Working has its own advantages like flexibility of setting your own schedule, saving time and money to commute and allowing you to start the business with minimal overhead. Setting up a creative home office flourishes productivity and improves efficiency. A work environment inside the house creates thoughts to bloom, a healthy atmosphere invigorates and distractions are minimized by separating the personal space with that of office space.
Use the following tips to create a workplace environment in the home for serious productivity and creativity:
1. Incorporate your own style
Whether you’re starting your own business, or conducting business occasionally from your home office or you work from home full time, making design decisions about your workstation flourishes productivity as well as health and happiness. Before hiring an interior designer to create a workstation, think about your personal style. Does your style include art decor, urban decor, shabby chic or modern country. What items inspire you in your workplace? Is it natural plants, bonsai or aesthetic sculptures! Do personal keepsakes keep you motivated and happy?
Create a detailed list of things you need in your home office. These individual touches will make you comfortable in your work space which will boost productivity and improve efficiency.
2. Apply Principles of Feng Shui when positioning your desk
If your workstation is making you sluggish instead of energized, then you need to reconsider rearranging your workspace according to Feng Shui practices. Feng Shui practice is a spatial arrangement and energy balance for optimum layout and design. The Chinese have been utilising it for 6000 years and counting! Feng Shui practitioners believe that positive energy flows of good chi and energy levels are negatively affected. It’s important to keep your desk at a commanding position, as per Feng Shui Theory. This ensures that your desk isn’t near the door and your back doesn’t face the door. The best position is to place the desk diagonal to the room’s entrance with you facing the door. Keep a strong backing place behind you, such as a solid wall.
3. Utilize the color Green in your home office
Choosing the right color for your home office can boost the productivity and energy levels. As per Feng Shui, green color is associated with growth and decisiveness. It brings the feeling of clam and awakens creative performance. If you don’t wish to get a green office, then at least paint a wall with green. Plants and other accessories are also an excellent addition for introducing green in your home office.
4. Include natural light and proper lightning in your home office
Even natural light and higher lightening levels may boost productivity. When working from home, you have the luxury to decide your office to be located with more daylight. Locating an office from where the natural light comes in is a great way to boost productivity. Windows that face towards the south give abundant sunshine especially during winters. Improper lightning may cause drowsiness and eye fatigue that hinders productivity. So, it’s important to choose a room for your office with enough daylight and suitable lighting.
5. Incorporate a standing desk
Did you know? Standing desks is not just a trend but can also improve productivity. Sitting during the day for a longer time can decrease productivity significantly because of obesity, cardiovascular issues and our relaxed frame of mind while sitting. Alternate sitting with a standing desk throughout the day to avoid back pain or foot pain. You can also add a table top to the standing desk that sits on the top of the traditional desk.
6. Clear your home office of clutter
When your work space is free from clutter, you can think clearly. Simply get rid of things that you don’t need. There are many organizing products to keep the things that you don’t need everyday. Make use of filing cabinets, holders, decorative baskets etc. These products are both pleasing to the eyes and functional. Hence, organized and attractive spaces improves your productivity and happiness.
7. Ensure your home office is a dedicated and private space
Distractions from your family, pets and television may hamper your productivity. You may have experienced while taking a meeting call at home and suddenly your kid enters the room or your pet starts barking. You may want to consider a quiet space that allows you some privacy. It’s a hindrance and decreases productivity of the entire team at the conference. Hence, a private office at home is a necessity. Set up your home office at the quietest area of your home. Place a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign board during the audio/video calls and ask family members for some privacy.
8. Improve your home’s air quality
As per a research, it is observed that the spaces with green environment with better air quality have higher productivity compared to those working in airtights environments with poor air quality. To improve the air quality, you can use indoor plants, keeping your work environment clean, letting fresh air come in through windows and using ceiling fans to improve air quality.
