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More and more people are working from home. If you’re based at home, you can enjoy greater flexibility, but it can be difficult to adapt, especially if you’ve worked in an office for a long time or you’ve changed careers. One of the key elements to a seamless transition is to create a productive work environment. In this informative guide, we’ll share some top tips to help you design a new base that works for you.
Hack Your Home Work Environment: Tips for Peak Productivity
Set aside a dedicated space
The most important task to cross off the list is to set aside a dedicated workspace. This may include a home office, a guest bedroom, an attic room or a garden room, for example, or it may mean commandeering part of the kitchen or living room. Choose a quiet spot that offers privacy. Try to place your desk close to a window or door so that there is plenty of natural light and minimise distractions. If you don’t have an office, enhance the versatility of existing spaces. Dining rooms and spare bedrooms can easily double up as studies and studios.
Add office perks at home
If you’re used to an office, being at home may have many advantages, but there might also be downsides. Perhaps you miss the adjustable desk and comfortable chair, or you long for a quick visit to the local coffee shop en route in the morning. If there are things missing from your home work environment, add office perks at home. Take a look at bean to cup coffee machines for your kitchen or invest in comfortable furniture that provides the support you need. If you don’t want to splash out, it’s a great idea to look for second-hand items and compare prices online.
Minimise distractions
If you’ve discussed working from home with former colleagues, friends or relatives, the likelihood is that some people have told you they could never do it. This is often because there are more distractions at home. It can be hard to concentrate if you don’t have a separate office or you have children or pets, but it is possible to create a space that provides tranquillity. Keep your door closed while you’re working, resist the temptation to work in a sociable area of the house and set working hours.
During these hours, reduce the frequency with which you check your phone, ask other people around you to be quiet and block out noise with noise-cancelling headphones. If you have a set routine, you can work productively and make the most of your downtime.
Declutter
Clutter is an eyesore but it can also make it hard to focus and to find things that you may need to work efficiently and effectively. Declutter before you start work and have a quick tidy before you log off at the end of each day.
Working from home has become increasingly popular. Some people take to it like a duck to water, but others struggle to adapt. Creating a productive work environment is important for succeeding at home. Set aside a dedicated workspace, add the office perks you miss, try to minimise distractions and declutter before you start.
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