The 2nd Tuesday of March is “Organize Your Home Office Day.” Working from home is a growing trend. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us the percentage of people who do some or all their work from home grew from 19 percent in 2003 to 24 percent in 2015. But for everyone, running a home is at least a part-time business in and of itself. There is paperwork, computer time, and other administrative tasks. Having a place to do it well makes the experience easier and more enjoyable.

Your home office: A place to call your own

A home office doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be your own. Clearing a corner of the kitchen table is a lousy arrangement. So is sharing a small desk with someone else. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like your own desk. You can put your own “stuff” there and know it’s not going to be rearranged by someone else.

“A #homeoffice doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be your own. #OrganizeYourHomeOfficeDay” 

If you have a dedicated room to use as an office, great. If not, a corner of a bedroom works. An area in a finished basement does as well. This idea doesn’t apply only to adults. Children from around 3rd grade and up enjoy having a dedicated workspace. Make sure the place you select has electrical outlets to accommodate a computer and a lamp. Good lighting is a must!

The most necessary component of the home office is a desk. If your budget is tight, any flat surface will do. During my early post-college days, the desk in my apartment was a second-hand card table. If you opt for a traditional desk, please make sure the drawers work.

The computer is an essential part of our lives. Therefore, I recommend fashioning an L-shaped desk. Swivel 90 degrees and you are facing the computer. Swivel 90 degrees back and you have a clear space. Something as simple as a short folding table would be fine for the return. Let it house the computer, printer, and phone while the desk stays clear.

A good workflow

Your home office shouldn’t look like you’re conducting a paper drive. Start by creating your Tickler File. It can live in a desk file drawer. If the desk is more the card-table variety, the Tickler File can live in a milk crate on the floor. You can read about the kinds of things I keep in mine in this post. With 31 folders numbered 1 through 31, paperwork needed on a future date goes in the appropriate file.

If your desk is a mess, this post will help you clean it out and clean it up.

Now that the Tickler File is in place, get an “inbox.” It can be mahogany and sport a fancy top. During my college days, I used a shoebox. Regardless of its physical appearance, it serves as the one drop spot for anything incoming: today’s mail, papers from school to sign, worksheets to be completed. If you don’t designate one place to throw the incoming, your entire house quickly becomes one giant drop spot.

Third, you need a filing cabinet. When the papers are handled but need to be filed for future reference, you’re going to need a place to put them. You may think you’ll never fill a whole filing cabinet. You will. Trust me on this one.

Your own set of supplies

Sharing a tape dispenser with the whole family may seem like a wise, cost-cutting measure. It’s not. Having to go on a safari throughout the house to find the shared roll of tape wastes time. Have what you need at hand.

Outfit your home office with these items: stapler, tape dispenser, three-hole punch, labeler, calculator, ruler, letter opener, scissors, pens, pencils, crayons (for students), paper clips, rubber bands, stamps, memo pad, envelopes, and sticky notes. But don’t go overboard on the supplies. Just because a pad of sticky notes is good doesn’t mean 14 of them is better. House surplus office supplies in a cabinet where all family members can get to them. Don’t turn your desk into a stock room.

Far too much stress comes from clutter. Take this opportunity to regain a sense of control and peace of mind.