5 Ways to Set Up an Outdoor Home Office

As Summer slowly creeps up on us, why not remove yourself from the confines of your home office for a little outdoor WFH? Relax, recharge and watch your productivity soar as you soak up the sun and some much needed vitamin D with our 5 tips to setting up your outdoor office.

1. Assess Your Internet

Before you even consider hot-footing it outside to work on your spreadsheets, make sure you have a reliable internet connection. You'll want to make sure that you're within reach of an adequate power point too for your devices and their chargers. Once you're sure your signal is good to go for your outdoor office, try and figure out which spots in your garden or balcony avoid the most screen glare and use an umbrella or pergola if possible. That way, you can ensure your Zoom calls stream like a dream (camera on).

2. Comfort is Still Key

If you find that your existing garden furniture sits too low for a usual office set up, think about what you already have in your indoor home office and bring it outside. Granted that moving furniture in and out everyday is a bit of a buzz kill, therefore investing in a portable computer desk or laptop tray will not only save on space but is easy to move around - perfect for all garden and balcony sizes.

3. All Work, No Play - Until Later On

Adapting to WFH changes can be hard at the best of times, but if you live with other people (including kids) then setting up home office boundaries is vital. Allocate a 'work-only' zone in your garden/outdoor office and stick to set hours for when it's ok to be interrupted, like lunch. It might also be a good idea to invest in a good pair of headphones, for you know, for just in case.

4. Keep Your Outdoor Office Tidy

What's that saying again? A tidy desk, a tidy mind? The same rules apply outdoors, so make sure you have a few boxes and organisers on hand to keep your notes and other bits of stationary. As we're all well aware, the UK weather can be slightly unpredictable, so try using a paperweight or file and avoid losing any important documents to the wind.

5. Lunch Time Isn't Office Time

Switch notifications to silent in order to take full advantage of your lunch and quick coffee breaks. You're already outside so why not catch a few rays or dabble in a little gardening to help you unwind, as well as allow you to think more clearly for the rest of the day ahead. And with Summer just a stone's throw away, why not dust off your bbq and opt in for an al fresco lunch.

Still tempted to stay indoors? Learn how to style your background for video calls and keep productivity flowing with these home office tips.