How to organise a small office space

First things first, choosing a space. If you don’t already have a dedicated office space, this is going to be the first thing you will have to do. When you’re working within a small space, try to think outside of the box. You may not need an entire room to be your office – a cosy corner, or desk pulled in front of a window might do nicely. Working area Working from bed might sound like a dream, but it can be disruptive to your sleep in the long run. Choose a space away from where you sleep or relax, preferably with some natural light to keep you feeling bright and awake. If you can’t work away from your bedroom, you could try putting up a temporary partition so that your small space feels like it is separate. You don’t need to go out and buy something new or expensive – you can do it with anything that will block off your space, such as a cabinet or curtain. Consider the atmosphere If you’re used to being around people during the day, consider working in the same room as others in your household to help keep your atmosphere social – even just having a pet nearby can lift your spirits! Conversely, you might be someone who prefers to work in silence and you may prefer finding a corner of the house that gives you some peace and quiet. Make it yours! Even with a small space, you can find ways to make it unique. You could hang pictures or have some small houseplants nearby to help keep things interesting. Play around with what works for you with the lighting and temperature – you’re in control of your space more than ever before, so enjoy it! Now that you’ve chosen your space and modified it to your liking, it’s time to get organised! Office supplies Before you go out and buy up all the office supplies you can find, try first to think about what you usually have in your set-up in the office. Do you make a lot of notes during the day? Do you use post-its as reminders? Do you tend to print a lot? Use your usual habits as a guide to what you might need. Technological help Use technology to cut down on clutter if you can. There are plenty of digital ways to keep yourself organised and cut down on the amount of space you need in your home office. You can try Google Docs or Evernote to keep notes, Trello for a to-do list, and you can even set reminders for yourself on your device. See what works for you – it might lead to a whole new way of working! Clever storage In a small space, you might need to get creative with storing your office supplies. How about storing your pens and notepads in a box, and using that to raise your screen instead of a laptop stand? You could add additional clip-on storage underneath your desk to store your mouse and keyboard when you’re done for the day. You can even secure pots to your desk legs to stash things away – find out what works for you!