Do you struggle with working from home? Do you often find yourself getting distracted? Do you end the day with back-ache and sore eyes?
If so, you may need to adjust your home office set-up. Many people simply work from the nearest flat surface they can find (such as the kitchen table, or a coffee table), but if you really want to succeed you should set up a dedicated workspace. This is because average furniture and poor lighting can make it difficult to focus, and over time they can cause serious health issues.
So whether you permanently work from home or are just doing so during lockdown, we’d like to help. Here are five tips to help you build the perfect home office.
1. How To Build The Perfect Home Office: Choose A Quiet Area
If you want to be more focused when you are working, avoid working in a high traffic area of your home (such as the kitchen or the living room). Instead choose a quiet, closed-off place where you are less likely to be interrupted. This could be a corner in your bedroom, or you could turn a smaller room into an office space. This will make it easier for you to get into ‘work mode’ first thing in the morning, and you will also encounter fewer distractions throughout the day.
2. Choose The Best Colours
Colours can have a significant psychological effect on humans. Some colours make us feel alert, positive and motivated (such as yellow), while other colours can make us feel relaxed and sleepy (such as dark blue) – so we suggest taking some time to choose the best possible colour choice for your home office. Good options include light, natural colours such as off-white, light blue or sage green. Neutral earthy tones can also be used to help promote productivity!
3. Go For Ergonomic Office Furniture
Poorly made office furniture can cause a range of health problems, including back strain, eye strain and migraines. This can make it hard to stay focused on work, so we suggest using well-made, ergonomic furniture that is actually designed for office work. There are lots of options online; just Google ‘ergonomic office furniture’ to see lots of affordable chairs, desks and lights!
4. Embrace Natural Light
Creating a home office with lots of natural light will help you to feel energized and motivated, but that isn’t all. Natural light will also provide you with vitamin D, which boosts your mood and helps you to sleep at night. All of these factors will help to improve your work ethic, so open the curtains and let in some sunlight whenever you are working!
Of course you should also use artificial light to ensure you can see properly throughout the day, but be aware that most artificial lights won’t provide you with vitamin D. Ideally you should use a combination of both natural and artificial light to get the most out of every working day.
5. Don’t Forget To Add Personal Touches
Finally you should add some personal items that motivate and inspire you. This could be an inspiring quote, or it could be a plant that provides your workspace with fresh oxygen. Whatever helps to put you in the right mood for a challenging day of work! Did you like these tips? If so, click here to discover even more useful work from home tips
