Working from home or starting a home business means that your home will become a central part of your work life. Depending on the kind of work or the amount of space you have, working from home could mean operating from your kitchen, basement, or even bedroom. But no matter which part of your home you consider convenient to work from, the most important thing is to ensure that you organize your space in a way that brings out the best in you. So, are you considering remote working or turning your home into a home business? Here are some simple ways to set your home up to make you more productive.
Find your perfect working mood
When it comes to working from home, creating the right mood or environment can make a lot of difference. The right environment depends on anything that keeps you motivated, comfortable or inspires you to take on each day’s challenges. For some people, this could mean sending the right music wafting through the air. For others, it could be something as simple as a cup of coffee. And yet, for many others, it could mean creating the right ambiance.
Creating the right ambiance usually requires a bit more work, which will depend on what you’re seeking to create. For example, this could range from setting up entirely new office space – new furniture, equipment, etc. Or, you may only be interested in adding minor touches to an existing space. The most important thing is to use elements that make you feel comfortable and relaxed enough to work. For example, you can use a Palila cream cloud wallpaper from Holland to give you a relaxed ambiance or add a recycling chair for those moments when you need to take a quick rest.
Get rid of every distraction
After creating the right working mood, you need to keep all forms of distractions at bay. These could range from your television, smartphone, spouse, kids, etc. If you live with others at home, it is vital to establish some rules about not being disturbed when you’re working.
Aside from keeping any distracting element away, opt for an area of your home that will help you concentrate easily. For example, if you live with a large family, the last place you will want to set up your office is your kitchen, as it will be impossible to get any work done with people flowing in and out. Depending on the kind of pets you have, you will have to decide whether their presence is a distraction or they help keep you calm and focused.
Create boundaries between your work and your personal life
Not everyone may have enough space at home to dedicate entirely to a home office. Sometimes, you may have to do with a spot in your bedroom, balcony, or living room. That means you will have to share your workspace with family, friends, and other members of your home.
One effective way to separate your work from other personal stuff is by confining everything related to your work to a single area of your home. That could be something as simple as a table or desk. You could also invest in a shelf or a simple cabinet if you have enough space for them. These will help you to organize your work files better. A cabinet with locks will also help keep your work files secure when you’re not working. Also, teach your children to respect your work files and boundaries when you’re at work.
Opt for natural lighting
If you’re going to spend a lot of time working from home, you must ensure that you set up your lighting to make it more convenient and comfortable for you. Sitting for long hours under artificial light can have some negative effects on your eye and general health. And this will make it very difficult to be as productive as you might want to be.
Try setting up your workstation in a way that makes it possible to make use of natural sunlight as much as possible, unless you’re working through winter. For example, place your work desk next to your open window to ensure that you receive enough natural light during the day. Besides the benefits to your eye health, research also shows that natural light can help you become more productive with work than artificial light. Plus, the constant glow from your computer will surely make you feel fatigued pretty quickly.
You can also add a plant to your workstation. They are not only meant for aesthetic reasons, as they also help create a more healthy working environment. A plant will purify your surrounding air by converting the carbon dioxide you exhale to oxygen while getting rid of some toxins.
Declutter
If your home is very disorganized, it will be very difficult to organize your workstation or your thoughts. If there’s so much going on around or on your workstation, working smoothly may be quite slow and problematic. For example, if you have to swim through piles of disorganized paperwork all the time, you will hardly get anything done, and much less, on time. The point here is to give yourself a clean or organized space to work.
Extend the same courtesy to the rest of your home and ensure that you declutter as much as necessary. Doing this will help give you the peace of mind you need to work, knowing that your home is not in a mess. You can take some time each night to clean your home, so you can get straight to work in the morning. Also, try going minimalist with the way you organize your work desk. You want everything to be within touch, but ensure that you don’t end up piling too many things on your desk
Use available human resources by getting your family involved
As mentioned, keeping any form of human distraction away from your workstation is important. But, depending on the type of work you’re doing, you can go a step further by taking advantage of your family members as available human resources. For example, if you’re running a bakery from home, the more organized hands you get on board, your work should be easier.
Similarly, if you’re working remotely, you can assign certain simple tasks like running photocopies or printing out some files to your family members. Doing this will free you from the extra workload and make it easy to concentrate on other areas of your work. However, it is vital to ensure that you train your additional human resources appropriately to take on such duties. One massive advantage of working from home (if you live with others) is your access to extra helping hands.
Take meaningful breaks
No matter the workload you have on you, taking a break is essential to enhancing your productivity when working from home. However, taking a break is more than merely taking your mind off work for a while, as your break period should be meaningful. That is, take breaks that help you recuperate quickly and freshen you up to resume your business.
For example, you will be doing yourself more harm than good if you use your break periods to engage in any tiring activity like cleaning or cooking. You’ll only end up returning to work tired and needing more rest.
Also, do not waste your break period by engaging in activities that add no value to your day. Many people automatically resort to social media whenever they take a break, spending a lot of time on the internet. A better way to make your break periods more meaningful is to do things that’ll help you recharge your batteries. For example, you can set the alarm and take a quick nap or even go out for a short walk. The most important thing is that you resume your work refreshed and recharged.
Invest in the right work furniture
If you’re going to spend long hours behind your desk when working from home, you need to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible, as this will affect your productivity. Believe it or not, how comfortable your chair is can be the difference between finishing your work on time and getting tired often. Therefore, when setting up your home workstation, take the time to pick out the right furniture.
For example, you should invest in a chair that will not only make you feel comfortable but support your back during long sitting hours. As mentioned, investing in a shelf or cabinet to help keep your workstation organized and your files secure is important. But aside from comfort, your choice of furniture should also be determined by how much space you have. For example, if you’re working from a corner of your bedroom, getting an executive office will be a bad idea. In such cases, you can instead opt for space-saving desks like a foldable wall desk. You can also take the time to pick out the colors you find more pleasing when decorating your workstation.
Kori
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