Collaborative Post
Designing your home office is — or should be — about more than just how great it looks. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with channelling your inner interior designer and making the space look amazing, but you really need to think about functionality too.
A well-designed home office can help you to effortlessly boost your efficiency, so you can get more done in fewer hours and spend more time with your family…
Choose the quietest space
If you haven’t yet set up your home office, take my advice and choose the quietest corner of your home you can find; the place where you can’t hear the dog barking, the children playing football or the TV blaring is the place where you will be able to get the most done.
Ditch the clutter
Working from home? Have a desk full of papers, calendars, photo frames, lucky charms…whatever? Time to streamline your space and get rid of whatever isn’t necessary or truly meaningful to you. Why? Because the more cluttered your desk, the more cluttered your mind, and the less efficient you will be. A clean desk is an efficient desk. In fact, declutter the whole office and even the whole house — the less mess there is the more productive you will be!
Install a landline
Take a look at these telephones from liGO and choose one for your office. Why? Because although we now all have mobile phones and internet software like Skype and Zoom to stay in touch, tech can fail and having a simple phone as backup is a good idea if you want to be able to stay in touch with clients come what may. A cordless phone is best as it gives you the freedom to move around a bit.
Plants and Paintings
Are they really going to help you to be more efficient? Yes — plants and artworks have both been found to elevate the mood, aid concentration and boost productivity in the workplace. So if you’re serious about designing your home office for efficiency, you need to include plants and paintings, you really, really do!
Invest in an aromatherapy diffuser
Plugging an aromatherapy diffuser into the corner of your office is a really good idea providing your use essential oils like lavender, rosemary and peppermint which can aid concentration. It may sound a bit new age-y but many people find that aromatherapy gives them a real boost and it could help to improve your efficiency too. Even if it doesn’t work, your home office will smell divine.
Aed an extra screen
Having an extra computer monitor will enable you to do several things simultaneously, thus increasing your productivity significantly. Make sure that you set both screens up at a level where you won’t have to strain to avoid repetitive strain injuries or discomfort.
Let there be light
Natural light or light sources that mimic natural light have been shown to ease the strain that comes with looking at a monitor for several hours. It has also been shown to boost concentration and productivity levels, so make sure your home office design includes lots of natural light.
Design your home office right and your efficiency levels will soar!
