Freshen up Your Work Routine by Moving Your Home Office Outdoors

Why work in a dim, stuffed up office when you could be typing up that next report among fresh air and a blue sky? With a little preparation your home office can be relocated outside, providing you with an ideal working environment.

Benefits

• An outdoor workspace is isolated yet open, allowing you to take in the fresh air and sunshine. The breezy, bright environment will boost both your morale and productivity.
• Better air quality will keep your body feeling refreshed throughout the day, preventing the afternoon slump.
• Stress and tension are also kept at bay when surrounded by nature, and the isolation means you won’t be hassled with distractions.
• You are able to work at home, but technically not be inside your house – creating the distinction between work and play in your brain.
• No co-workers to interrupt your work or distract your thoughts, allowing you greater focus on the tasks at hand.
• A peaceful, comfortable environment that you enjoy being in.
• Your carbon footprint will be decreased with the use of solar power,

Things to Consider

Power and Lighting

Your new outdoor office will require power, and utilizing solar power is an excellent option. A simple, single panel system will fit the bill and keep your costs to a minimum. In order to supply power to a laptop and printer for eight hours each day, you will want to have an output of about 80 watts – which really isn’t much at all. Your wireless internet and fax machine should still be able to pick up signal outside of your home.
If it tends to get dark early where you live, or if you’re one of those that enjoy getting a little work done in the evening hours, you may want to look into installing a ceiling fan with a light overhead. You will appreciate the cool down when the breeze is absent, and the light will be a necessity when it’s dark outside. Your single panel solar system provides plenty of power to fuel the fixture in addition to your other equipment.

Structure

Setting up a roof is important, so you will not have to worry about all your important equipment in the case of rain. Ideally, your desk should be permanently set up with all your essentials, rather than constantly carting them in and out each day. Though a roof is mandatory, you will want to avoid setting up any sort of walls around you since the benefits of the open space are the purpose for the move. If you require some sort of partition for privacy, choose large curtains that enable the light to pass through.

Water

Placing plants around your outdoor office is a great way to maximize the space’s natural energy, while giving your office a pleasant, comfortable feel. Rain barrel collectors are a wonderful solution for watering your plants without taking any water from your house. They simply install right to your downspout, and will keep your plants bright, healthy, and full of oxygen.

By creating an outdoor office, you can actually enjoy the hours you are at work rather than dread them. Your mind will be refreshed by the open, inviting environment and work more effectively. You’ll be able to step outside of your home and family obligations, without actually having to leave your house. Rather than dwelling on all the distracting issues in an office (dim lighting, stuffy air quality, distracting colleagues), you will be able to devote your brainpower solely to your projects, improving their quality.

Jaime is an avid hiker and skier who loves to write in her spare time for USBundles.com– home of  US Bundles .

Related Landscape Design Posts

Warm Up the Winter Season with an Outdoor Fireplace

Why work in a dim, stuffed up office when you could be typing up that next report among fresh...

Your Backyard May Be Ready for an Outdoor Kitchen

Why work in a dim, stuffed up office when you could be typing up that next report among fresh...

Cool Ideas for Outside Furniture

Why work in a dim, stuffed up office when you could be typing up that next report among fresh...