Make your home office a place you spend less time in by making it a hive of productivity!

There are many benefits to working from home. You save time on the commute, money on petrol or train/bus tickets, and you are saved from making small talk with colleagues. The downside is that there are far more distractions in your home than at the office, as the home was made for living, not for working. There are household jobs that need doing, pets that need walking, and family members who don’t quite grasp the concept of working from home. So how can you make your home office the most productive space it can be? By following a few of the tips below, you can achieve the perfect work/home life balance, even if they happen to take place in the same building.

Set up the space

Your ideal office may have solid oak doors, rows of towering bookcases, an ornate fireplace and a desk large enough to fit in a war room, but even a side room in the average house can be turned into a productive and pleasant place to work.

Choose a quiet corner of the house (if there is such a place), and paint the room a colour you can stand to look at for forty hours a week (green is meant to be good for productivity). Give yourself enough space in the room to spread out, while also having your most important tools within easy reach, and put your desk by a window, so you have something to look at and won’t feel imprisoned. Temperature is also something that is known to affect productivity and so you might want to think about having a HVAC system installed by a professional found at https://aqualityhvac.org/ or similar. They can also service your existing unit and make sure it is working efficiently.

Invest in a vintage desk

A desk can be bland, or it can have character. Give yourself a desk you actually like, and which you enjoy sitting at. Vintage desks have charm and character, preventing your home office from feeling bland and overly corporate. Companies like Vinterior specialise in characterful and traditional vintage desks, and carry a range of different styles in their collection.

Make yourself comfortable

An ergonomically correct chair is a must, as it’s impossible to concentrate with nagging back or neck pain. Little things like an anti-glare computer screen can save your eyes from strain, while having an extra standing desk in the corner can help if you get uncomfortable from sitting too long. In addition to having an anti-glare computer screen, some people might also want to consider getting more info here on blue light blocking glasses to make sure your eyes are fully protected from eye strain or damage.

Set yourself goals

If you work with a purpose, you work faster and better. Write up a list of tasks every morning, and set yourself times to achieve each one by. You might not complete them on time every day, but that will only encourage you to do better.

Dress the part

You’re a professional. If you want your family to see that, then dress like it. Dressing like you’re going to the office will also make you feel more professional, and save you from the panic of facing an unexpected video call in your pyjamas.

Set boundaries

If you let people know your work hours in advance, they cannot expect you to apologise for not humouring them later. If a chatty neighbour or pestering partner start to distract you, firmly but politely disengage. If you work in the same room as your partner and you keep getting distracted, consider office desk partitions between your desks to make it less tempting to chat to each other – you can always chat later after work. Similarly, do not answer the phone or door during your set working hours unless it is important. Whoever the distraction is, they can wait, and will soon get the message.

Declutter often and thoroughly

A home office can easily become more of a storage space than a place to get work done. Left unchecked, old files, stationary, coffee cups and half read books start to make productivity impossible. Setting aside five minutes at the end of every day to go around the room with a waste paper bin could save you hours in the future.