Working from home is what you always wanted. But to keep the dream alive, you need to be productive. Create a stimulating environment to facilitate comfort and productivity.
Find a Quiet Corner
People love to work from home because it’s convenient. You can check on the kids, do laundry, and clean the living room between work tasks. But too many distractions make it hard to concentrate on work for long periods and lowers overall production. Find a quiet corner so you can focus on work and won’t be tempted to break concentration.
Bring In the Green
Some choose the spot with the best view. But that may not be the quietest or most productive area. If you yearn for a garden or rustic view, but find that the basement is the best spot for the office, buy an assortment of plants and foliage to arrange throughout. Bring more natural elements inside to make the area more comfortable and peaceful. Sometimes you have to create the view you want.
Infuse Oil
Scents have a great influence on how you’re feeling. Introduce lavender and jasmine into your working area by using an infuser and natural oils. Potted plants and scented candles achieve the same effect. Mix scents to find the right aroma that is both stimulating and relaxing.
Create a To-Do List
Schedule task in blocks and leave time for short breaks. Often, people get overwhelmed throughout the workday because they don’t have a clear agenda. Schedule times to check and respond to email. Otherwise, responding to every email that comes through will break concentration. Try the Pomodoro Technique.
Take Digital Notes
Some live by post-it notes. The problem is the small pieces of paper lose stickiness, get lost, shuffled in with other papers, etc. Use an app that uploads to the cloud. That way, you can write notes from any device as well as retrieve them from anywhere. Evernote is a popular app that is great for at-home professionals.
Provide Plenty of Light
Whether you’re making arts and crafts or doing remote marketing work for a major agency, you need sufficient lighting in your work area. RS Components has lighting solutions including strip lights and downlights.
Invite Guests
It’s good to get out of the office for conversation yet you don’t have to leave home for that. Invite friends and colleagues over for discussions. Schedule some face to face time with neighbors, colleagues, and friends.
Rotate Furniture
You may not have plenty of options when it comes to the location of your home office, but you can rotate the furniture in the space for a fresh perspective. Do something different with the elements in the room every quarter so things don’t grow stale.
Get a Pet
It can get lonely working from home. Even those with families get lonely when kids are at school and spouses at work. Consider bringing a pet into your family so you have company while working from home.