If you are trying to map out your best work-from-home plan of action, you might be asking yourself, “Should my home office be in my bedroom?”
The short answer is it’s not a good idea.
You should avoid working from bed or setting up your home office in your bedroom, and this is according to research done by the Wall Street Journal. Experts point out that your bedroom should be a place of rest and relaxation and when you bring work into your bedroom you bring with it all the stress and problems too.
A home office in the bedroom seems simple like a simple enough solution. You might already have a computer desk in the bedroom for playing video games or leftover from doing college homework. So, is the bedroom a good place for your home office?
Is it okay to have my home office in my bedroom?
At the onset of the global pandemic remote workers had to adapt to whatever they could cobble together and setting up in a bedroom was an easy choice to make.
Most of us never thought the pandemic would last as long as it did, and a bedroom was an easy way to set up a temporary work space.
But now that the entire world has changed, and working from home has become the new normal, remote workers need a more permanent solution.
So what do you do?
Since so many people are working from home these days, it’s essential to have separation between your home life and your work life and when you’re working from bed or your office is set up in your bedroom, you don’t get that separation.
Having a home office in your room might seem convenient, but there are plenty of reasons why this arrangement isn’t ideal. Here are some common problems associated with having a home office in the bedroom:
Your bed becomes a desk.This is no way to handle your business as a professional. It could also mean you’re not sleeping well at night because you’re constantly thinking about work.
Having a home office in your bedroom, or working from your bed makes it harder to break away from work.
You become distracted. Distractions include things like TV shows, music, and pets. These distractions keep you from focusing on work.
You’re more stressed out. When you’re set up to work from your bed or in your bedroom it’s hard to make the separation between work life and home life.
You’re not productive. Many people struggle with producing their best work when you don’t have a proper work from home setup.
When you set up to work from your bed you’re not set up to be in the best frame of mind to get your best work done.
Working in your bedroom can actually affect your quality of sleep more severely that it affects your quality of work.
How does working in the bedroom affect working from home?
The biggest challenge working in your bedroom comes from distractions and an inability really focus on your work.
In your bedroom there can be several distractions:
Noise – Noise can be very distracting. Even though you may think that you won’t hear any noise, you still feel distracted.
Light – Light can cause problems for anyone. Whether it’s coming from desk lamps or an overhead light or you’re trying to study or work, insufficient or dim lights can distract you.
Other People – Live with someone else – spouse, or significant other – in your bedroom? Other people can be distracting. You might start thinking about what they’re doing instead of focusing on your task.
Inadequate Work Environment – A messy environment can be very distracting. Clutter can cause you to lose track of time and forget what you were supposed to be doing.
Negatively affect your productivity – You’ll be less productive in your bed or in your bedroom than you would be in a separate, dedicated work space.
Burnout – a hidden danger that not many are aware of is how easy it is to burn out when you’re working from home in general. You are much more susceptible to burnout if you’re working from your bedroom without the formalities of a separate work area.
How does working in the bedroom affect sleep?
The best option to ensure a good night’s sleep is to set aside a specific place that is solely for sleep. So, when you train your brain and your body to see your bedroom as the place where you go when it’s time to sleep, you will have less trouble falling asleep every night.
Working in the bedroom can affect your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. You may find yourself thinking about work during your downtime, which makes it harder to relax and drift off. Plus, there’s no denying that putting electronics right next to your head is distracting.
If you work from home, you already get a ton of blue light exposure, which interferes with your brain’s ability to produce melatonin. You don’t need any extra sleep disturbances if you can avoid them.
Is it bad to have my desk setup in my bedroom?
It’s not a great idea to have your home office desk in your bedroom. Both because you can become distracted by things in your bedroom and because your sleep patterns can get royally messed up.
Additionally, your workload may require a large dedicated work space. Does your bedroom have the square footage available after you consider the bed, nightstands, TV, vanity, floor lamp, cat tree, and bookshelf?
However, there are far more people working from home today than in the past, and very few of those people can actually afford the extra space and expense it costs to set up a dedicated fancy office. So, no, it is not bad to have your desk set up in your bedroom. You just need to convince some friends to come over and help you rearrange.
What if I don’t have the space for a separate home office?
What do you do if you simply don’t have the room and there’s no other option?
Not everyone has a spare bedroom to set up a permanent home office in, much less a file cabinet, or any of the other furniture or equipment that we took for granted in a regular office.
When you don’t have much space to work with, that definitely puts you into a rough situation, but the first thing you have to do when you’re presented with a dilemma like this is get creative.
Can you use a room divider to separate work space from your sleeping space?
Could a Murphy bed be an option so that you can fully convert your bedroom to an office for working hours, then transition back to a bedroom when you’re done for the day?
Another option is to set up a home office in a closet. You read that right. Using a closet as a home office space is a wildly popular option when you don’t have a guest bedroom to convert into an office.
The best part is, if you convert a closet to your home office, you’ve already got some storage solutions built right in!
You’d be surprised at how much space you would have – especially if you configured it to maximize the vertical space available to you; you could even get a standing desk in there with a large external computer screen.
Click here if you want to learn the best way to convert a closet to a home office.
The simple fact is that many people who work from home have to make their home office space work using a small bedroom with desk in limited space.
Fortunately, there are ways to successfully turn a computer desk in the bedroom into your home office.
Bedroom office combo ideas
You can technically work from home using just a bedroom with desk. However, there are creative methods you can use to create a more welcoming bedroom office combo, boosting productivity and creating dedicated office space within your bedroom.
- Choosing a corner desk is a great way to save space.
- Use a clip on desk lamp to save desk space.
- Grab some storage cubes from IKEA to store your office supplies so they’re organized and neat.
- Give yourself enough office storage.
- If your work allows it, use a laptop instead of a desktop computer that takes up more space.
If you don’t have adequate space in your bedroom for a full sized computer desk, have no fear. If you get creative, you can organize your bedroom office in such a way that doesn’t leave your room feeling stuffed.
Rolanstar Computer Desk with Storage Shelves
- This computer desk has a spacious desktop, and the side 4-tier storage shelves provide ample storage space. You can put books, plants or your favorite pictures on the shelves. Use this computer desk for work, writing, studying, gaming, or whatever brings joy to your day.
- This computer desk is easy to fit in a corner to maximize your limited space. The shelving units can be also fixed on the left or right as a bookcase or display shelf according to your preference. Adjustable feet are designed for easy leveling on uneven floors and protect floors from scratches.
Rolanstar Wall Mounted Desk with Storage Shelf
- This ladder desk is crafted with an open metal frame for a rustic look and mounts to the wall to keep it in place. Wall mounted design allows you to convert unused wall space into efficient working space in your bedroom, living room, study or office.
- Two bookcase shelves made from engineered wood in a neutral finish provide the perfect place for books, plants, and accent pieces, the 29.92 x 19.69 inch ample desk shelf is the perfect size for a laptop and small lamp. While the metal pegboard and bin integrates the functions of storage for sleek, space-saving style.
Leick Chisel & Forge Corner Computer DeskÂ
- Matte black finished metal base
- X side design
LEPOWER Clip on LightÂ
- Clip on: Brighten up with the click of a switch on the cord and perfect for Table, Desk, Bed headboard and Computers.The maximum wide of this bedside lamp for clip：2.36 inch.
- Free Angle Adjustable of arm and lamp holder, place your book light for best viewing.
Espresso Wall Mounted Desk Hutch
- Finished in durable rich espresso laminate
- Easy to install two-piece hanging rail system included
3 Pack – SimpleHouseware Wall Mount Single Pocket File Organizer Holder, Black
- Wall-mounted file organizer is designed for your documents, letters and magazines.
- Sturdy metal construction with Classic Black Coating
There are plenty of options for small desks with built in storage. You also have the option of creating your own setup with an L-shaped or corner desk and wall-mounted shelves for storage. Play around with your bedroom’s arrangement to find your most comfortable fit.
Tips for a successful bedroom office setup
To be successful working from home in the bedroom, you must consider all the things that can potentially go wrong. For example, if you take part in many face-to-face video conferences, face the camera away from your Dragon Ball Z poster. It’s just more professional that way.
In fact, for a successful bedroom office setup, you need a dedicated space in your bedroom with its own backdrop, if possible.
- Set down a rug and find some kind of partition to separate your bed from your desk and chair.
- Use a room divider if you have the space to separate your work area from your sleeping area.
- Keep your office area clean from trash and debris so you can focus more intently on your work.
- Consider adding plants to your office space. It can brighten up your area and make you feel less claustrophobic.
- Let natural light shine in through a window, when possible.
If you have a key design element that flows throughout the office “zone,” you are more likely to feel ease in the space and separate from your bedroom.
How to stay productive in a bedroom office
It’s easy to fall into the trap of slipping into bedroom habits while you work in your bedroom.
If you use a laptop, do not work on your bed. Your bed should be reserved for sleeping. When you work on your bed, not only are you more inclined to get sleepy and become less productive, but you train your brain and body to stay awake while in bed.
Don’t turn on the TV if you have one in your bedroom. This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s really not. You might think you can use the noise in the background as ambient sounds. Don’t fall for this because you will very likely end up watching TV instead of working.
Use good office equipment. Just because your office is in your bedroom does not mean you should skimp on office equipment. You should be comfortable while you work to remain productive. Get the office chair that has lumbar support!
What is the ideal place for a home office?
The best place for a home office is in a spare room (extra spare bedroom or guest bedroom) or where you can dedicate the space.
What other rooms can double as a home office?
For those who don’t work from their bedroom, the dining area is a popular choice. Many people set up their laptops at the dining room table and hammer out their work in between meals. Or, more likely, they work at the dining table exclusively because no one eats at that table anymore.
Additionally, a barstool and the kitchen counter can work in a pinch.
Another room that can double as an office is a closet. This sounds more depressing than it is. If you have a walk-in closet, you can sometimes fit a small desk inside. However, make sure you use plenty of lighting so your closet office doesn’t feel sad.
Working from home etiquette
If you work from home, you pretty much get to make your own rules. You usually work at your own pace and set your own hours. However, there are work from home etiquette guidelines that you should be familiar with.
If you work out of your bedroom, be sure you are not monopolizing the space if you share it with a partner. On the other hand, make sure your partner doesn’t walk nude across the screen when you are in the middle of a conference call.
Use common sense and you can make a bedroom office work to your advantage without all the potential mishaps you hear about so often.
Next Steps
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