Because of the COVID-19 epidemic and lockdown, most businesses now have staff who work from home. Except for those who offer essential services, most employees are increasingly getting a taste of what it’s like to work remotely.
In fact, a Harvard Business Review study found that those who work from home while adhering to their regular office schedule get more done. Why? Employees reported that the tranquility of their houses helped them be more efficient.
Working from home might increase productivity since you have the opportunity to design your own workspace. In an office, you simply have your desk to decorate and customize. You have total control over your environment when you are at home.
Your coworkers stop by your desk to talk or invite you out to lunch, preventing you from getting important work done. Your biggest distracting enemy when you’re at home is that you may become drowsy since there is no one observing you, which reduces the pressure to be productive.
While there are several benefits to having an office space that is not limited by physical borders, creating the appropriate environment for oneself can be tough. From reducing distractions, including nature to using curtains and having perfect lighting, here are some pointers that could assist:
1. Make a Specific Work Area
Having a separate workplace is essential, especially if you work from home. Because it is easy to become distracted by the TV, your bed, or other distractions in your home, having a designated work area will help you stay motivated and focused. If you want to work from the beach, a coffee shop, or other unusual locales, you may easily establish a remote office bag setup.
You can fit all of the things you need to accomplish remote work in a single backpack, such as computers, earbuds, microphones, keyboards, laptop risers, mouse, external hard drives, and so on. With this, you may move your remote office to wherever you choose.
This area should ideally have less footfall, receive abundant natural light, be spacious, cozy and personal to you.
2. Set Boundaries with Family and Friends
You shouldn’t let your professional life go on hold just because you work from home. Setting boundaries with loved ones is crucial so they are aware of when you are free and when you are not. This might be challenging, particularly if they see you working in your jammies.
3. Setting Up the Right Curtains
Curtains are one component of an office, living room, or another area that relieves stress and soothes the mind. Having quality custom roman shades surrounding your workspace boosts efficiency.
Whether it is custom curtains or roman shades, the most important benefit that they have is temperature and light control. Curtains manage the light in your workplace or any workstation, whether it is from the sun or artificial illumination from outside. Curtains would also keep your office toasty in the cold.
You may change even the dullest of spaces into warm, vibrant, beautiful-looking rooms for your day-to-day use by selecting the perfect design that complements your working environment, especially since bespoke curtains provide various designs than any other consumer product of the same function.
Some tasks must be kept private. Blackout curtains give us a feeling of safety from the outer world. Putting our thoughts at peace while performing our activities should boost our productivity on a daily basis.
4. Enhance Your Workspace with Plants and Scents
A plant may assist you to introduce fresh air to your desk while also providing your eyes with a visually pleasant reprieve from your computer screen. Cactus plants and succulents are low-maintenance alternatives.
Adding a pleasant aroma to your desk might help you complete more tasks. Certain essential oils have been shown to increase productivity while working from home. A smell containing peppermint, for example, can offer an energy boost; other aromas, such as rosemary, help attention, allowing you to perform activities more quickly and accurately. A sweet orange smell might assist you to combat anxiety if you are suffering from it.
5. Clear Out Your Desk
It’s evident that rummaging through additional papers and pens slows you down, but what should you have on your desk? Not much at all! While sticky notes might be useful, additional books, heaps of paper, or half-empty cups of coffee can significantly reduce your productivity, not to mention your attention. Giving yourself room to work helps you to have space for thought as well.
6. Avoid Distractions
It is quite easy to get distracted by the environment around us when working in our new mobile culture, especially while working remotely. Maintaining a clutter-free remote office environment, free of things like discarded receipts, takeout containers, and other things not essential to your workflow is one way to do this.
Apart from that, you can disable as many alerts as possible while working. You may use various focus mode options on your smartphone. You might also invest in applications that reward you for staying focused.
7. Make Yourself at Home
If you’re going to spend most of your days gazing at a screen, make sure your workspace is comfy enough for lengthy periods of time. Fortunately, there are several methods to make your desk more pleasant.
Improving your office for comfort might help you stay less stressed even when your workload becomes too great. This may involve purchasing a standing desk, wrist supports, laptop risers, or lighting.
We hope these tips will help you be more productive and achieve your daily and long-term goals more efficiently with an added touch of happiness.