Potentially making your home a permanent home office space and need to customize this to not only look, but feel like a proper office? Well you have come to the right place! Listed below we go through 10 major reasons and must haves for the perfect home office space!
This means the design of your office space, whether you are working from home full time, or going into the office part time, and spending the remaining time within your living space- it is very important to have an office that motivates you!
- Don’t focus too much on the physical layout
- Create opportunities for movement
- Get a plant or two
- Give your gadgets a home
- Keep your space clean and fresh
- Make it personal
- Get an office sized diffuser
- Invest in yourself
- Get the right desk
- Protect sensitive documents
The design of your office is not just about Feng Shui, but also about its ability to produce focus, get results and meet deadlines. There have been studies made on workplace productivity; which found that the most significant factor in one's productivity in the office is their physical environment. It is said that a well-designed office space can increase your work productivity by about 20%.
1. Try not to focus too much on the layout:
- Generate excitement about your company's mission
- Use what you have
- Make the small extra room feel open
- Section off a space within your kitchen or living room
- Create a 'goals' board
- Pick a space with the most natural lighting
Physical space is important, it is essential to cultivate an atmosphere of productivity within your workspace by having your company's mission within sight, creating goals and encouraging fellow colleagues to motivate them! Creating a strong company culture which rewards effort and promotes company 'buy-in' will help set the tone for even a home office.
An open office space with natural lighting is critical, as people need a private yet boastful area in order to concentrate and take important phone calls and/or meetings. The layout should include a decent sized desk with storage and a place for items such as:
- Family photos
- Hand lotion
- Tissue box
- Diffuser
- A plant
- Pens, pencils, note pads
- A motivational quote or photo
- A place for your personal or work mug
Making that extra, small room in your home feel more open and appealing to the eye or sectioning off an area if this 'extra' room is not available- is key to creating a proper layout which will still feel like an office at its core.
2. Create opportunities for movement:
- Work desk exercises
- A space to get up and walk around, or move within
- Stretching
- A coffee break(s)
- A yoga mat for breaks
Most people will agree that when quick mini breaks, multiple times a day are taken it will provide a 'reset' in the brain, to gain a new perspective on a project they may be working on or, freshen their mind so they do not feel like the day has been non- stop since 7 am. Having a stand-to-sit or ergonomic desk, will assist in a healthier and happier worker, and therefore a more productive day.
These types of desks promote movement and therefore are essential to creating a 'livelier' work environment. Refueling every so often also helps the mind when that lack of motivation or creation wall is hit mid-day and getting up and moving or having daily 'mini' workouts, will help in assisting with health benefits and mental health! A workspace where you are not confined helps to promote a more confident home office, which will break up that 'stuck at home' feeling.
3. Get a plant or two:
- Grab a desk top plant if you are a beginner
- Level up to a floor plant
- Hanging plants for your natural office room lighting
- The succulent(s)
Houseplants are amazing for really making a room come alive! But have you ever considered the direct effects office plants can have? They are not just pretty for social media photos; they offer many health benefits including:
- Promoting clean air for breathing
- Promoting mental health benefits such as, clearing the mind
- Promotes better and deeper sleep
- Creates more productivity
- Cleaner air
- Energetic and stress reducing
Home office plants are one of the best things you can have surrounding you while you work under perhaps, extreme stressful work environments, if you are dealing with customer's all day whom have various issues at hand, or if you manage a team of employees all working towards a deadline or common goal. Regardless of the type of work you do remotely, it is important to have things around your office space which not only encourage you, but also help to reduce stress, promote good and sound sleep, offers clean air and gives you energy.
Some easy to take care of, health promoting, yet beautiful plants you can include in your home office are;
- The Snake Plant
- Dracaena Lisa (aka: Dr. Lisa)
- Heartleaf Philodendron
- Aspidistra Elatior
- Succulents
- Flowers
Being surrounded by plants in your home office helps to motivate employees and allows you to get creative by becoming more energetic. Some scientific studies have proven many positive effects on people whom have more greenery in their office!
4. Give your gadgets a home:
- Cell phones
- Tablets
- Smart devices
- Video games
As much as these devices are handy, convenient and fun; they are also distracting, time consuming and addicting. The best option and way to stay productive during your workday is to place these devices in a spot you know they will always be, close by yet staying exactly where they are and leaving them there!
With so much technology at our fingertips and so many screens grabbing and competing for our attention, it is no wonder focus on task(s) or motivation to complete work is heavily impacted. Give your devices a home where you can easily access them if needed, however can still get your work done without being constantly bombarded with notifications.
Having a dedicated drawer with a multi-functionable office desk will allow you to place your smart phone or tablet away inside, where you cannot see the screens lighting up- causing you distraction. What is out of sight, is indeed out of mind!
