There’s little doubt that 2020 was the year of working from home. Within a matter of weeks, people everywhere were trying to work remotely from their dining table, a make-shift desk, or even on their couch and coffee table. Why? Well, because they’ve never had to work from home before, so they’ve never needed to worry about having a functional home office before.
As some people working remotely quickly found out, setting up a home office isn’t as easy as moving a table and chair into a corner. Whether you’re keen to make some minor tweaks, or you’re ready to take on a comprehensive remodel, your home office needs to provide you with a similar environment as the structure at work so you’re always productive every day. With that in mind, here are some ideas, tricks, and inspirations to help improve how productive you feel when working in your office.
Ergonomics Matter
If you’re going to be spending all day in your home office, your chair will be much more important than your desk. That’s because good posture and comfort promote higher productivity. And as you will most probably already realised, not all office chairs have been created as equals. Buying a chair with poor ergonomics can eventually create painful problems with your posture like backaches and tension headaches. Find a chair for your home office that’s as ergonomic and comfortable as it is stylish.
Office chairs are actually one of those furniture items that are worth spending a little more money on to ensure it’s actually a decent quality one. Just make sure you check the reviews online before you buy it. Paying that little bit more for a chair with added stability and comfort will allow you to work for longer periods without starting to feel uncomfortable at all. That being said, you should still take a break from work and stand up a few times throughout the day.
Don’t Skimp On Lighting
While ample lighting is important in any home, it’s often even more vital in your office for a variety of reasons. Poor lighting causes eye fatigue which can cause them to feel sore, dry, and irritated at the end of each working day. Not only does good lighting help ensure you keep motivated to work, but it’s also imperative whenever you need to Zoom with co-workers, clients, or corporate headquarters. When you’re choosing fixtures and bulbs, remember that yellow is mellow light which makes you tired, whereas white light is alright for productivity.
Sunlight can help prevent headaches and reduce the strain on your eyes, while also helping you feel a little more energised thanks to the extra boost of vitamin D. So you should always let as much natural light inside your home office as possible. While this might be easy to forget, the amount of sunlight you allow into your home office can have a big impact on how productive you are at work. The key with lighting is to avoid both making your office too bright and not making it bright enough. Just find a style and colour that works for you without putting extra strain on your eyes.
Fresh Air Is Essential
When you spend a lot of time working inside all day can make the air a little stale. So it’s always a good idea to keep your window dressings to a minimum and open your windows now and then to ventilate your office throughout the day. Especially on nice days, as letting some fresh air in to circulate through your office creates a healthy working environment. The fresh air flowing through your office can really do wonders when it comes to helping you get through each workday. You should also consider adding a couple of house plants to your office to help brighten up your office, reduce your stress, and elevate mood.
Not only will incorporating some green house plants add a splash of colour, but studies have shown they can also provide a sense of peace, while reducing stress, boosting creativity, and increasing productivity. Plants are also highly recommended as they will help freshen up your home office by producing oxygen while removing pollutants and improving air quality. The best small plants for any home office should create a healthier environment without adding any additional stress to your routine. Even if you’re not a green thumb, there’s plenty of simple and low-maintenance options from an aloe vera plant to a cactus.
Give Your Home A Fresh Paint
One of the most simple and affordable methods of changing the feel of your office space also happens to be the most effective. Before you rush out and get started on repainting the walls of your home office, it is important to understand that colour can have a major impact on how us humans feel and behave. I mean, did you really think it was a coincidence that most major fast food chains all use the colour red? No, those companies all know our monkey brains still associate the colour red with blood, meat, and food.
That means the specific paint colours can genuinely have an impact on how much work is actually being completed in the home office setting. Different colours can make you feel more focused and energized, while boosting your productivity. And your home office should definitely be visually appealing, while the colour inspires collaboration and promotes productivity. While the right use of primary colour can significantly brighten the entire room, choosing the most appropriate accent colours means you can still distinguish your office space from the rest of your home.
Final Thoughts
Everyone needs a dedicated workspace at home because it allows you to ignore household distractions. Your home office should be warm and inviting so you enjoy spending so much time in there, so without making it seem too casual, it’s a good idea to add some minor personal touches. Simply by following the tips above and integrating them into your home office, not only will you be able to create a productive space, but you’ll also be able to feel positive and stay focused while you work.
