Choose a working space you love
Have a space just for work to keep your home and business life separate. If you don’t have a designated office, put together a set up that you can easily tidy away at the end of the day – no one wants to be reminded of work whilst settling down for a night’s sleep.
Making it a space you want to be in will help boost productivity and motivation, so crowd it with things you love. Gather some of your favourite pictures, objects and stationery and make it yours – there are no company rules to adhere to at home!
Get comfortable
Yes, it can be tempting to grab the laptop and head back to the sofa or even the bed, but your body and work productivity will not thank you for it! So get up, dressed and ‘go to work’ at a designated space that works for you. Experiment with the furniture you have, to find a combination that feels good. Having a comfortable set up has been shown to improve your attention span and energy in addition to your confidence at work. If you’re finding your laptop screen too small, try connecting it to your TV for a while – great for conference calls or project work. See our Workstation Guide to learn more about the perfect setup.
Lighten up
Locate your workspace as close to a window as possible to maximise your exposure to natural light. Now you’re working from home you no longer have to fight for that window seat! Studies have shown that workers who have greater exposure to natural daylight are significantly more productive and engaged, in addition to feeling less drowsy and suffering from headaches and eyestrain.
Go green
Choosing an air purifying plant for your home can detoxify your working space, meaning your houseplants not only look lovely but work a little harder to clean the air you breathe in. Try some of these low maintenance plants to purify your home office:
Spider Plant, Aloe Vera, Chrysanthemum, English Ivy, Barbeton Daisy, Rubber Tree, Snake Plant.
These plants can survive pretty much anything and could even reduce your work stress levels and improve concentration. Research is now showing that supercharged plants could even slow climate change.
Sounds
Need to boost your focus on that difficult task? Then put on some music! Now that most of us are working alone, you don’t need to find tunes that everyone loves, just your favourites. Studies have shown that listening to music improves efficiency, accuracy and mood; for best results try ambient music for learning new information and music with lyrics for repetitive tasks. Also, try alternating between different types of music and periods of quiet during the day. It’s also worth investing in a pair of sound-blocking headphones if you’re surrounded by a lot of background noise and distractions.
Experiment with what works for you and you may just find you’re happier, healthier and more productive than ever before.
