It doesn’t matter if you are working from home on a daily basis or if you sometimes have that option, it is something people are not used to, and because of that people will often struggle with the home office environment.
That is because we are not used to having so many distractions when working from home. Especially if you have family members living with you or even pets or loud neighbors. But working from home also comes with a lot of amazing benefits that make everything worth it.
Working from home will save you money because you don’t have to pay for transport or gas, and meals, and you will be able to work from the comfort of your own home. There have also been some studies that have shown that working from home will actually make you more productive than working from an office.
So, if you are someone who started working from home, and are struggling too much with working efficiently and unable to maintain that office level of productivity, here is how you can design your office to make yourself more efficient.
Purposely set your office up for productivity.
Even though we all want to have a home office that looks over a peaceful pond that is surrounded by breathtaking luscious trees, but let’s be realistic, that is not possible for most people. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strive to make your home office as efficient as possible.
Even if you don’t have a dedicated room to your office, make sure that you are finding the least noisy corner of your house that has the least traffic. Find a place where you don’t have many decorations and a space where you can feel calm and productive.
Having a fully functioning home office starts with having a strong and fast internet connection. Reliability is crucial because you do not want to be halfway through an online conference call, and suddenly your internet drops out. Having a reliable connection from Starlink internet (or a provider from your local region) will make sure you have high-speed satellite internet with lower latency, drastically reducing the chance of it cutting out, meaning you can continue to be productive in your work.
Keep your distractions away.
As we have mentioned before, the most common distraction when you are working from home is the environment that surrounds you. Anything from loud neighbors to your kids running around in the other room can be really distracting as you are not used to those sounds when you are working.
But the key to keeping the distractions away is actually keeping them close to you. It is important that you give yourself small breaks as a reward.
So, make sure that you have some distractions stashed away close, so you can clear your brain.
Get comfortable.
You have to find the perfect balance between being comfortable but not too comfortable, so you want to take a nap. Make sure that you are in a space where you can be focused and productive without having to keep rubbing your back that’s in pain. You have to ensure that you are investing in a proper office chair that will support your neck and back that will ensure that you don’t get too uncomfortable if you are sitting down for too long.
Another thing that you need to think about getting is blue light glasses to keep your eyes protected while you are staring at the screen. Make sure that your screens, keyboard as well as mouse are at a proper height, so you don’t get carpal tunnel or hurt your neck.
Invest in light exercise equipment as well as a place to relax.
A lot of people don’t realize that doing light exercises throughout your workday will actually make you more productive. That is why you should have some resistance bands or a simple yoga mat next to you so you can stretch out and get some exercise in. Another thing that you should also have in your home office is a couch and some bean bag chairs, so you can relax and take a break.
Declutter ruthlessly.
There is nothing that will make your space unproductive and inefficient by having unnecessary clutter all over the desk, workstation, and around it. Make sure that you are purging your office supplies regularly and toughing out things that you don’t need anymore. Resist the urge to hold papers that you don’t need any more and keep only things that you actually need to have. Being surrounded by junk will stop you from being productive because you won’t be able to focus your mind on the work.
A convenient and reliable service can be useful when you have large clutter around you, in this scenario you can consider the help of waste removal USA residential dumpsters, offering a hassle-free solution for disposing of clutters and maintaining a tidy home environment.
Take regular eye breaks.
This is something that people know but just avoid doing because they want to punch rough and finish faster. But that will stain your eyes and make you work slower. That is why you should place your decks in front of a window so you can take eye breaks. All you need to do is look outside for 20 seconds and give your eyes a break.
Work with purpose.
When you are working you need to ensure that you have all of the things that you will potentially need right next to you at all times. By laying out everything that you need before you start your workday, you will be more productive and you won’t have to search for things in the middle of a task.
Bring in some green.
Even though you shouldn’t really make your home office into a jungle, you should have some plants in there. It will not only purify air, but it will also give you something to look at and rest your eyes on if you don’t have a window. Depending on how well lit your office is, you will be choosing the plants which thrive in what you have to offer.
Always choose plants that you can handle, if you are not blessed with a green thumb, opt for plants that are very hard to kill, but if you are experienced you can choose those which you enjoy the best. On the other hand, if you don’t want to have real plants, you can either get fake ones or you can display bouquets to bring life to a room.
Try a scent.
Adding a vent to the room that you are working in will help motivate you and make you less stressed, research has proven that. Depending on what you like and what you want to feel, you can choose scents such as peppermint to give you an energy boost, rosemary to concentrate or lavender to make you calm.
You can either choose to light candles, or you can get a nice diffuser and not worry about open flames.
Use a second monitor.
A lot of people don’t realize just how much a second monitor will make you productive.
A second monitor will not only make your tasks easier to manage and look at, but it will also give you the opportunity to fully multitask, which will make you more productive in every way.
If you are a programmer or do writing, there is nothing that will make you more efficient than adding a second monitor or even a third one if the job role demands it.
Get a standing desk.
There have been a lot of reasons that have proven that when you are sitting down for a long period, it will negatively affect your health.
That is why, if your job requires you to sit for a long period, you should consider a standing desk.
A standing desk is exactly what it sounds like. It is a desk you can raise, so you can work standing up and help your back. Even though they won’t magically make you healthy, they will help your back pain as well as make you more productive in the long run.
If you don’t have the space or the budget to get a standing desk, you can look into getting a desk extender or desk riser, which is basically the same thing at low cost.
Install ambient lights.
Even though you should try to get as much natural light as you possibly can into your home office, you should also think about adding some ambient lighting.
There are many ways you can go about this issue. You can go a trendy way, and you can tape LED lights along the walls, and you can also add floor or deck lamps if you want to have a more relaxing soft light.
But whatever you choose, make sure that you can actually see when it’s on, otherwise, it’s not serving its purpose. Not having a properly lit workspace will strain your eyes and make you less productive and more tired.
Use a separate computer for work.
There are many reasons why, when working from home, you should have a separate computer for work rather than using your personal one. Just like we manage our work and life balanced while working from home.
It is really hard to be productive when you are trying to make a spreadsheet on a computer where you watch Netflix and play games. You will naturally be drawn to use it for fun rather than working because you know that there are other things there.
But when you have a different computer for working you won’t have those distracting software, and you will automatically be more productive.
As you can see, there are many different things that you can do to make your home office more efficient and help yourself stay on track with work.
But even though choosing the right decor and maintaining a clean space plays a big role, having the right mindset for working from home plays the biggest role, and it will help you get work done on time.
Leave a Reply