With the hybrid and remote model of working becoming commonplace for many businesses, it is time for employees to start proactively ensuring that their new home office is designed for optimum productivity. Whilst a home office is definitely not the same as an open-space business office, employees can reinvent their home office to improve productivity.
5 tips that can help you boost your productivity in your home office
1. Improve the air quality in your home office
Offices, no doubt, can get rather stuffy sometimes – and in a small, enclosed space where there is only you? It can feel stifling. Whilst you could simply open a window to let some fresh air in, you can also simply purchase an air purifier, or, even better (and more eco-friendly), indoor living plants. Plants are a great way to improve air circulation within your office, and they add style as well.
2. Consider the lighting
Believe it or not, lighting is important in an office environment, with good lighting associated with employee productivity, wellbeing, and engagement. In fact, whenever possible, you should aim to utilise natural light, so it would be a good idea to arrange your desk to face the window, or at least use a room with a window. If this is not possible, cooler artificial lighting enables increased productivity, whereas warmer lighting may be useful for periods of break.
3. Declutter your desk
In order to be productive, you need to remove any distractions, and this means making your desk neat and tidy. A cluttered desk is likely to disrupt your work – especially if you’re trying to find a pen, but having difficulty due to all of the mess. As a result, you should clean up your desk, organising any stationery in a storage box for efficiency.
Consider a desk with storage units, or just a standard desk with sturdy table legs if you’d prefer to have deceivingly heavy storage boxes on top of the desk. A separate storage unit placed next to your desk could work too, allowing you to make the desk more multi-purpose.
4. Invest in an ergonomic office chair
You will probably find yourself sitting down for the majority of your work day, so it’s best to invest in an ergonomic office chair to ensure that you stay comfortable throughout. We say ‘invest’, because these office chairs are usually quite expensive – but they are, however, beneficial in the long run, so it’s a good idea to spend a little more on your office chair.
Particularly if you work from home most, or all, of the time, an ergonomic chair is a worthwhile investment for a productive home office.
5. Buy blue light glasses
Just as you’ll be sitting on an office chair all day, you will also be looking at a screen too. If you’ve been finding yourself slightly straining your eyes, constantly rubbing your eyes, or even experiencing mild headaches, it may be time to purchase blue light glasses.
Final Words
Blue light glasses filter out blue light emitted from devices which can mitigate eye fatigue and eye strain, helping you to be more productive. It may also be worth implementing the 20-20-20 rule – for every 20 minutes you spend gazing at a screen, take 20 seconds to stare at something 20 feet away.
You may also like to read: