4 reasons to have a backyard office

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

Working from home is the new way of modern life. According to the Pew Research Center, about 22 million U.S. adults work from home full time. While it's incredibly convenient, it comes with its own challenges.

Writing for Houzz, Mike Elgan says, "Unless you're really disciplined and skillful, working from home means you're never completely at work, and you're never completely at home."

If you work from home and have a backyard, you have the opportunity to be home — without being in the "home" mindset. Local company Backyard Office Utah is bringing a solution right to your backyard.

Their team builds an actual office space in the backyard — and it won't look like a plastic shed from a warehouse store. These stunning structures are built in 30 days and blend in with your actual house.

They have a concrete foundation, electrical hookups, as well as heat and AC.

So if you're looking for a way to make your work at home a little more separate from your home life, here are a few reasons you should consider putting your office in your backyard.

1. Keep work away from home life…but not too far

One of the reasons why people enjoy working from home is the close proximity to other chores or things to do. For example, some people love that they can throw a load of laundry in between meetings or while waiting for that email to roll in.

But it's not ideal to work in the laundry room or right next to it. The last thing you want to hear while you're on a video call is your sweatshirt's zipper clanking around in the dryer.

Of course, most people don't have the luxury of choosing a space to set up a desk and monitor that isn't already in use. Sometimes all you have left is the nook next to the laundry room or the kitchen table by the noisy dishwasher.

2. Working from your bedroom isn't good for your mind

It's not that working in your bedroom is wrong, but it's participating in activities that create anxiety or stress in the bedroom that can cause problems. Jessica Borushek, a clinical psychologist, told Apartment Therapy that creating boundaries from one part of your life to the next is essential.

When you can create physical barriers between work life and home life, you can transition from emotions and mindsets easier.

So instead of climbing into bed and feeling anxious about the work coming due, you can climb into bed with a calm mindset, ready for sleep and relaxation.

3. You can actually focus

People love to talk about how the home is much less distracting than the office, but if you have anyone else living in your home — animals included — it can be just as chaotic.

The New York Times reports on a study from UC Irvine about distractions. According to the findings, a typical office worker goes about 11 minutes between distractions, but it takes an average of 25 minutes to get back to the original task at hand. Those spans of 25 minutes add up quickly in one workday.

By dedicating a separate space away from your house (and your company's office), you can control all of the elements and distractions. The kids can stay in the main house, the dogs can run around outside, and you can play quiet music in the walls of your space.

4. Use it as a multipurpose space

When it's not working hours, using your backyard office space for other activities is smart and efficient. Many Utahns who invested in a Backyard Office use the space for other purposes, like a golf simulator, a home gym, an art studio and even a pool shed.

When you create a Backyard Office for your own yard, you not only choose how you use it, but you also decide the color, the flooring and the aesthetic. Browse their portfolio of offices to see what you can create in your own backyard.

To learn more about designs, timeframes, and getting started, visit BackyardOfficeUtah.com.

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