While covid continues to linger on the fringes with the occasional mention in the media, it has had several lasting effects on society today. One of which being the increase in home workers. More people than ever before are working from their homes which can be beneficial both to the employees themselves but also to the employers. While working from home undoubtedly has its advantages, a lot of people find it difficult to make the transition, and as such, their productivity takes a dip. Your home office setup and design can help to boost your productivity; read on to learn more.
Utilise Natural Light Where Possible
Natural light has a number of effects on the brain; it tells the brain when to get up and work versus when to wind down and go to sleep. This is why you really should be finding ways to maximise the natural light in your workstation. Obviously, this will not be possible for everyone, some people will have to put their home office where it fits, and this might not correlate with the sources of natural light within your home. Luckily, if this is a problem for you, there are a number of solutions in the form of daylight-mimicking light and lamps. Otherwise, where you can, you should position your desk somewhere near a window. This can also help to reduce the possibility of eye strain and even electronics-related headaches.
Ensure an Adequate Separation Between Your Home Office and the Rest of Your Home
The biggest hurdle when it comes to working from home is trying to switch your brain into ‘working mode’ when it wants to be in ‘relaxation mode’. Initially, a lot of homeworkers will try to work from the sofa or from their bed because they want to prioritise their comfort and see this as a perk of home working. However, this is not a good idea, it often makes it harder to get the work done, and your productivity will suffer. Instead, you need to work from a designated space, and if you can, you should try to emphasise the separation between the two. This helps to reinforce associations within your brain to ensure that you are ready to work once you get into your home office. If you can’t put your home office in its own room, then you should still try to isolate it using curtains or other bookcases or partitions to create a physical barrier around it.
Keep Clutter & Noise to a Minimum
If you want to ensure that you are going to be productive in your home office, you need to keep the clutter out. It is distracting, and it makes it easy for you to get side-tracked. Increased clutter also makes it easier for you to lose things within the space, which also takes away from your productivity too. So, you need to do your best to avoid clutter; this isn’t to say that you can’t leave a few personal touches around the space in the form of a photograph or knickknack or two, but you need to know where to draw the line to avoid crowding your desk. In the same vein, noise also distracts you from your work, making it harder to concentrate and compromising your productivity levels too. Depending on your home situation, it might be a lively environment with kids, pets, street noise or other adults to contend with. Getting a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones can help, and you can use them for more than work too. For example, you can wear them when playing games to provide a fully immersive experience, from casino games found on Online Casinos UK to the myriad of PC games available.
Remember the Ergonomics
Ergonomics is all about being comfortable; when you are comfortable, you are far more likely to get stuff done and be productive. When it comes to designing your home office then, you need to think about the ergonomic elements of the setup. This starts with the chair; you need to find a good desk chair that is supportive and comfortable. Your posture matters and can help you to avoid back problems later in life. Next, your desk, it needs to be sat at the right level – not too high or too low. Your arms should be bent at right angles with your wrists resting gently. You could also consider an adjustable desk that allows you to work standing or sitting. This helps to promote circulation and stop you from being stagnant for long periods of time.
Include Some Greenery
Lastly, incorporating a few indoor plants into your home office design can be advantageous for you. You should avoid putting them in your direct line of site because they can be distracting, but you should have them in the vicinity. They help to provide you with fresh, clean air, which can be good for thought processes and cognitive function, therefore, improving your productivity too. Plants and greenery, with their links to nature, can also have mood-boosting effects. If you aren’t particularly great at keeping plants alive, then there are a lot of options out there that are more suited to a beginner’s skill level. You could even opt for a cactus or a succulent.
In Summary
When it comes to interior design, there is no right or wrong answer for the aesthetic – as long as you like it – after all, you are the one that is going to have to live with it. That being said, there are a few practical considerations, as mentioned above, that you need to keep in mind to ensure that you are giving yourself the best chance of productivity. Think about your personal preferences in terms of colour and materials to help when it comes to setting up your home office. Remember that your comfort comes first. You don’t need to have a spare room to dedicate to an office. You can find great space-saving storage and furniture options online that helps you to maximise the potential of any given room to make good use of every nook and cranny possible.
