Whether a typical worker is more productive in the downtown office or while working from a home office is still up for debate. However, the home office is not intrinsically unproductive, especially if we take into account the number of methods you can poise the office space to get maximum productivity out of it. From decluttering to ergonomic furniture, there are numerous ways you can be more productive when working from the comfort of your home.
Getting rid of clutter permanently
Clutter is an issue in every environment and getting rid of it can prove to be difficult. The biggest issue with clutter is the fact it keeps coming back regardless of your actions. The home office might have the best of both worlds but that also means it gets the worst of home and office clutter.
Cleaning the home office regularly won’t do the trick if you don’t find a proper place for every little knick-knack littering your work desk. An excellent design solution to this problem is the erection of floating shelves above the desk. After you complete this DIY upgrade, you’ll be able to store everything from sets of keys to folder on the shelves overhead.
Introducing plant life
The living room or perhaps the bedroom is usually associated with an indoor “garden.” However, the home office can also benefit from a flower pot or two. Apart from extra oxygen that will get pumped into the room, you will feel more relaxed because the color green has a pacifying effect on the human psyche. Since you should focus on work, select a houseplant that doesn’t need a lot of watering, like a cactus. Finally, place the plant near the windows so it gets plenty of sunlight.
Under the windows
The reason why plant life should be located near the windows is obvious in itself but do you know why you should position yourself near the windows? Yes, the answer has to partially do with enjoying the view but exposure to natural light is so much more important.
Namely, the office should be airy and as light as possible. Working from a dimmed room will bring down your productivity level so make sure the desk is positioned under the windows. The ability to move furniture around is just one of the many perks of setting up your home office.
Canceling out outside noises
Looking out through the windows while you’re hard at work might be distracting but not nearly as distracting as al the sounds originating on the outside. Car sirens, emergency vehicles, the neighbors mowing his/her lawn, children shouting; the list of producers of noise pollution is long.
The best way to cancel out all these noises is by installing noise reduction windows that look the same as ordinary double-glazed windows. These soundproof windows will help you focus better, as there will be less distraction caused by noise pollution.
An office smelling pleasantly
Apart from a nice view and a soundproof office, you should work in a space that smells pleasantly. The essential oils you introduce shouldn’t be astringent, but they ought to be strong enough to linger around for several days.
The best thing about these pleasant smells is that you get to choose the flavor. Peppermint will provide you with a boost of energy and you’ll concentrate better using rosemary essential oils. All in all, different scents are connected with the part of the brain regulating memory and emotion so they come with the promise of increased productivity.
Learn when to take a break
A tricky thing about a home office is often enough people create a workspace that is too productive for their own good. Namely, a partitioned section of the house that is adorned with flowers and fully soundproof would lull anyone.
After a while, you start losing track of how long you have been working and fatigue sets in, obliterating any motivation you had. The design of the home office can counter this by placing the kitchen near the office, for instance.
This will allow you to take frequent breaks to make a cup of coffee or squeeze an orange to make juice. In fact, taking breaks while working from home is just as important when you’re in your downtown office. Don’t be discouraged if you forget to take short breaks at first, as this is a skill you learn.
Multiple light sources at night
We’ve already stressed the importance of natural light you get through the windows but strong light is equally important after dark. Instead of a single light source overhead, you should aim to have multiple light sources scattered across the home office.
A desk lamp is the most obvious light source so be sure to have one. Ambient wall lamps are another possibility but perhaps floor lamps are a more modern interior design solution. Whatever extra light sources you settle on in the end, their purpose will be to counter the light produced by the computer screen. This is because looking at a computer screen in a dark room has an effect on your eyesight.
As you have seen from the tips we have listed, carefully poising the design of a home office can have both a direct and an indirect impact on productivity. It is not all the same if you can hear the traffic outside or if there are houseplants at your desktop.
