started working 100% from home in late March. I had a small desk, my laptop and a wired mouse. That was all I needed to do my job, but I didn't know the impact that my workstation could have on my productivity and the results of my work.

Around May, my family and I moved to a slightly larger home and I took the opportunity to build a more robust workstation noticing numerous benefits in doing so.

Why invest in a workstation at home?

As I mentioned in this post a few days ago, one of the things that made it onto my list of 'things that deserve a little more investment' was building of a good workstation at home. This is an investment that doesn't last just for the period you are working from home. A comfortable work and study environment can bring many benefits in the long run. You can use this space to study, do personal projects, write your thoughts and so on.

Studies show that some of the benefits are:

Ergonomics - It’s good for your health and your back. It is more comfortable and enjoyable to work, helping to avoid problems in the future.

Productivity - You will be able to be more productive. You will have less distractions and more control over the tasks you need to perform.

Creativity - The space can spark new ideas, make you more willing to work on personal projects and function as a source of knowledge and learning.

Organization - You can keep things organized and spend less mental load when you need something.

Health - In addition to the benefits for the body, a good workstation can bring benefits to the mind, reducing anxiety, stress and overthinking.

Personal tips for a good workstation

During the process of setting up my home workstation I did a lot of research and sought inspiration from several sources. Here are some things I learned and recommend when building a workstation that is right for you:

• Quality materials: Invest in buying materials that have good durability and usability. There is nothing more annoying than a drawer that doesn't open properly, a lamp that breaks after a week, a mouse that doesn't connect to you laptop and so on. Do a lot of research and invest a little more in quality materials, obviously respecting your budget limits.

• Clean: The less distractions the better. Too much information in the work environment can make it overwhelming, dense and jeopardizing the ability to think clearly.

• Functionality: Leave only the necessary and indispensable at your reach. For example, do you really need 10 pens, 4 notebooks and a thousand cables on your desk?

• Ergonomics: Invest in a good and comfortable chair. I’d say that this is one of the most important things. Also, consider using monitors (thus avoiding looking down because of the laptop) and make the necessary adjustments to maintain a good posture.

• Lighting: The light from the computer screen in a dark environment can make your eyes more tired. Invest in lighting that makes the environment balanced and also works well for video conferences. During the day, natural lighting can provide a fresher mood as well.

• Cleaning: Clean your desk constantly. Avoid clutter and eating on top of the keyboard.

• Inspiration: Follow Instagram profiles and YouTube channels to get inspired. Some tips are the profiles: @minimalsetups, @cleandesksetup, @isetup, @michsoledesign among others.

• Personality: Feel free to set up a workstation with the things you like and inspire you. Use the colors that bring you the best feelings, and decorations that suit you.

How I set up my workstation

Ideas of how to set up a perfect workstation never stop coming to my mind. Although I still don't have the dream workstation, I managed to come up with a version that is very satisfying and has helped me a lot to be more productive. In the future, I’ll work on some upgrades and make it getting better. Check out below photos and explanations about some products and details of why I decided to set up this way.

• Desk - Let's start with the basics. I prefer spacious desks. My IKEA desk is very good in length, but not very wide. We had to choose a narrower one due to the space available in our room and the fact that my wife uses the other half as her workstation too.

• Chair - One of the best investments I have ever made. A good, ergonomic chair certainly avoids back pain and makes work much more comfortable and enjoyable. I chose to buy the ErgoChair 2 from Autonomous as it has support for the lumbar and the head.

• Monitor - I used to use the laptop on the bottom and a monitor on the top to work. For a few months now, I decided to just keep the monitor and it has been very good. The laptop is closed inside the monitor stand, and the monitor is at the eye level. It also has a yellow filter that helps not to make my eyes tired.

• Keyboard and mouse - We spend most of the day clicking and typing. Why not invest in a comfortable mouse and keyboard? Mine are from Logitech of the MX Master 3 series: wireless and super delicious to write and browse. They make all the difference. I also use a mousepad that covers a good length of the desk and makes everything a little more comfortable.

• Speaker / Headphones - When I have people in the bedroom sleeping I use the headphones. When I'm alone I turn on the speaker just because it feels more comfortable to hear. I opted for an Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 bluetooth speaker because I can carry it with me to anywhere I go.

• Desk lamp - I opted for an LED lamp that I can control the light intensity. It helps when I want to write at night and to prevent the intense light from the computer alone from wearing my eyes. The lamp also has a USB port that I use to charge some portable devices like a smartwatch and bluetooth speaker.

• Plants - Nature and green have the power to bring a very good feeling, some freshness and light to the environment. Whether natural or artificial, invest in plants.

• Office supplies - Gather is a product that helps keep things organized and forces you to keep only the essentials on the desk. I use it to keep the cables I use the most, a cloth to clean my glasses, my phone and some other office supplies like post-its and clips.

• Notebooks / Pegboard- They help me organize my thinking and make me take my eyes off the screen for a while. The fact of using physical paper to write stuff, thoughts or frameworks makes me rest my eyes and refresh my head. I have two notebooks, both from Baronfig. One I use for work notes and the other for habits and personal journal. I’ve put the notebooks, magazines, some note cards and fun stickers on a pegboard that I got at IKEA.

• Toys and poster - I have two shelves with Funkos. They make the environment more fun and remind me of the things I like. I also have a print of Yosemite, our favorite national park.

• Inspirational phrases - I decided to add some phrases that remind me of important learnings I had during the period of moving and adapting to the life in the US. They inspire me and are like mantras, not letting me fall into old or false beliefs.

• Organizing box - I have a drawer behind my chair where I keep this organizing box. It helps me keep smaller items organized and easily accessible when I need them. These are things I use less often, like chargers, adapters, cables, etc.

And that’s pretty much it! I hope you liked my workstation. I'm curious to see how yours will be! ;)

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