Whether you need a place to catch up on office work, do some homework, or if you work from home, it’s crucial to have a workspace. With all the distractions of your house, it’s important to set up a space where you can be productive. Read on to learn some of the tricks to having a productive workspace at home.
If done right, the Harvard Business Review reports that working from home can actually boost productivity by about 13%. And at the same time reducing work stress and employee turnover. To make working from home work for you, try these tips from apartment pros at rentable.
Designate the Space
Having a separate space for work helps to get your mind in the game more quickly than, say, working from your couch. Simply due to distractions. There’s probably a TV right in front of you. By designating a specific space to work, your brain will associate it with work and productivity. And, more importantly, you will have everything you need to work within easy reach.
The space could be almost anywhere. You can turn a garage or even a shed into a home office. Just work with what you’ve got.
That means no running around the house trying to find a stapler and then getting distracted by the dishes. Being in your designated workspace also signals to roommates or kids that you’re busy and shouldn’t be interrupted.
Choose Abundant Lighting
As appealing as it might sound to work in a comfortably dim room, with just a lamp’s cozy glow, poor lighting heightens the risk of eye strain. Natural light, if an option, is great for boosting productivity, but bright bulbs will do the trick to ensure the brightest spot in the room isn’t your computer screen.
Stay Organized
Regardless of where you’re working, an organized space is key to productivity. Clear out the old coffee cups, file necessary papers, and shred unnecessary ones. Also, don’t let your computer desktop turn into an amalgam of everything you’ve worked on in the past year.
Adjust the Temperature
If a lot of your job is keyboard-related, a Cornell University study linked colder temperatures to a higher incidence of keystroke errors. One benefit of a productive workspace at home is that you can adjust the temperature to whatever is best for you.
Don’t Shy Away from Decor
Feel free to hang pictures on your walls and bring plants into your office. After staring at a computer screen, your eyes need a break, so having other things around your workspace to look at will help fight strain. Besides just boosting aesthetics, plants also improve your indoor air quality.
