Your workspace has a direct impact on your success and productivity, so let’s make sure your home office is up to scratch.
Working from home isn’t as simple as settling down on your sofa with a laptop on your knees, you need to carve out a dedicated area for work – complete with the correct desk and chair. Allow office furniture specialists Ultimate to give you their expert tips…
Sit Comfortably
When you suffer, so does your work – that’s why your chair is the most important piece of furniture in your home office. An ergonomic chair that supports your back and improves your posture will help you to maintain your focus and concentration. Pick an entirely adaptable model that keeps your feet flat on the floor and allows you to change the height and recline when you need to.
Colour the Walls
Wallpapering your walls or giving them a lick of paint is less frivolous than it sounds, shades of blue promote intellectual thought and green hues alleviate stress.
Create a Free-Thinking Space
Creating a comfy area to relax and think away from your computer screen is as easy as putting a tub chair or sofa in the corner of your home office. A space where you can read or brainstorm creatively and enjoy a change of scenery.
Grow House Plants
Aside from improving the air quality in your little office, plants bust stress, boost morale and help you relax – NASA proved it. So pop a few succulents or fresh-cut flowers on your desk, or a houseplant in the corner of your room. Anything from floral Jasmine blossoms to cacti, real or fake, so long as it’s green and natural looking.
Crank the Tunes Up
Whether you use it to block noise when your family are home or to make repetitive tasks more enjoyable. Music can relieve stress and improve concentration. Stick to songs you already know and love, or listen to natural sounds like flowing water or tracks without lyrics.
Spritz Productivity Boosting Smells
Cinnamon, mint, lemon, orange and rosemary scents boost productivity, so harness their power in the workplace with the occasional spritz of essential oil. Working from home you can light scented candles if you want to – which could never happen in a traditional office. When deadlines roll around, remember that aroma-therapists use lavender to calm and relieve stress.
Get Creative with Your Desk
Go for a statement piece that matches your style and existing furniture or something less traditional like a standing desk. So long as you actually have a desk at home, you can chose what you like. If you’re short on space or your room doubles up as something else when you’re done working, then a desk that you can store away may be your best option.
Position your desk near the window to maximise your exposure to morale-boosting natural light, or even at a right angle in the corner of your room, you do not have to face the boring wall – which can, in fact dent your productivity.
Declutter for Piece of Mind
Organisation is key to success. So long as you keep the things you use most often at arm’s length, ready for action, the rest needs storing in pedestals, drawers or filing cabinets. This will streamline your work, with fewer distractions, more space on your desk and less time wasted digging through piles of paper work.
With these top tips you’ll soon be on a productivity roll!