Quick Ways To Improve Your Home Office Environment
If you work from home (which, let’s face it, is most of us now), you need a killer home office. Creating one that fits the bill, however, is a challenge. Ideally, you want to create a space that allows you to be more productive than if you were in the regular office.
That might sound like a tall order, but the data on the subject is quite rosy. According to a FlexJobs report conducted a couple of months ago, 65 percent of people said that they were more productive at home than at the office.
The question, of course, is “why?” Partly, it has to do with the fact that colleagues can’t just come up to you and interrupt you when you’re at home. (Kids can, though). But the main reason probably has to do with the environment. When you work from home, you automatically feel more relaxed.
In this post, we’re going to look at some quick ways to improve your home office environment and boost your output per hour even further. Here are some incredible homemaking ideas for you to try out.
Use A Diffuser
You might think that an ergonomic keyboard or supportive office chair would make the most significant difference in productivity. But it turns out that what you smell might be even more critical.
Let’s face it: working is a stressful experience. Deadlines, performance reviews, and star ratings all eat into your wellbeing over time. Eventually, you feel drained, worn out, and tired. It’s not a pleasant experience.
Changing the smell in your home office, however, could make all the difference. Researchers have found that making rooms smell of particular scents, including lavender and rosemary, can reduce stress and improve performance. Scent particles in these fragrances go up through the nose and interact directly with the brain, literally changing the way you feel.
Get More Natural Light
If you wondered whether natural light makes a difference to productivity, the answer is “yes,” and in a big way. Research suggests that people who work in the presence of natural light are up to 40 percent more productive than those toiling away under artificial lamps.
The simplest way to increase natural light in your office is to open the curtains or adjust the blinds. Alternatively, factory-direct replacement windows from the Energy Shield Window & Door Company can provide you with ample illumination.
If you have natural light in your office, orientate your desk so that you’re perpendicular to it. That way, you can avoid screen glare.
Add A Brainstorming Board
You never know when you’re going to have your best ideas. So, for that reason, a lot of home office workers like to have a brainstorming board.
The solution you use here is very much a matter of personal preference. Some people like to use simple whiteboards, hooked up to the wall—others like using cork boards and attaching scraps of paper with pins. Whatever method you use, pick something that best suits your style of work.
Add A Touch Of Warmth With Personalized Decor
Ideally, you want the act of stepping into your office to feel like a positive and uplifting experience. You need a space that prepares you psychologically for the difficulties of the day ahead. The good news is that adding warmth is pretty straightforward. And it helps you improve on the regular office grays, blues, and whites.
Try adding colors like orange that spark creativity to your walls. And place objects on your desk that give you comfort while you put in the hours.
If you’re worried about the spread of COVID-19, you can keep a hand sanitizer on your desk to prevent your mouse or keyboard from becoming contaminated.
Make Your Office “Ready To Go”
In many ways, working from home is dramatically more efficient than going to an office. Not only is it closer to your bed, but it is also easier to “warm up” the night before. You can set everything, ready to go, for when you go back to work in the morning.
Leaving your computer in sleep mode, for instance, prevents you from having to wait for ages for it to load up. Putting all the papers you need for the following day also helps to improve your productivity. You can also de-clutter the night before, allowing you to remain more focused on your work.
Improving your office environment can have a significant impact on your job performance. It pays, therefore, to set it up so that it is conducive to work.
Kori
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