Whether you’ve just started working from home or you’ve been a remote worker for years, making your home office work for you will increase your productivity. Having a home office that feels like a sanctuary will do more than improve your workflow, it’ll make you happier to be working!
Whether you work from your kitchen table or you have a designated room in your house to work, Colonial Van Lines has tips to make your workspace an area that inspires creativity and productivity.
Create a space that you actually like
The bland room you’ve been working in could perhaps use a touch of color. Not only for aesthetic reasons – for productivity reasons, too. Art in an office has been proven to boost productivity and creativity and lower stress and increase well-being.
Dr. Craig Knight studies the psychology of working environments; Knight told The Guardian:
“There is a real tendency to opt for sanitized, lean workspaces, designed to encourage staff to just get on with their work and avoid distraction,” he explains. But there isn’t a branch of science in the world which believes this approach boosts productivity or makes for happier workers, according to Knight. “If you enrich a space people feel much happier and work better; a very good way of doing this is by using art.”
This goes for home offices, too. It could mean hanging motivational posters, your favorite art, filling it with personal photographs, painting it a color you love, or combining all of these! The sky is the limit. Make sure to avoid cluttering your space with too many knickknacks that could get in the way and limit productivity.
So, decorate to your heart’s content and make your home office a place that inspires you and a spot you enjoy being in.
Choose a paint color using color psychology
A University of Texas study found that dull colors like gray, beige, and white induce feelings of sadness and depression.
Painting your walls blue inspires communication, trust, efficiency, and serenity. Green is also associated with calm and productivity. Yellow is known to help stimulate creativity. Unsure if you want to paint each of your walls? Try painting just one wall as an accent wall. Want to keep in mind your home’s resell value while painting? Learn more here!
Limit distractions in your home office
If you think you can watch “90 Day Fiancé” and remain productive, you’re either far more talented than most people or fooling yourself (it’s likely the latter).
If you have a TV in your workspace or work someplace where there’s a TV present, consider removing it or hiding the remote until you’ve completed your work for the day. This goes for game consoles, too.
If you’re worried that you won’t be able to resist the temptation, you can get yourself a time lock safe. You can put your remote, video game controller or whatever else may cause distractions in the safe for a set amount of time.
Pro:tip: Get some noise-canceling headphones
If you don’t have a space in your home to seclude yourself, noise-canceling headphones are key. With the right headphones, you can block out the world and focus on your work anywhere.
Make Your Home Office Inviting with the Power of Scent
Light up some candles or plug a diffuser in and get to work. Some popular invigorating scents include lemon for concentration, lavender for calm, jasmine for an uplifting calm, rosemary for a pick-me-up, cinnamon for mental fog, and peppermint for creativity. If you’ve got an essential oil diffuser, you can play around with scent combinations to find what works for you.
Add some foliage for a home office haven
Plants can add more to a workspace than an Instagrammable look. Plants can increase productivity by 15%. Green up your space with some easy-to-care-for houseplants like snake plants of ZZZ plants. Assess the light in your space to choose which houseplants would thrive under those conditions.
Declare your home office a clutter-free zone
A clean workspace will help to keep your mind clear. Get yourself some cabinetry and a desk organizer to stow your paperwork. This, along with a file system, will help you keep your office organized and make you look like you have it together during Zoom meetings. You can use some hand-painted mason jars to store your small office supplies for a rustic DIY. Read more of our cleaning tips here!
Shelves are also good to have in a home office. Not only do they look nice, but they also aid in organization.
Comfort is key in any happy home office
Don’t skimp on a cheap office chair. An office chair should be ergonomic and comfortable. Choose one that’s the right height and provides good back and arm support.
When it comes to your desk, you’ll want something big enough to fit your computer, office supplies, and a little bit of room to spread out.
Alternatively, you can opt for a standing desk to avoid the adverse health effects of sitting all day. Want to be able to sit or stand? There’s a desk for that. You can get a portable, adjustable desk here.
Brighten up your space
Keeping your workspace well-lit is essential. Natural light is always best if you have the option. If possible, set up your home workspace near a window. Numerous studies have shown that natural light in an office improves productivity and health. The benefits include reduced eye strain, fewer headaches, improved mood, and less drowsiness.
If you don’t have any natural light, fear not, desk lamps fitted with white incandescent bulbs can be used for a similar effect.
At Colonial Van Lines, we seek to provide helpful advice whether you’re moving or fully situated in your current home.
If you do happen to be in the process of moving and are looking forward to gaining an extra room so that you can stop working from the kitchen table, we’d love to help you move into the next chapter of your life. Get a free rate quote today and get one step closer to your dream home office.
