Home Office Design Tips to Maximize Productivity
Hi friends! Cynthia here, excited to share with you a guest post from my buddy Matt all about designing your home office. These days, with so many of us working from home, designing our home office space to maximize our productivity is SO incredibly important. Not just for our productivity, but for our sanity, too! Want to learn more about key design tips for your home office space? Keep on reading!
Home Office Design Tips to Maximize Productivity
Working from home can be challenging. Distractions are abundant, and often, it requires an incredible amount of self-discipline. If you’ve worked from home for a while, you’re no stranger to these hurdles. However, more people than ever are entering the remote-work world for the first time.
While there’s no cut-and-dry solution to making your work easier, there are several things you can do to maximize productivity. You can set accountability goals with work colleagues, ask your spouse for support, and even join virtual work-from-home communities.
Sometimes though, staying productive while working from home takes a little more thought. Sometimes, it requires you to shake up your environment and make it poised for productivity.
There are several home office design tips that can help you eliminate those distractions, focus on work, and be even more productive than you ever thought possible.
Here are five office design tips to help you out.
Tip #1: Get Down to The Basics
If you have endless stacks of paper, piles of laundry, a million busy decorations, or other useless clutter, it’s time to get rid of it. When it comes to your home office, it’s essential to go minimal and basic. The less clutter and disorganization your office has, the more space your brain has for focusing on work.
Recent studies show that disorganization can lead to procrastination and a lack of focus. Plus, it makes your stress and anxiety much higher than usual. So, add storage if you need to. Clean off your desk and get down to the basics.
This philosophy applies to your decoration and colors, too. Avoid noisy patterns or clunky furniture. Go for neutral colors, a white solid surface desk, and only leave your most essential décor on the wall. The simpler your design, the more focus you’ll have.
Tip #2: Make Yourself Comfortable
If you’re uncomfortable, you’re not going to be efficient. Think of it like this, if you’re always thinking about how bad your back hurts or how cold you are, you’ll never be able to truly focus.
Pick out a chair that makes you feel relaxed. Avoid harsh lighting. If you’re too hot or too cold, adjust the thermostat. If you’re having issues with temperature regulation in your home office, do a little window weatherproofing to make sure you aren’t accidentally letting the outside air inside the office. Make sure that your home office is designed with your comfort in mind.
Tip #3: Drown Out the Noise
Noise can be a significant challenge when working from home. If you have phone calls or video conferences, it’s essential that your office is primed and ready to block out unwanted noises. There’s nothing more awkward than having to apologize for a barking dog or a crying child in the middle of an important call.
Consider installing acoustic ceiling systems or soundproofing your walls. Try adding some bulky furniture or a rug to ensure that you’re blocking out noise rather than creating an echo chamber for it.
Tip #4: Activate Your Green Thumb
Did you know that plants can help you be more organized? It sounds crazy, but a recent study found that workers who had office plants and exposure to natural sunlight were more organized and happier at work.
Get a few plants to put in your home office. You can put small ones on your desk, or bigger ones around the corners of the room. You don’t have to be a professional gardener, either. There are several plant varieties, like succulents, that are low-maintenance and easy to keep alive.
Tip #5: Set Up A Distraction Zone
Here’s the thing, you’re going to get distracted. Whether you work from your home or in an office, it’s nearly impossible to work hours on end without a break. When you’re at home, it’s easy to use these breaks as an excuse to lie on the couch and procrastinate. So, prepare for that. Create a corner of your office dedicated to stepping away.
You can have hand weights, books you want to read, puzzles, or other productive activities in your distraction corner. Creating a distraction corner gives you a place to take a breather without falling into a procrastination trap.
Boost Your Productivity at Home
Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean your work has to suffer. With a little ingenuity and these design tricks, you can transform your home office into a productivity zone. Take time to recognize the things that are distracting you and find ways to reduce or eliminate them.
Who knows? With a little proactivity, you might find that you work better at home than you do in a traditional office.
Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.