Tomorrow is designated as “Organize Your Home Office” Day. Whether you work full-time from home or simply pay your bills and file personal records at home, having an organized office space can change your outlook.

What makes a home office a good setting in which to work?

1. Furniture

Too often the home office is composed of leftover pieces that aren’t needed in another room. Ergonomics is not a consideration. Yet reality is that you may spend a great deal of time in this space. Inappropriate furniture, especially chairs, can lead to back or neck pain.

2. Lighting

If your work spot is a corner of the bedroom or dining room, you may be straining your eyes when you stay too long. Make sure you bring in good lighting sources.

3. Storage Space

You want to have filing space close to you, preferably in a desk drawer or nearby credenza where you can keep your active projects. If you do not have file drawers, consider a rolling cart that can be tucked away when not in use. You also want to have enough file cabinets to hold all of your reference materials. These do not have to stay close to you since they are not accessed as frequently.

Without the right amount of storage space for both papers and supplies, clutter tends to accumulate. Clutter is distracting, and it becomes harder to focus on the tasks at hand.

When you do not have the right setting in which to work, you either avoid spending time there or are not as productive as you should be for the time that you do spend. Look over your office space in terms of these three features–furniture, lighting, and storage–to see what can be improved. You will quickly notice an increase in productivity when your office when you have the right components.