5 Tips to Maximize Productivity and Serenity in Your Work-From-Home Space

Working from home can be an adjustment for the employee who’s used to reporting to an office every day. But productivity doesn’t have to go down just because your routine has changed. In trying times when you need to work from home, stress can be avoided by creating a space that feels like your “office away from office”, in the comfort and convenience of your own home. Here are five tips to help maximize work productivity from home. 

1. Create Clean, Comfortable Conditions  

If you haven’t given much thought to furnishing and creating your home office or study, now is a great time to do so. Having a comfortable workspace enhances productivity and focus. Dr. Christine Bruckner is an architect and an authoritative voice on wellness in design. She says that one of the key elements of creating an effective workspace is “the physical properties of materials used from construction through furniture selection to ensure clean air and resilience.”  

 If you have a certain chair, lamp, or desk that allows you to feel empowered and at ease while at work, you should consider having these same items at home. This will create a sense of flow when working from home or at your place of work.  

 To minimize the spread of germs in your office space, choose surfaces and materials that are easy to disinfect with a simple wipe. Colored Cork, magnetic glass, and porcelain steel are all easy to sanitize. This will be important if you’re working at home due to illness in the workplace or with your family, especially when considering our social responsibility to avoid transmission to others.  

  2. Minimize Distractions  

Sticking to a routine while working from home will greatly aid in maintaining productivity. If you work with a master calendar at work, a notebook, or even post-its, use these tools at home to help manage your projects. 

Make time for breaks, as you would do while working in the office. Coffee, bathroom, outside time, and social media breaks can be a part of your day that help you stay connected and balanced. Just make sure that you’re limiting these breaks to between 5-10 minutes and coming back to work when you feel that you’re able to focus. 

Francesco Cirillo, creator of the Pomodoro Technique, suggests using a timer to take breaks in intervals throughout the day. This can help train your brain to remain focused and prevent getting overwhelmed with looming projects.  

 3. Choose Items That Inspire Creativity  

In her popular book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, author and consultant Marie Kondo dispenses sage advice. “Keep only those things that speak to your heart”. Home office decor should spark joy and creativity, inspiring you to do your best work.

Everything that goes into your space can either enhance your sense of well-being or diminish it. Choose colors and patterns that speak to you when choosing furniture for your home office. Be sure to adorn the walls and surfaces with works of art or family portraits to help you feel connected.  

 A Norwegian study found that plants in the workplace reduce headaches, congestion, skin problems, and improve air quality by lowering the amount of airborne toxins. An indoor plant in your home office will both help to purify the air and inspire a sense of peace and ease, making you feel closer to nature, especially if you have access to natural light.  

 4. Find Balance in Your Surroundings  

Being productive in your home office requires finding the balance between comfort and motivation. Sitting reclined or curled up on your couch may cause you to feel relaxed or even sleepy, while sitting in a hard chair may cause you to feel distracted and uncomfortable. 

When setting up your work-from-home space, think of Goldilocks. You’ll need a chair and desk that help you feel not too cozy and not too alert, but just right. Balance can be found with choosing the right chair, desk, and lighting fixtures. 

Consider a standing desk for your home office if you’re concerned about bad posture or low back pain. This will help reduce the strain put on your hip flexors and lumbar spine. Having ergonomically balanced office furniture will help you do your best work remotely by keeping you comfortable all day.  

 5. Utilize Available Technology to Stay Connected  

It’s nearly useless to work from home without the proper tools to do your job correctly. Your laptop, desktop, and phone will be necessities, along with any other methods for connectivity that you employ at work. 

Be sure to have top-of-the-line charging stations, internet access, and other tools you deem necessary to stay on task and in communication with coworkers. You don’t want to find yourself in an emergency situation where working remotely is necessary and you’re without your equipment. Your home office should feel like a duplicate of your in-person office as much as possible.  

 We Can Help...

Although changing routines due to unexpected circumstances can be disorienting, remote workers will find that adapting is accessible when there is  a backup plan in place. A comfortable home office will allow you to feel that you can move from office to home with ease when caring for yourself, a sick loved one, or if your office is temporarily closed. You and your employees deserve the best quality when it comes to your home office setup. Help your business continue to flourish by keeping yourself and your family members healthy, happy, and working, even from home.