Thanks to the pandemic and the fast spread of COVID-19 among several parts of the world that nearly 30 million Americans currently work from their homes at least once in a week. As the virtual work network gradually gets cheaper for employees, companies and their families with each day, this number is on the rise.
Moreover, companies are also saving a considerable amount of money on their overhead costs and utility bills and hence the employers don’t seem to have any issue with the present system of working from home.
However, at the same time, it is also true that without the right setup and processes in place, it is very easy to get distracted from work. With a television set and kitchen nearby, you may soon find yourself wasting time elsewhere.
So, let’s check out the ways in which you can create a perfect home office environment that helps you with maximizing your productivity.
Ideas to create the perfect Home Office
Arrange the best light
One of the major influences for your home work space is the lighting. Don’t arrange any type of fluorescent lighting as this most often leads to drowsiness. For enhancing your productivity, the best light is natural light.
Hence, create your work space at such a place where you can bask under the sunlight.
Move away all sorts of distractions
Do away with all types of distractions. When you’re planning to work from home, you should create the space in a quiet room that doesn’t have a TV and has a door that can be closed, if needed.
If you have children and pets at home who make loud noise, you can shut the door and concentrate. Also utilize apps like Anti-Social and Stay Focused to block websites that can distract you.
Maintain a certain temperature
If the room is overly warm, this will make you feel cozy and sleepy. On the contrary, a cold room can be distracting and may boost your typing errors. Keep a comfortable temperature of about 77 degrees Fahrenheit as this is said to be the ideal temperature for a work area.
Choose your colors smartly
Did you ever feel that bright yet soothing colors like blue and green can enhance your efficiency and focus while yellow can infuse energy and optimism within you? If you did, choose these colors wisely. Avoid using colors like orange and red as these can be distracting and intense.
Keep things simple
There shouldn’t be too much of clutter. Whenever you’re trying hard to work, extra décor and gadgets can become an obstacle. You should rather invest in gadgets that work easily on you like an ergonomic chair and a keyboard.
Ideas to decorate your home office Desk
Place indoor plants
Choose a plant which needs minimum care and allow the plant to share the sunlight that it gets on your desk. When there are plants around you, it has several benefits like reducing pollution in air and also your stress levels.
Play soft motivational music
Do you believe that tedious and hectic tasks can be made fun when there’s music playing at the background? Well, if you could turn on some soft music, instrumental or your favorite band, you can concentrate better on tough tasks. If you are a classical music lover, you may also choose classical instrumental music.
Inspiration should be kept close by
Keep inspirational pictures, quotes or mementos of fun vacations close by as this will positively encourage you throughout the way. You can also personalize your space and always look at them and smile while working.
Keep a good stock of supplies
If you don’t keep all the necessary things stored up in your office, you may have to all-of-a-sudden run out for paper or printer ink. This will definitely hamper your productivity. So, keep all your supplies properly stocked so that you can avert mid-day runs for stocking on supplies.
Ideas to try on yourself
Stay nourished properly
If you tend to head back and forth towards the kitchen throughout the day in search of food, you will waste time. Therefore, it is advisable that you keep healthy snacks like hummus, raw vegetables, nuts like cashews and almonds at your desk.
Make sure you drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated. Avoid having sugar and coffee or any other drink that can lead you to couch crash.
Wear an official dress to get into the mood
Yes, it is true that moving around in your loungewear sounds like heaven but this won’t make you feel confident. This is why it is better that you wear a proper dress so that you feel like you’re into the mood for work. Moreover, if your client or boss suddenly gives you a video call, he wouldn’t be taken by surprise.
Breaks should be kept sweet and short
When you’re working from home, you may anytime feel tempted to watch a short film on Netflix or complete few household chores from the last day. However, you shouldn’t forget that you have to move lightly.
Make sure the breaks are short and sweet and they don’t end up wasting your valuable time. If you are still not confident about not ending up wasting time, you can use your phone’s alarm to set a timer so that you’re reminded of getting back to work.
So, as the coronavirus pandemic never seems to end and as we’ve walked into the second wave, there have been nationwide lockdowns again for the second time in 2021.
Now that you’re habituated with the lockdown life and you know how to strike a balance between your work life and household life, you needn’t worry about it.
If your employer has already asked you to continue working from home unless he informs you of any other option, take into account all the above mentioned tricks to create a perfect virtual working space that uplifts your mood and boosts your productivity.
Infographic brought to you by Wrike online free project management tools.
