Are you working from home more now than ever before? Is your makeshift home office – which was fine for the odd day here and there – no longer suitable due to your increased work-from-home hours? It may be time to transform your home office to make it more comfortable, improving your productivity in the process.
A good workplace is not just about having the right tools; it’s also about how you experience it. We can help you with a home office overhaul; read on to turn your dated home office into a modern space where you can produce your best work.
Ensure your office is single-purpose
While we know your home office is a part of your home, you should treat it like your workspace and keep it that way. There are no piles of laundry in your office at work, so ensure your home office doesn’t become a storage area for other things as well. Keep your home office strictly for your work, and ensure the things in there are related to the work you are doing.
This helps keep home and work life separate and declutters your office space. It can also help you calculate accurate budgets for office supplies and manage your “office hours.”
This is not to say that you shouldn’t have photos, art, or collectibles that help you inject your personality and interests into your home office for visual appeal; just make sure that your desk doesn’t double as the kid’s craft table.
Get rid of the clutter
As a follow-on from the above point, clutter is a great motivation killer, and it also builds up. Clutter negatively impacts our mental health, distracts us, and causes a loss of productivity. If the clutter in your office is starting to overwhelm you, spend some time clearing it away.
Open up your space
Tight workspaces are uncomfortable. Clear unnecessary furniture and other items to open up your office space and create more space to work. This is also important for anyone who may have clients visiting; ensure they are able to sit comfortably without feeling like they are meeting you in an elevator.
Add some greenery
Plants in the office have always been considered beneficial to work environments, and your home work environment is no exception. Plants in the workplace can also increase productivity, reduce stress, and create a general sense of well-being – plus, they look really good and clean the air!
Replace your lighting
Consider some new lighting if your home office is dark or struggling for natural light due to a lack of windows. This is also vital if you spend a lot of time staring at a screen. Incorrect lighting leads to strained eyes, which can cause headaches, blurred vision, and even neck and shoulder pain.
If you do have a lot of windows in your home office, allow as much natural light in as possible!
Update or decorate the walls
It is easy to change the aesthetic of your office without taking out a new mortgage with shiplap alternatives. Shiplap is basically a wooden board that can be easily installed to drastically change the feel and look of a room.
Invest in a quality office chair
While you don’t have to spend a lot, you should invest in a quality office chair that is ergonomically beneficial for you. The wrong chair can make you feel cramped, sore, or uncomfortable, leading to poor posture and negative pressure on your spine and joints. Investing in your comfort when working a lot of hours in front of your computer is really vital to keep your productivity constant.
You could place a neck pillow or a cable organizer and have them custom-made like a personalized desk mat to spruce up your desk a little bit with comfort. If you spend around eight hours a day in a chair, you want to make sure it’s a good one!
Go digital with everything
Cloud storage has many benefits, one of them being how easy it is to increase the amount of office space you have significantly. Get rid of the hard copies and scan them for storage in your cloud service. This is an easy way to create more space and ensure your office is less cluttered with custom framing and others.
Use vertical storage
Vertical storage is a great way to get more out of small spaces. It’s simple and inexpensive and will really open up the room, making it more inviting while also being a functional way to store things.
Create a space that works for you
Transforming your workspace is all about determining what is working and what is not. Evaluate the space, find a good painting service to refresh the look of the room, and think about how you want to feel when you “go to work.”
Make sure you set the time aside to implement the necessary changes and make your home office represent you. It will be well worth it, trust us!
