Whether you work from home all the time, have the spare room to use as an office, or have created a little work corner in your space, there’s never a wrong time to revamp your home office. You’d be surprised how much productivity is increased when you take pleasure in the space where all the magic happens!
Productivity flourishes in environments where creative thoughts bloom, distractions are minimized, and healthy atmospheres invigorate us. Today we are sharing how you can optimize your home office for increased productivity using these tips.
1. Incorporate Your Own Style
According to a study from the University of Exeter, making design decisions about your workspace improves productivity, as well as health and happiness. In fact, the participants were found to have increased productivity of 32%. So, how can you apply this information to your own life?
Figure out your own style. What colors do you like, what makes you excited and motivated? These individual touches will make you more comfortable in your space.
2. Apply Principles of Feng Shui When Positioning Your Desk
If your workspace is making you feel sluggish rather than energized, consider rearranging it according to Feng shui practices. Feng shui is a practice that applies spatial arrangement and energy balance for optimum design and layout. Feng shui practitioners believe that positive energy comes from the flow of good chi, and if the arrangement of your workspace blocks the flow of it, energy levels are negatively affected. According to Feng shui practitioners, the best position is diagonal to the room’s entrance with you facing the door.
3. Add Plants in Your Home Office
Office greenery and workplace happiness and productivity go together because of our appreciation for nature. In an extensive literature review, Kaitlyn Gillis and Birgitta Gatersleben of the UK’s University of Sussex link indoor plants to stress reduction and pain tolerance. “Plants have the ability to directly bring green, living nature into the indoor environment,” their report states. “Psychological studies have demonstrated the health and wellbeing benefits of placing plants inside.”
Related: How to Style Plants in Your Home
4. Include Natural Light and Proper Lighting in Your Home Office
A study from Carnegie Mellon University indicates that higher lighting levels and daylight simulating fixtures can improve productivity. When working from a home office, you have the luxury of choosing where your office is located to optimize light levels and natural light. Locating your office where you receive natural light is a great strategy to boost your productivity. Improper lighting can cause eye fatigue and drowsiness, which hinders productivity.
5. Clear Your Home Office of Clutter
When your workspace is free of clutter, your mind can think clearly. The first step in clearing your office of clutter is to simply rid yourself of items that you don’t need. There are many benefits to decluttering your life including the following:
- Less to clean. Don’t need to tell you twice, cleaning can be a pain, but having to clean around things you don’t care for or like, it can be a stressful and tedious ordeal.
- Less to organize. Finding things suddenly become easier. Things don’t just “disappear” anymore. You can actually move around your home and enjoy the space, instead of moving around things that are in the way.
- Less stress. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to look around and see a home you love?
Related: 8 Practical Ways to Declutter Your Home
6. Ensure Your Home Office is a Dedicated and Private Space
Distractions from family members, pets, and televisions can hamper your productivity. Have you ever participated in a conference call from home and your dog barks at a delivery person or your children interrupt you? These things can’t always be avoided, but if you have the option set up a dedicated space that is away from the hustle and bustle of your home can be very beneficial.
