The Work From Home Setup eLearning Developers Love

One of the most common reasons for wanting to go freelie as an eLearning course developer, is to get out of the toxic, boring, office culture and into your own work from home setup. That’s totally valid. Were humans meant to toil away for 40+ hours a week, 8-10 hours a day, stuck within temporary fabric-laden half-walls within walls within even more walls? We think not!

However, unless you’ve become magically, independently wealthy or are just reading this blog for funsies, we’re guessing you still gotta work to pay for life. And to do work, you need a work from home setup that is physically, mentally, and emotionally conducive to productivity. That’s why today’s blog is all about creating your ideal work from home environment as an eLearning course developer!

Working from home rules, guys. For example, we’re currently typing this blog with one hand while the other, crumb-laden one dunks crackers in hummus, while listening to pirate metal—with no headphones! Could you do this at your 9-5!? Arrrrrrr ya kidding? No way! Sorry, too much pirate metal.

Without further ado, here are some tips n’ tricks we love for your work from home setup!

Get the Right Tools

Since your home is also now your main workplace, let’s make sure to do it up right. We’ve got some suggestions to help you stay inspired and comfy so you can cruise through your projects and not feel like a prisoner in a cell of your own lack-of-design.

If you need a certain brand of highlighters, special notebooks with sloths printed on the cover, and pens that glide just right in order to be productive, stock pile ‘em. Don’t let yourself have any excuses that prevent you from getting your work groove on!

Now, you don’t have to go all “Doomsday Prepper” in your hoarding of your favorite supplies, but keep enough on hand to feel secure. The same goes for ink and paper if you have a printer. Scout out deals and buy ahead of time! Thankfully, most contracts are sent electronically these days, but if you’re still into working with printed material, be prepared!

As an eLearning developer, you’ll also be employing a number of digital tools to get the job done. These include things like project management tools, rapid authoring tools, time tracking tools, editing software, and learning management systems–just to name a few! You’ll want to make sure everything is downloaded, subscribed to, and ready to run!

Storage

We’ve all heard that old chestnut by now about Albert Einstein finding a messy desk to be a productive desk. We get it Einstein, you’re soooo special! Wow, E = mc2, what does that even mean?! Literally, no one knows. Well guess what!? We can’t all be Einstein! And in our opinion, a well-organized workspace is the key to productivity and success.

Don’t be afraid to invest in some aesthetically pleasing storage. You want things to be organized and pleasing to the eye so you can get into the zone quicker. We love a bin system, that’s neatly labeled and arranged on a tall bookcase. Keep this in mind—the walls are your friends, especially if you’re working in a tight space. Think of ways you can build up instead of out. There are some great options out there for wall shelving that won’t break the bank or leave too much damage behind.

Check Your Tech

This ain’t the 90’s anymore guys (sadly), nothing in your work from home setup will be more important than your tech and your ability to easily access and utilize it. You can check out our advice for picking out the right laptop for your needs as an eLearning developer here!

Do you have enough outlets in your home office to power your computer, external hard drive, printer, lamp, massage chair, and blender (in case you need some mid-day frozen cocktails)? Is a power strip in order? Are all your cables up to snuff? Do you have another monitor (two screens are better than one!)? Is your Internet fast enough for you to work AND stream “Love Island” at the same time? Call your company and see if they can give you an upgrade deal. It never hurts to ask!

And if you feel the sudden urge to become a miserable, old miser, you can always invest in an Alexa or Google Home assistant to boss around and force to do your bidding!

Let There Be Light

Unless your name is Dracula, please don’t put your home office in a windowless basement or in a spare closet. We beg of you! You need windows. You need light! Sunlight is a natural mood enhancer, and will keep your spirits up.

If the natural light isn’t enough, get yourself some bulbs. LED is energy efficient, but OLED (Organic light-emitting diode) is just as efficient and less harsh. Choose fixture designs that make you happy and feel inspired. Maybe hang some string lights around somewhere, they always make us feel happy and festive even on the gloomiest of days!

Ergonomics

Ergonomics isn’t just a buzzword. Please pay attention to the way you’re sitting, standing, typing, and talking on the phone. Keeping the correct alignment most of the time while doing these things will spare you eye, back, neck, and wrist trouble.

That means investing in a decent chair with lumbar support, an ergonomic keyboard, and maybe even a standing or height-adjustable desk. We also love our blue-light blocking glasses to reduce eye strain when working on the computer.

Make It Cozy

Now that you have the basics down, it’s time to make your work from home setup uniquely yours! You want to fill your home office with things that bring you joy or stimulate your mind, body, or spirit. We recommend live plants (artificial are OK if you’re a serial plant killer), artwork, a mini fridge (unlimited sodies), wacky accent lighting, your favorite books, haunted artifacts, pets, stress balls, an inordinately large wall-mounted TV, bluetooth speakers, or one of those motivational “hang in there” cat posters.

Your office should be a place you want to hang out in. So, whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist, make it cozy! Taking care of yourself, and by extension your home office, isn’t just important for keeping up with your tasks, it’s important for living a long, balanced, pleasant life.

Conclusion

We hope this blog gives you a head start on building the work from home setup of your dreams, whether you have an entire spare room or just one small corner. It can be stressful to create an entirely new space from scratch, so take your time and try to enjoy the process. And it’s totally OK to make this a long-term project, as you save money and gather some inspo.

Trust us, your hard work will pay off in a big way! Going pantsless and having unlimited access to snacks and your bed all day is AMAZING.

Honestly, it never gets old. Like Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home.”