Working from Home? Tips & Tricks for a Functional Home Office You'll LOVE!
Photo by Pratt & Lambert Paints
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on traditional in-office business practices as employers across the world moved to remote teleworking. Although the vaccine is now readily available, covid cases are dwindling, and life is slowly returning back to normal, many businesses are adopting teleworking (whether part time or full time) as the new normal.
If you find yourself falling into this category and don’t have a home office already set up (or your setup is mediocre), it’s now more important than ever to implement a functional home office. Here are some tips & tricks to help boost your productivity, increase your motivation, establish a good work-life balance, take care of your physical health, & stay sane (or even increase your happiness!) We’ve separated our tips by each of the 5 senses to ensure you’re fully covered for an immersive new state of being. Read on to learn more! ;-)
Visual
Display the Things that Inspire You Most
This will boost your production, motivation, and serotonin (the happy hormone)! Looking for inspiration? Take notes on your phone or in a small notebook whenever you catch yourself smiling at something or are reminded of the importance of your job and/or salary. Here are a few examples to consider:
Pictures of Your Family, Friends, & Pets
Souvenirs from Travel Destinations
Photos of Something You’re Saving Money For
Office Supplies in a Happy Color or Pattern
An Appealing Calendar (Funny, Relaxing, Motivating, Cute, Etc.)
Paint Your Wall(s) and/or Hang Wallpaper
Different paint & wallpaper colors are suited for different types of work. If you’re looking to spice up your space a bit, we’ve collected some awesome wallpaper design options for you HERE! We’ve also provided a quick overview on the different psychological effects colors have on office spaces (courtesy of Ergonomic Trends) in the chart below. Stay tuned for our blog series related to color theory where we will go into much more depth!
Bring the Outside In
Indoor Plants - Plants are great for multiple reasons: they look great, they smell great (usually), they purify the air, and caring for them helps you feel an inner sense of growth. Our two favorite options for your home office? Palms & Pachira Money Trees.
Lighting - If your home office has a window with natural light, great! This is ideal, and you should let as much light in as possible. If you’re concerned with privacy, check out the window film options our partners at Decorative Films have. If you don’t have natural light, try layering multiple different types of lighting sources (such as floor, table, wall, ceiling, plug-in, etc.) for a bigger impact. Keep your walls light and add some mirrors to the mix as well - they’ll reflect your lights to make it feel brighter!
Photo Courtesy of House to Decor
Aroma
You may be surprised at how large of an impact the smell of your office has on your productivity. Now that you’re working from home, implement some scents you enjoy without the fear of annoying your coworkers! Use spicy or minty scents (such as cinnamon or peppermint) when you want to be alert and active. Use lighter, softer scents (such as lavender or jasmine) when you need to de-stress a bit. You can layer scents however you wish in a variety of different decor options depending on your preferences, including:
Image Courtesy of Home Plus Express
Candles
Incense
Wax Melts
Air Freshener Spray
Plug-In Diffusers
Oil Diffuser Sticks
Potpourri
Sachet Bags
Simmer Pots
Dryer Sheets (In Desk Drawers)
Audio
Hang Acoustic Ceiling Clouds - By hanging acoustic ceiling clouds, not only can you reduce the noise from other family members to focus on your work, but you can also reduce echoes and feedback to improve the quality of your online meetings.
Turn up the Tunes! Adding some music to your workspace can be a great mood boost, help you concentrate on projects, stimulate creativity, and drown out other sounds around the house. Now that there are no coworkers around to complain about your musical preferences, the only people you risk annoying are family members (and they’ll probably forgive you). Most people will listen to music via their computer speakers, but don’t forget about Bluetooth speakers, MP3 players, & portable radios for a more immersive experience.
Image Via SoundGuys
Taste
Coffee - If you were a coffee drinker pre-pandemic, you probably didn’t quit drinking coffee just because you started teleworking. Take this time refine your coffee preferences so that you can adequately enjoy your cups moving forward. Consider purchasing a higher end coffee maker and testing out different combinations of beans and additives. Have a favorite coffee drink you order daily at a local shop? Work on recreating it. You’ll definitely save money, but chances are, you’ll save time too (when commute and waiting in line are taken into account).
Snacks & Drinks - Disclaimer: If you weren’t a regular snacker or soda drinker in office, don’t start now; it tends to give you a thinner wallet and a wider waist (take it from me). However, if this was part of your normal routine, let’s turn it around a bit. Keep green tea, bottled water, or a pitcher with a filtration system handy in a small refrigerator near your desk.
Open Source Image
Keep other healthier snacks (listed below from the Fact-Checked Eat This Not That post) in that fridge (as necessary) or in a close basket. You don’t have to totally get rid of your guilty pleasures, but leave them in the kitchen pantry or fridge outside of your work space so they aren’t as easily accessible and require at least a little bit of movement to indulge in. So what snacks are best to keep handy while you’re working? We’ve compiled a quick list below, but see the above linked article for more explanation of the individual benefits of each. Thankfully, most of these can make all sorts of yummy salad combinations!
