The home office can sometimes get a bad rap. Many people find it difficult to retain focus and work efficiently when surrounded by the distractions of home life. Fortunately, a few simple tips can help transform your home office into a productivity pad. Read on to find how to make your home office more work-friendly.
Lighten Up
It is incredibly difficult to get any work done when direct sunlight is causing reflection and glare on your computer. It can also be difficult to find any motivation to work when stuck inside a dimly lit room. Proper lighting is therefore an essential component for any home office. To avoid the glare of sunlight on your screen, buy eyelet curtains and position your computer away from direct sunlight. For lighting that is conducive to productivity, purchase an adjustable floor or table lamp that can shine directly onto your work surface.
Stock Up on Supplies
When creating your home office it is important to ensure that you have all the supplies needed to efficiently complete your work. It is also essential to ensure that your supplies are regularly updated. One of the biggest killers of productivity is failing to have easy access to all of your essential tools. Regularly monitor your supplies to ensure that you won’t be running down to the shops for extra printer ink right in the middle of a tight deadline.
Separate Business and Pleasure
When working from a home office, it can be difficult to remain in ‘work mode’, especially if there are other people home during work hours. It is therefore essential to ensure that your home office is separated in some way from the rest of the family home. Ideally this would mean having a separate room in the house that is dedicated as a workstation. However, if this is not possible, it is important to setup your workstation as far away from popular shared areas. This means staying away from the kitchen and living room, where family members may frequently migrate towards throughout the day.
Embrace Ergonomics
Statistics show that the average person spends over 90,000 hours at work over the course of a lifetime. With so much time spent at work, it is vital to ensure that your office is designed in a way to support your overall health. This means less time off work because of injuries, and less time distracted by niggling aches and pains. Understanding and utilising ergonomic furniture and tools is therefore essential in order to mitigate the physical strains of working in an office.
Whilst ergonomic office furniture can carry a hefty price tag, it is possible to design a safe work space without breaking the budget. In fact, the four key rules to follow when designing your home office are the following:
Keep your computer screen at the correct height: Your computer monitor should be adjusted so that your eyes look slightly downward when viewing the middle of the computer screen. Therefore, raise or lower your monitor so that the top of the screen is at your eye level.
Find an ergonomic office chair: It is easy to find yourself spending hours a day cramped up in an office chair when under the pump of a deadline. It is therefore important to invest in a good quality office chair that will support your back and neck. An ergonomically-friendly office chair will have be easily adjustable for both height and tilt, provide strong back support and have swivel rotation.
Invest in the right desk: Finding the right desk for your workstation is important when designing a home office that is conducive to productive work. If you struggle with back pain and other movement restrictions, it is important to consult with your doctor to discuss what type of desk may be best for you. This may mean investing in a standing desk, or a desk that allows to adjust the height. Having ample leg room is important to increase productivity and mitigate workplace injuries. An adjustable desk ensures that you can raise and lower your workstation to provide for additional leg room.
~
It is important to invest in yourself when creating or upgrading a home office. A few simple tweaks and products can be the difference between a day spent distracted and fidgety, and a day spent kicking goals and getting work down. By following these simple tips you can ensure that your home office becomes your productivity pad.
