Working from home can be a great thing. No need to battle the crowds on the morning commute or get stuck in hours of traffic; not to mention the money you save on expensive transport methods, work clothes and so much more.
However, there are many people who can’t quite get to terms with being out of an office and can’t seem to knuckle down and get their work mode on. This is where ensuring you having a suitably decked out home office comes in.
Althoughthe idea of lying in bed with your pyjamas on and your laptop perched on your lap sounds good, it is in fact very counterproductive and can even hinder your work. Here are some tips to make your working environment more workable:
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PROPER SURFACE TO WORK ON
Sitting on a sofa with your laptop just isn’t going to cut it. Make sure you get a proper office desk with a comfortable and supportive chair, preferably with adjustable height settings. Investing in a desktop computer is going to do wonders for your posture and can lessen eye strain.
If you can’t quite afford one, getting individual monitors and keyboards to plug into your laptop is the next best thing. And it goes without saying, making sure you have enough light to see comfortably is a must, avoiding glare on the monitor. Have a little play around with the light settings and computer brightness settings to find your perfect balance.
CLEAR THE CLUTTER
It sounds obvious, but you can’t expect to have a clear head if you don’t have a clear working space. Keep the things that sit on your desk to an absolute minimum, preferably on a “must have” basis.
Anything else can be stored away either in desk drawers, boxes, bookcases or even shelves. Floating shelves are a quirky and modern way to store your belongings; we recommended putting them up behind your desk so they don’t distract you while you’re working.
This also means eliminating “non-work” things from your home office. A good rule to follow is if you wouldn’t take it into work then you shouldn’t have it in your working space.
HAVE SOME MOTIVATION AROUND YOU
It’s always good to stay motivated when you’re at work. This can be anything from little reminders why you’re doing what you’re doing or the goal you are working so hard towards, to something along the lines of motivational posters or even inspirational quotes. Our favourite is writing motivational quotes on post-it notes and sticking them along the walls to look at during scheduled breaks.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLOURS
Keep the colour combo neutral but interesting at the same time. Three white walls with a coloured feature wall is an increasingly popular décor trick, especially for rooms you spend a lot of time such as living rooms and in this case, your home office. Monochrome is also a tried and tested, non-distracting colour combo. Choose something that works for you to ensure you work your hardest and fulfil your potential.
