Five ways you can create a mindful workspace at home

Interiors

Many companies stress the importance of mindfulness to their employees, on top of making it a priority to create the most comfortable, human-centric and inspiring work space.

With more and more businesses investing in employee happiness, offices are not bleak spaces filled with banks of desks anymore – but rather lively environments where people’s minds flourish.

But what if you work from home? How can you turn your home office or workspace into a productivity-boosting space too?

Recent research carried out by Carpetright explored how our homes affect the mind, and what we can do with them to improve mental well-being.

If you want a mindfulness boost in your workspace, then check out these five tips on making your home office work with your mind.

1) Bring the outdoors in

The least invasive way to switch things up in your workspace is by introducing houseplants. With their air-purifying benefits, beautiful colours and hundreds to choose from, plants are proven to have a positive effect on productivity.

Mark McCance, director of indoor plant experts Hortology say that “having plants in work situations such as a home study, has been shown to improve memory, creativity and accuracy”.

They are also shown to have been linked with “improved wellbeing, optimism, calmness and a sense of stability, reduction of stress and anxiety. Including plants in your home office seems like a given. If you fancy an easy care plant, chose something like Kentia Palms or Dragon Trees. 

2) Introduce more natural materials

Following the theme of bringing the outdoors in, introducing more natural materials in your home also brings more benefits into your workspace.

Marjut Wallenius, PhD an environmental psychologist, researched the effects of wood in living spaces. She states that “wood reduces stress in a person and has a calming effect” – a great effect to have in a home study.

By introducing furniture pieces made from natural wood and stone, we are offsetting the human-made parts of our homes and bringing our mind to pleasurable emotional experiences associated with natural materials.

Dr Wallenius goes on to state that some of these positive experiences are “proximity to nature, warmth” and “homeliness”.

3) Stimulate your five senses

Another great way to add relaxing vibes to your workspace is with items like scented candles, soft fabrics and your favourite colours.

These things are all linked to your senses, so stimulating them with things you find pleasurable is bound to improve your workflow and overall feeling of Zen.

For example, using lemon scents in a workspace can stimulate your mind and boost your energy, whereas scents based on lavender are bound to make you feel more wound-down and relaxed.

The same goes for colours, where hues of orange and red evoke more energetic emotions within you, but cooler tones of blue or green make us feel serenity and peace. Tailor sensory stimulants to what your mind finds the most pleasurable and your home study could be your new peaceful oasis.

4) Clean your home (and clear your mind)

Keeping your home study tidy will take a stress load off your mind, especially when you need to focus on working.

There are simple solutions that will help you avoid a mess lingering over your head. Keeping documents in folders, a desk tidy, or even a few shelves around your workspace will help your mind out when it needs to perform at its peak capacity.

You can read advice to help you keep your workspace clear and ordered in these articles:

5) Make it about you

No space can be called your own unless it’s exactly how you, yourself, want it to be. Whether you are a fan of shabby chic furniture, minimalistic living or love an organised mess, when creating a work space that boosts your mental wellbeing, you should focus on what really matters to you and what makes you the happiest!

Looking for more advice on working from home? Check out this article on helping you balance home working and parenting.

Photo by Pineapple Supply Co.