Home Office Ideas that Boost Productivity
Ironically the concept of this blog post was formulated prior to the coronavirus epidemic that has plagued the world. At the posting of this blog, most of us have been conducting our daily work in our home office or dedicated space due to orders by our government officials to social distance and minimize the spread of the disease. Some of us have become extremely productive as a result of having less disruptions at home than the office. Others have more disruptions at home: the refrigerator distance from the desk, kids running around, Amazon packages ringing at the door. Regardless of the home office situation, we have some ideas that might boost productivity.
1) The right seat! Have you ever been in excruciating pain mid workday? Well that is probably due to poor posture as a result of your seating arrangement at your workstation. Ergonomics sounds like an early 2000s term but it is extremely important to your well-being. The idea behind how your shoulders, hips, and legs are poised affects your joints and muscles. Even low-level pain will contribute to irritation and we all know how well our relationships at work and home go when we’re irritated.
Investing in the right chair is an investment well worth your comfort and happiness. If a new chair isn’t in the cards for you right now, there are plenty of lumbar pillows, seat cushions, and top desk solutions available.
Some of our favorite desk chairs are:
https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/office-chairs/caper-multipurpose-chair/
2) Storage Having items on your desk that you are not using can be a distraction and a nuisance. Ever heard of spilled coffee? Tucking away items that are temporary will cut down on you looking at it wondering if you need if every 30 seconds.
If you are opting out of built in cabinetry, these are great options:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/lommarp-cabinet-with-glass-doors-dark-blue-green-40383737/
3) The right lighting Check out our blog on lighting from earlier this year “What do you see” on more information about how to correctly layer your home with lighting. For now, we’ll say that using a task lamp can be incredibly helpful to your work area. Hours of squinting and straining can lead to headaches and hours of work lost. If you can, place yourself next to natural light to give yourself an added bonus of Vitamin D to uplift your spirit!
Some of our favorite task lights include:
https://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/collections/anglepoise-lamp-type-75
https://www.circalighting.com/huxley-swing-arm-desk-lamp-tob3739/
4) Furniture Placement The right furniture placement is vital to the overall flow of the room. Is your printer in an accessible place? Is your desk facing a wall? Are there extension cords everywhere? There are a lot of details to think about when placing furniture in a room. A great way to find the right placement is to move things around and try a couple of days in a new set up. Another thing you can ask yourself is what furniture pieces can go or what is missing?
Great Places to explore furniture layouts are:
www.houzz.com
5) Décor How can an interior design firm go on without talking décor? A lot of office environments tend to become sterile and devoid of personality or color and employees have negative associations as a result. A few simple items of décor can improve your mood and productivity. A photo of your family might remind you of why you need to continue to work so hard. A piece of art can deliver a mental break, stepping outside that Outlook calendar and into a shady forest. Beautiful drapery can be admired and boost your positivity on your next work call. Surrounding yourself with items that inspire joy can also spark creativity in solving your next roadblock at work.
We find that these sites are great places for affordable décor:
https://www.westelm.com
We hope these tips help with your productivity in your home office and maybe even spill into other parts of your life!