Working from home sounds like a dream until you find yourself answering emails from the kitchen table surrounded by all kinds of things that are distracting and even off-putting. The fact is, the novelty of working from home wears off really quickly when your desk is a place where people dump stuff as they walk past, and your chair is just a dining chair that definitely wasn’t meant to be sat in for eight or more hours a day.
If you’re going to be spending a lot of time working from home, it’s worth creating a space that helps you be more focused, comfortable, and productive. And no, you don’t need a massive budget and you don’t need to be a design expert – you just need some planning. So with that in mind, here are some ideas to help you create a productive home office.
This is a contributed post.
LOTS OF LIGHT
No one is going to do their best work under dim bulbs or flickering fluorescents, and what you’ll really need if you want to be totally productive is as much natural light as you can get into the room. Natural light is great because it helps to boost your mood, helps with concentration, and makes you feel a lot more wide awake.
If your current home office setup means you’re working in a gloomy corner, it might be time to think about getting some new windows because not only will they upgrade your home’s style, but they’ll also brighten up your space and make it feel fresh and energising. You’ll be amazed at how much clearer your mind feels when your surroundings are light, open, and inviting.
YOU NEED BOUNDARIES IN PLACE
Creating a designated workspace – even if it’s just a small corner of a room – helps to draw the important line between work life and home life, and that physical boundary makes a huge difference to how focused you feel. It basically signals to your brain (and the other people in your home) that you’re in work mode now, and that should help you get more done.
Investing in a comfortable chair, a proper desk, and maybe even a few plants can also do wonders to help – it’s amazing how much more productive you’ll feel when your back doesn’t hurt and you’re not constantly having to move around to get comfortable.
LITTLE THINGS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
If you want to take things to the next level, think about the sound in your room. If your household is anything like most, peace and quiet isn’t always easy to find, so a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can be ideal. If not, you could always arrange your furniture in a way that helps muffle other sounds.
Another little thing to think about is making the room or space totally yours – hang a picture, light a candle, always use your favourite mug, and do anything else that makes you feel at home. When it comes to productivity, creating a space that makes you want to be there is sure to make a difference.
Olivia x
olivialucieblake.com 