Four ways to decorate your home office to help boost productivity
With many people now working from home, it can be a bit harder to focus solely on work when there are several distractions in the home.
The key to maintaining work productivity is to have your workspace feel and function as if it were an actual office at your job. Home is where you relax from work, so if your workspace still feels like “home”, it’ll be harder for you to focus.
Even though you have the luxury to work in your pyjamas, you can still spruce up your workspace to give the illusion of actually being at work. Here are four ways you can make your workspace work for you and not against you.
1) Be conscious of the layout
Some remote workers have an extra room in their homes to turn into a home office, while others have to create a shared space for work and other activities. Whatever the case may be, it’s important that that space is designated for work-only purposes as much as possible. Business studies have found that private offices contribute to employee productivity, so try to create as much privacy as possible in your home workspace.
Another thing you’ll want to keep in mind when planning the layout of your workspace is movement. Being crammed into one spot for hours at a time isn’t good, whether you’re working from home or in an office. Make sure you have enough room to move around and also get up from your desk occasionally to move around. This will give you both a physical and mental break from work, allowing you to recharge and refocus.
2) Get creative
What’s a better excuse to paint the walls in your home? When decorating your home office or workspace, you can paint the walls new and exciting colors. The psychology of color is a real thing, as different colors evoke different emotions from us.
- Red is best suited for social areas, though it can increase mental energy.
- Orange promotes mental stimulation.
- Yellow boosts positivity and feelings of happiness.
- Green promotes creativity and is associated with growth and balance.
- Blue is associated with intellect, relaxation, and productivity.
- Purple is almost always associated with royalty.
- White means cleanliness and purity.
- Black commands authority, gives mystery, and is associated with luxury.
Of course, these are just generalizations and they aren’t always universal. For example, around the world colors mean different things, and certain life experiences can influence how one views a certain color. Go with a color scheme that helps you feel focused.
3) Include nature
If you have windows in or near your workspace, don’t be afraid to open them up and let in some natural light. Natural sunlight is an excellent source of vitamin D, which helps to boost mood and increase happiness and focus. Natural light is also helpful to our body’s circadian rhythm, letting us know that now is the time for work and when it gets dark it’s time to sleep— which may even help you sleep better at night.
Studies have noted how plants are good for both our physical and mental health, and garden offices are becoming a popular thing— especially for remote workers. Plants filter the indoor air, helping us to breathe better; they increase productivity and creativity; and they also reduce stress and even noise levels. They certainly brighten up a boring workspace, allowing you to feel more joy as you work.
4) Purchase fun office essentials
Who says that your home office has to be boring? Now’s the time to purchase that cool office desk you’ve always wanted, and/or that comfortable desk chair. You can also include floating shelves on your walls to hold your documents and supplies, and even color-code your files the way you want to. You can also purchase a customer calendar (for your desk and the wall), and even a planner to make scheduling and organizing your meetings and deadlines a little more fun. Make your office and your office supplies reflect you.
Working from home doesn’t have to be boring, and neither does working in general. When you’re working in a space you love, you’re more likely to be productive.
