There’s a lot of joy when it comes to remote working. You don’t have to deal with hideous cubicles, and you get to personalise the space however you want. As long as you have a professional backdrop for Zoom calls. Your children can hang out in the workspace with you. Often you can get away with wearing your loungewear. What’s there not to love? While working from home is comfortable and flexible, and home offices have so much peace, there are still some pretty important questions to ask yourself.
Specifically, how productive is your home office? After all, your workspace can significantly impact your efficiency, focus, and overall well-being. So decorating your home office isn’t only going to be important. Every so often, it helps a lot to just go ahead and check to see how productive your home office is, making sure it’s not only comfortable but it’s working with you. Here’s everything you need to know!
IT ALL STARTS BY ASSESSING YOUR WORKSPACE
What you’re going to want to do is just take a good hard look at your home office. Is it cluttered and disorganised, or does it exude an environment of focus and professionalism? In general, having an organised and tidy workspace can significantly impact your productivity. While the saying goes that a cluttered desk is a productive test (and supposedly proves you’re a genius), you really shouldn’t let a chaotic workspace slide.
So, be sure to clear away any unnecessary clutter and make sure everything has its place. At the end of the day, you’re going to want to have a clean and organised space, and by having one, you’re essentially reducing distractions, and you’re creating a conducive work atmosphere too.
YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO ERGONOMICS
While shopping for office furniture can be fun, you shouldn’t immediately draw yourself to just furniture that’s aesthetically pleasing. Your physical comfort and health are crucial for productivity. You need to ensure that your desk, chair, and computer setup follow ergonomic principles.
You want to make sure that these are comfortable and you don’t risk getting any aches or injuries down the line. Getting a standing desk from Deskup could be a great option because it’s not very healthy to be sitting for multiple hours at a time. This includes an adjustable chair and proper screen positioning to reduce strain. An ergonomic workspace can help you work more comfortably and prevent long-term health issues.
GOOD LIGHTING IS ESSENTIAL
Chances are, you’ve experienced eye strain at least once in your life, and needless to say, it’s an awful feeling. Well, your home office is going to be one of the most important spaces. Therefore you’ll want to make sure you’re not risking dealing with any bad lighting. Just keep in mind that good lighting is essential for reducing eye strain, but it’s also about staying alert, too.
If you have a window in your home office, then make sure to utilise this! Place your desk right next to it because natural lighting is key to productivity. Right next to ergonomics, this is one of the more important aspects that you absolutely can’t skip. If you have to work on cloudy days or even into the hours of the night, make sure to get task lighting since this doesn’t glare.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT VENTILATION
This isn’t something that’s really put into consideration until you eventually notice it. How much ventilation is in your home office? Adequate ventilation is equally important, as fresh air can improve your overall mood and concentration. Sometimes it can be vents (be sure to look into your HVAC annually), but ventilation can honestly be as simple as knowing that you can open up the window when needed.
ARE YOUR TOOLS OPTIMISED?
Are you using technology (such as a computer) that’s on its last leg, or do you have something updated that you know is reliable? Also, are you updating software regularly? In general, the computer and peripherals should be up to the task. Outdated technology can slow you down and lead to frustration, and it’s the furthest thing away from being productive. It’s as simple as just ensuring your devices are running smoothly and that you have access to the software and tools you need to be efficient in your work.
WHAT IS DISTRACTING YOU?
How often do you get distractions in the home office? Is it just the lack of will to work? Is it noise? Are people interrupting your work schedule? Generally speaking, unless you live in the middle of nowhere alone, you can expect that your home office will have distractions.
This can include things such as household chores, family members, or the allure of social media. It can be hard to minimise distractions, but you need to. Be sure to create a dedicated workspace away from high-traffic areas, set boundaries with family and friends, and consider using time management techniques like the Pomodoro method to stay on track.
KEEP YOUR SPACE ORGANISED
As stated earlier, when you first asses your workspace, one of the first things to look at is whether your office is a chaotic mess or not. So, if it is, you need to fix this ASAP! One of the most important things to keep in mind no matter where you work is the fact that effective organisation is key to productivity. You’re going to want to use tools like calendars, to-do lists, and project management software to keep track of tasks and deadlines. A clutter-free digital workspace is equally important, so regularly declutter your computer and files.
CREATE A DIGITAL DETOX
Alright, so when you’re working, it’s not like it’s as easy as staying away from the computer or phone, especially if these are the tools you need for work! But you seriously need to keep in mind that digital distractions can hamper your productivity. So, it’s best to go ahead and consider creating digital detox zones in your home office.
You might want to use some apps or tools that focus on blocking out distracting websites and apps during focused work periods. This will help you maintain concentration and stay on task. So, this isn’t so much about the workspace itself, but it’s about your habits when you’re in the workspace, which is still super important!
INVEST IN HIGH-SPEED INTERNET
While not every area is able to get high-speed internet, if you’re working from home regularly, you might want to consider this major investment. Slow internet can be a significant hindrance to productivity, and who wants to deal with buffers, pixels, and just slow internet in general? Slow and bad internet is basically a very bad impression on you. So you’re going to have to make sure you have a reliable and high-speed internet connection. It will save you time and frustration when uploading or downloading files and collaborating with colleagues online.
KEEP IT PERSONALISED
As stated earlier, aesthetics don’t matter nearly as much as ergonomics. That’s still true. However, it’s still super important that you have a space that feels like your own. This is within your home, after all. Personal touches, such as artwork, plants, or inspirational quotes, can make your workspace more inviting and boost your motivation. A space that feels like yours, rather than an empty shell, is going to make you more comfortable (mentally speaking), which means that you’ll be more productive. So just add some things that scream who you are, but not distracting enough to where you can’t get your work done.
