Hi darlings,
In a blink of an eye, February is gone and it's March! For those of you who work from home, that's great but when working at home, it is imperative that you separate your work and personal life. Even though the initial aim is to separate work and pleasure, a careful balance has to be made to come up with a compelling blend since the office will still be in your home. If you are yet to owning your own property, its important to check your future home on how much distractions are there in your workspace. You sure don't want to be too comfy that you get unproductive. Here are some tips on making your home workspace comfy yet encouraging you to be productive :)
Update Your Technology
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Old gadgets may be slowing you down especially where you are communicating with others who have current technology. Regular system crashes, and loss of data can have an adverse effect on your moods and set you back in your work. Update your hardware, communications systems, antivirus and the software. Backup your sensitive information offsite or in the cloud in case of burglary or any damage.
To work at home efficiently, you need to install updated technology that can be relied upon to make your work as easy as possible. Frequent technical faults with your computer can result in a lot of downtime and loss of money. One of my biggest peeves is when my laptop crashes when I'm getting some work done or how many of you have experienced waiting for a program to launch and it takes forever? It sure makes me just want to shut down my laptop and do something else.
Equipment
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Even though efficiency is critical in your home office, you must take care not to overcrowd the office with large machines like a heavy duty color copier. There is no need to buy equipment that you will only use occasionally. Integrate your office in a way that you can work from your desktop and laptop just the same and even print from your smartphone with ease. Install a desk that you can work on when standing or sitting for the added flexibility. This can significantly improve your creativity and thinking ability. Standing desks are amazing especially for me because sitting for long period can seriously give you back problems plus girls... sitting down all day can make you get a huge bum and well no one wants to look heavy at the bottom ;)
Have a separate phone line to ensure an incoming business call does not get a busy signal or gets picked by any other family member. Give the phone capabilities like messaging, speaker and conferencing functions. It is best to separate your phone line so you don't mix it up with personal calls and also you can give yourself a break from work when you have two separate lines.
Do not forget to insure your home office equipment against disaster or loss; this will give you the much-needed peace of mind.
Lighting
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Lighting is probably one of the crucial elements that will affect your productivity. If your property has windows then you are lucky, use this to allow in natural light that is the most evenly balanced for a refreshing workspace. And since sunlight illuminates the interior according to the color or the room and the way it’s refracted on the earth’s surface at each time of day. If you cannot get enough daylight, install a high-quality light in your office. This will also help early in the morning or for late night working. I love natural lighting so if you are able to have a nice glass window just by your workplace, it would be great. Of course, install some curtains or blinds so you don't get scorched by the mid-day sun.
Checkout daylight replicating lights if you have little or no daylight for instance if your office is in the basement or windows are blocked by another building. Fitting dimmer switches can help you control the lighting depending on your needs. Low lighting levels can cause psychological issues like damp moods, depression or inability to think clearly. And don’t place overhead lighting above your computer screens as it can cause glare that can cause strain on your eyes.
Privacy
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Working at home can be a challenge if you have people making noise and popping into your office all the time. Ensure your home office is well planned to afford you adequate privacy as you work. You may opt for headphones to isolate the environmental sounds but who wants to wear them the whole day. You can also invest in a portable screen to help shift your work from interfering activities. Consider using a bookcase to divide the space that creates your home office while also act as storage.
Using low fans and air filters can help muffle surrounding sounds especially when they operate at quiet speeds. Consider including signage on the door if you have one to inform others that this is a private space meant for work.
Organizing your space
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Design and implement the office layout in a way that will serve you perfectly depending on your personality, habits and the space available. The way you organize papers, books, computers, desks among other options can make your office easy to navigate and work in. There are very many storage options for the office, and any of them can help you organize while decorating your desk and cabinets.
As much as you want to make money and work as efficiently as possible, you also need to consider your comfort and health. Choose desks, seats, and computers that subscribe to ergonomics. When you work seated at a comfortable desk, you can work longer without harming your posture of experiencing back and neck pain. Consider investing in ergonomic chairs if you work for long hours
When working from your property, you have the freedom to make it appear as comfortable as possible. You can make your home office look so nice you want to work in it all the time.
Colors
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Cool colors like violets, greens, and blues bring relaxation and peace. As much as they help you relax when stressed, they can lull you to sleep, and you don’t want this to happen. Dominant colors like bold green bring restful emotions, and when mixed with yellow edges, you bring vitality into the office. They also positively impact your energy levels as you work. Red stirs energy and can create excitement but should be used only as an accent in your home office.
Consider accents of purple to stir your imagination and when skilfully mixed with cool and warm colors, they create the desired response that encourages focus and concentration. And if you want an office space on your property that does not distract at all then white, gray or ivory are your colors. They are neutral and can be combined with a variety of colors to bring out different end results. The color combinations do not follow a particular formula but are at the discretion of the occupant.
Hide whatever you don’t want to see
You don’t want cords running across the floor and walls of your office. If you don’t like the look of your office printer then hid it so you only see it once in a while when you have to print. Hide it in the closet with the files you don’t regularly use.
Go Green
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Personalize the space to reflect your personality so that you desire to work from it. Place a favorable photo or object that you can look at during your short breaks from work. Make it reflect your personality as much s you can without overdoing it. Connect your office with your spirit and person to make you more productive. Make it a place to focus and not a room that distracts you from your active work. Make it a place you want to spend your time at to positively influence you as you work.
I hope these tips are beneficial to you sprucing up your home office.
Til next time,
xoxo
Miriam
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