In recent years it’s been more and more commonplace for people to work for home. The development of communications and the internet means that it’s gradually becoming less and less essential to come into the office. One argument that occurs time and time around this subject, however, is how productive one can actually be when they are working from a home office space.
Are employees who work from home are more productive than those who work in an office, or do those who work from home get more done? It’s largely personal and dependant on the individual, but one thing that does make people more productive at home is the lack of noise and distraction. This simply is because of the quiet working environment allowing more productivity.
However, a quiet working home environment isn’t always as easy to achieve as it seems. Here are 6 top tips on how to make your home office a more productive environment:
Seek out the peace and quiet.
While many may need noise in the background to get things done, others find any kind of noise disturbing. This is why keeping away from any distractions – televisions, social areas etc. – is the way forward. By doing this you are allowing yourself to focus solely on the work that needs to be done and you are much more likely to be productive.
Think about your seat.
You may think that your choice of seating is not of any importance, however being comfortable while you work is vital, especially if you are spending the majority of your time sitting down. Statistics show that nearly 90% of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives and when you don’t pay attention to your back, the desk chair can take a toll on your mood, health and consequently your work productivity.
Look at your lighting.
People often forget to take note of the lighting in their working environment and this can have consequences. The best way to ensure good natural lighting in your workspace is to position yourself near windows – allowing as much sunlight as possible. Research has shown that people often feel lethargic during winter months. This being because there is less natural sunlight, therefore, it is imperative to have as much artificial lighting during these times as possible.
Keep your tech updated.
When working at home, it is important to keep your tech up to date and reliable as it is your best accomplice. Experiencing frequent technical faults can be extremely frustrating and one of the main reasons that people who work from home experience stress. Keeping stress to a minimum is a key to success, therefore ensuring you have reliable tech will ideally minimise stress levels and boost productivity. In addition to this, technical issues can cause large expenses if things go severely wrong so save yourself unnecessary costs and conduct regular maintenance checks on all of your devices. Obviously, if you have various technical devices in your home office you’ll need Contractors Insurance to ensure security and peace of mind for your company.
Incorporate your own personal touch.
Despite aiming to maintain a neutral professional home office. You should also aim to include your own personal touch for inspiration. Having things such a paintings, plants, decors, photographs etc. should improve your mood and allow for a positive working environment. If your work requires you to do a lot of creative thinking then ensure to incorporate things that will help you spawn ideas and capture them such as a sketch or doodle pad. The decor itself, as well as the furniture and scents, can also have a large impact on your mood so make sure you put plenty of thought into them both.
Go back to basics
Go back to basics and simplify your office. Having a complicated workspace can be overwhelming and confusing making work life more stressful. Keep your area clean and minimalistic. This should prevent procrastination as having too much to organise around you leads to time being spent on organising your space rather than doing work. Additionally, keep your desktop clear with minimal apps and files that you are working on open. This will allow you to keep a clear head – preventing distraction.
Experimentation is key, so have fun with it and explore all of the possibilities when attempting to create your own perfect home office. It may seem time-consuming and hard to find the best office for you, but sticking at it and exploring different layouts and organisation methods will inevitably help you in the long run!