Over the course of the last year, many of us have gotten used to working from home. And that’s not all. In addition, freelance workers are projected to make up the majority of the workforce in the U.S. by 2027. Considering that countless people are going to be working from home for the foreseeable future, some home office upgrades might be necessary. Here are a few tips to help you craft your home office to prioritize productivity.
Find Your Light
When it comes to being productive, reducing stress is key. It might not seem like it, but natural lighting can actually help reduce stress. In fact, research shows that simply looking at natural scenery and natural light can help decrease stress levels. When you want to maintain good productivity, you need to make sure you have the right light in your home office. If possible, situate your desk near a window so you can take advantage of the natural light and of the view. One hour of sunlight is equivalent to almost a year’s worth of energy for the planet — imagine what it could do for your daily productivity. Even if you’re not facing a window or another natural light source for the whole day, a few minutes here and there is better than nothing. In addition, it’s a good idea to have your interior lights mimic natural light as much as possible. Not only can this help improve productivity, but it can be better on your eyes.
Add Natural Elements
One of the downsides of being in a corporate office is the lack of natural scenery. As we mentioned previously, nature can help reduce stress and increase productivity. That means it’s important to incorporate a few natural elements into your home office. If you’re not sure where to start, fresh flowers can be a great jumping-off point. And since almost 86% of people say receiving flowers makes them feel special, you can even consider it as a little gift to yourself. If a simple vase of fresh flowers isn’t doing it for you, consider adding a few houseplants to the mix. Not only will these plants give you something nice and natural to look at, but they may also help improve the smell and air quality in your home office space. Spider plants, peace lilies, and bamboo palms can be excellent air filtering additions to any home office space.
Make Room for Two
If more than one person in your household is working from home, creating a home office space where you can work together just might be the best thing you can do for your productivity. Working in close proximity to another person doing work can make it that much easier to stay on task during your workday. Not only that, but you’ll have someone to socialize with when you need to take a short break instead of scrolling through social media on your phone. As long as you have enough space in your home office for more than one workstation, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider a coworking space for your home. If space is a concern, opting for a more minimalistic design can give you a project to work on and an opportunity to craft the ideal workspace for you and your other working housemate.
Creating a home office can be an exciting project to work on. When you want to design your space with productivity in mind, don’t hesitate to put a few of these tips to good use.