Blueberries - fight off disease, stop belly bloat, curb your cravings, & enhance cognitive ability; Whole Grains - enhance weight loss & boost blood flow to the brain; Spinach - builds muscle, slows the rate of cognitive decline, and improves learning capacity & motor skills; Strawberries - boost memory and protect & promote the survival of cultured neurons, which activate learning, memory storing, and information processing; Avocado - aids in the protection of brain cells called astrocytes, which contributes to a healthy blood flow; Sunflower Seeds - loaded with the amino acid “tryptophan”, which is quickly converted to serotonin in the brain, playing an important part in the regulation of our feelings of happiness and energy levels; Kale - more calcium in a cup than a class of milk, fills you with fiber, fuels your brain, & has tons of vitamin K, which reduces your chances of mental decline; Almonds - these nuts are filled with brain fuel (healthy fats) which slow the body's digestion of sugar and carbs — keeping your blood sugar levels nice and steady, your focus in line, and your willpower up throughout the day; Grass-Fed Beef - packed with iron, which studies show leads to higher scores on mental tests and faster test completion; Greek Yogurt - helps boost your mood & behavior; Eggplant - eating the skin intensifies communication between brain cells; Pecans - flattens your belly, helps support your brain's memory & development, and boosts your mood & energy levels; Tuna - contains a healthy amount of vitamin B6, which according to a number of studies, is linked to motivation, reduces depression, & reduces ADHD; Flax Seeds - easily up your consumption of alpha-linolenic acid, a healthy fat which strengthens the function in your cerebral cortex (the area of your brain that processes sensory information); Walnuts - crammed with serotonin, which helps both our mood and our appetite to stay balanced throughout the entire day; and Roast Beef - eating a couple slices of this during your lunch break will recharge you for the rest of your day, leaving you with a ton of energy and determination to have a great afternoon
Photo Via Downshiftology
Touch / Comfort
Raise Your Computer to Eye Level
This simple fix will significantly help your posture, leading to a healthier & more productive life (with fewer headaches and requests for shoulder massages)! You can go pro with something like a VariDesk that easily adjusts up and down to find your perfect height as well as the ability to convert to a standing desk, or you can get creative with things you have around the house to prop up your computer (such as stools, books, or other tall flat-surfaced items).
Warm Your Home Up
A 2004 Cornell study found that when temperatures were raised from 68 degrees to 77 degrees, employees’ typing errors dropped by 44 percent and their typing output increased by 150 percent. Who would have thought warmer temps could increase productivity? Great news for our Alabama spring & summer electric bills! With that being said, set your thermostat to whatever your preference is to be physically & financially comfortable. If you’re feeling particularly unproductive one day, you can always give a warmer room a try. If you don’t want to heat up your entire home, try a space heater or comfy blanket first; they’re always nice to have on-hand around fall & winter anyway!
Replace Your Office Chair
If you’ve been pulling through with a dining room chair or couch thus far, it’s time to stop. Chances are, your non-office chairs fall on the extreme spectrum or being either too comfortable or too uncomfortable to make for a productive day. Test some different options out in person (if possible) and read lots of reviews before making your decision. I always recommend rolling chairs for office spaces for ease of use, and this is one big area where functionality trumps aesthetic preference. There are tons of chairs that look cute but are extremely uncomfortable to sit in for a long duration. If you find an ugly chair that’s comfy, you can always get it reupholstered to something that fits with your decor and/or add a decorative pillow to help reduce the eyesore.
Soft Cozy Rug
A rug under your desk area is both a visual & comforting touch. If you go barefoot while you work from home, it will feel nice, plush, & relaxing below your feet in addition to adding to your decor. Word of caution: avoid light colored or super plush rugs. While they make a big impact initially, they are easily dirtied and difficult to clean with even light use.
Open Source Image
And finally….
Make a Clear Distinction Between Your Office / Working Space & the Rest of Your Home
This doesn’t necessarily fall into one of the above categories, but is extremely important for your productivity and mental health. By clearly separating your spaces, you are less distracted by personal stuff during your work day and less distracted by work stuff during your personal time. Avoid the temptation of TV, social media, texting, video games, and the like while you’re on the clock so you can work to complete your work during normal work hours. Always close your laptop and/or turn off your computer at the end of your work day unless you intend to work overtime. Put away or hide your work station if possible - whether it be closing a door to the room, placing some things in a desk drawer, or even covering them with something else, it’s a great mental reset for you.
Ready to Make a Change?
Contact us today for help coordinating your space (both visually & logistically) and for access to our insider trade discounts! <3 Also be sure to subscribe to our blog below to stay up-to-date with special news, offers, and decorating & design tips and tricks! Hope to hear from you soon :)
-Rockin’ Robyn