5. Keep your space clean and fresh:
- Clean up after you go through paperwork
- Dust
- Have an air freshener
- Wipe your desk down/ sanitize
- Place documents in locked drawers
- Don’t leave paper all over
If all you do is look at a mess on your desk and think about when perhaps you can clean this mess, then your mind is distracted, and you are probably not going to get a lot of work done. Each day take a couple of moments either before or after your shift, or even on a break to wipe down, clear, organize or toss out unimportant items.
An additional motivator and one which will assist in keeping your office clean, is to write down a 'to do' list. This provides a clear and motivating schedule which will help promote an active work environment and doesn’t waste any time.
Decluttering and placing your paperwork, items and/or documents away into drawers helps to keep your mind clear and zone in on your work at hand. This will allow you to view what you have accomplished in one day and what your list screenshots for tomorrow, in order to stay productive and start checking off goals!
6. Make it personal:
- Set up photos of family and friends
- Artwork which motivates you or emotionally connects you
- Motivational quotes
- A picture of where you wish to live eventually
- A personalized mug
- Your child's art and school accomplishments
When you personalize your space, any space- it creates an emotional and comfortable connection which allows you, to connect with your work. As long as the items do not clutter the space, as number 5 above mentions is unhealthy, then a few personal items can actually prove to be quite motivational!
As no employee is the same, find something which motivates, inspires or enhances your day and can therefore create a more focused work environment. Personal touches such as plants, photos or the ability to express one's self is highly beneficial and has proven to make people want, to be more productive, want to achieve goals and want to excel within their company.
7. Get an office sized diffuser:
- Promotes feelings of calm
- Improves clarity and focus
- Boosts your mood
- Promotes lifestyle changes to become easier while in transition
- Helps you relax, therefore stress reducing
- Helps clear airways for easier breathing
Diffusers offer many health benefits, yet also create a peaceful and calming pleasant-smelling ambience. They are completely affordable, with a wide range of options to purchase from and they improve your breathing, mind and mood.
A home office sized diffuser is perfect to breath in when working, and with so many different essential oil blends out there, you can choose one or many that are right for you and make your space personal, that much more. They promote healthier sleep patterns and relieve congestion, reduce stress, can be pain relieving and promote a sound mind of focus- to be more productive and motivated at work!
The top 7 essential oil blends for a home office will leave you feeling calm and refreshed;
- Rosemary (energizing)
- Citrus (refreshing and mood booster)
- Peppermint (reduces congestion and headaches/stress relieving)
- Lavender (calming and inspiring)
- Frankincense (reduces effects from asthma, helps with digestion)
- Basil (energizing, eliminates odor-causing bacteria, soothes headaches)
- Rose and sweet orange mix (calming, promotes clean breathing, soothing)
These are just a few options to choose from, there are so many different types of essential oils which can help promote many different things. Again, making this entirely personal and self-motivating!
8. Invest in yourself:
- Get the better desk
- Look for an office-specific chair
- Office supplies
- Promote comfort
Investing in a proper home office will assist with your motivation and work goals, seeing as you spend a usual minimum of 7.5 hours per day, five days a week (if you are full time) in the office then it is probably worth investing in yourself.
As much as it is tempting to grab a chair from the kitchen, sitting on one for many hours per day is a fast track way of having posture issues and back problems. Ergonomic office chairs provide the correct and proper back support you need, which just like a proper office desk, is worth investing in.
When you are looking for a proper office chair, consider the following:
- Height adjustable
- Built-in lumbar support
- Adjustable backrest and armrest
- Adjustable seat depth
- 360- degree swivel base
9. Get the right desk:
- Stand-to sit desk
- Ergonomic desk
- Correct layout for your space
- Storage and shelving
When looking for the right desk for your home office, it is important to consider the health benefits that come along with having, a proper desk. You want to not only fit the office space you have, but also have a desk that works well for your workflow, comfort and ability to store items and documents away.
Both sitting or standing all day can cause aches and pains, and even have some long-term health issues on the body. With a stand-to-sit desk, this allows you to interchange between the two options by the click of a button! Standing 6 hours per day in one study, resulted in a loss of 5.5 pounds of body fat a year and improved overall long-term health.
10. Protect sensitive documents:
- Get cabinets with locks
- An office desk with drawers
- Folders to keep organized
- Colour coordinated and labelled documents
We all know most, if not all work environments which can be taken home or brought to different areas for remote login time, can come with sensitive or even private documentation. Obtaining a proper office desk also includes one in which offers, locked drawers, shelving or cabinet spaces.
Colour coding and labelling your paperwork, helps to know and quickly grab a file of zero importance, all the way up to highly important- thus making your possibly shared workspace more private. This allows you to confidently work and protect your clients ongoing, from your daily remote home office!
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