If you are working from home, sometimes you can run into a problem with staying productive throughout the day. Or you have just transferred to remote working, and you just can’t be productive no matter how much you try. It’s tempting to just watch a funny video or scroll through your phone. There’s no one to see you, right? Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that difficult to be productive while you are working from home. You can achieve the perfect balance of productivity and comfort. Read on to see our list of home office ideas for better productivity.
Best Home Office Ideas For Better Productivity
Declutter Your Desk
This is a no-brainer, but working while you have clutter on your desk will make you unproductive and unwilling to work.
Remove anything from your desk that is not essential for your work. This can include papers, books, cups, plates, pencils, etc.
If your desk is cluttered, your mind will be too. Make a habit out of removing stuff from your environment when you have a break. This will help you in always having a nice and clean space to work in.
You will also need storage space for your supplies. This can be a shelf, a set of drawers or a filing cabinet, depending on your business needs. Filing cabinets are great for paperwork, shelves for displaying and storing books and other items. A set of drawers is perfect for storing supplies that you don’t often need or you have too much of.
Find Space for Your Desk
If you need silence to be productive and get in the flow, try to find a space for your desk that is noise-free. This can be a completely separate room that you will make into an office, or it can just be a silent space, far from the TV noise or your children.
It would be perfect if you had a dedicated room for your office. This way you will surely have peace. Since for many people that is not possible, one of the modern office design ideas for small spaces is to try to find a quiet nook of your home where you can work.
Create a Layout
Your office needs to have a good layout so you can be as productive as possible. Try to have all of your filing cabinets, drawers, and equipment at hand. If you need to get up many times to use or grab something, your focus will be easier to break. A layout is important if you are completely redecorating a space to make an office. Space, furniture, equipment, and lighting have to be taken into consideration when you are making a layout.
If you have to share your home office, it’s best to create space for multiple desks. This way everyone will have enough space and not bother each other. Since you will need double or more of every furniture piece, opt for light colors and less bulky furniture. This won’t make the space feel cramped. Heavy pieces of furniture will only close the space and make it feel packed.
Combining Spaces
Where should I put my home office?
When having a separate office is not an option, you will need to adjust to the space available. This is very common with smaller houses and apartments.
If you have to make an office in your living room, use the furniture, like a sofa, to separate the living and working space. Another option can be to use a tall cabinet or bookshelf as a divider from the rest of the space. Real dividers are also a great option, as they don’t take up much space but can give you the necessary privacy.
Get creative with the stuff and space you have to make the perfect setting for you.
Right Lighting
One of the most important factors for better productivity is perfect office lighting. It’s very easy to be unproductive when you are working in a dark space, or under very harsh lighting that is straining your eyes.
Natural light is best for a home office. This can come from windows or skylights. Since not every room in the house has the perfect natural lighting, you will need to create it yourself.
Instead of placing one very harsh source of light on your ceiling, opt for smaller sources of light, like pendants, wall sconces, table lamps, and floor lamps. They don’t create harsh lighting and you can adjust it however you like.
Furniture
Since you will be spending most of your working hours in your home office, you will need proper furniture. There are many desk types to choose from, and yours should fit your job and tasks. You can build a cheap home office according to your budget.
A great desk for those long hours by the computer is a standing or adjustable desk. This will give you an option to stand or sit for a healthier posture. There are also desks with a lot of drawers, traditional desks, modern desks with glass tops, or sleek white ones. Whichever you choose, it needs to have enough space for you to work on. Keep it tidy for maximum productivity.
Besides a desk, you will need an office chair. It must be ergonomic, so you can reduce stress on your spine. You should be able to adjust the chair height and it should have armrests. Other aspects to consider are the size of the chair and the material it’s made of.
Bring the Nature In
If your home office setup ideas are feeling a little bland, add some greenery to your space. This can be as simple as a desk flower or a big flower pot. If you need space on your desk, bring in hanging plants and planters. This is an easy way to bring in nature without using up valuable space. Having some flowers and plants will help you feel relaxed and make being inside a little easier.
If you are not feeling like a green thumb, try having resilient plants like succulents or cacti. They don’t require much care but still look beautiful.
If your window is looking into a garden, try to position your desk so you always have a beautiful and relaxing view. Plants will help you rest your eyes after long hours of looking into a computer screen.
Decorate Your Space
How to decorate your home office?
Since you are working from home, you have unlimited possibilities of decorating your workspace. This can span from choosing the flooring and wall paint to decorative pieces and office furniture. Yes, even furniture can be considered decoration.
If you are easily distracted, maybe it will be better to use a neutral color palette and decorations. This will create a sleek working space that doesn’t make you lose your focus. But if you want more personality, try decorating your office with bright colors and fun decorations. These can include a colorful carpet or cushions, wall art, and desk decorations.
Make the space yours with office decor ideas, but don’t make it too busy.
Play Some Music
Listening to music while you work or study can give you a boost in productivity and focus. This depends also on what kind of music you listen to while working.
Create playlists for different aspects of your work. Maybe you need some energizing music to keep you going while you do a mundane task. Relaxing music is great when you need to focus and get productive. It creates a peaceful space in your mind to help you work without distractions. This kind of music is also good for morning hours when you need to focus and upbeat music if great for the late hours when you need more energy.
The choice of music also depends on the type of work you do. Designers may need a certain type of music, while accountants need something completely different. Maybe your work doesn’t need music and it will only distract you. There is no harm in trying out different genres until you find the one that works for you.
Refreshments Corner
Most companies have a corner with refreshments for employees to use while they work. Many of them also have kitchens where you can warm up or prepare a meal, or they have prepared lunches.
Since you are at home, you have access to your kitchen. This means freshly cooked food and coffee throughout the day. But if you want to make your day more efficient and stay in the working mode, why not incorporate space in your office for a refreshments table. This can include a coffee machine, like Lavazza coffee machines that give you a perfect cup of coffee that’s only a click away.
You should always have a fresh glass of water to keep hydrated, and a healthy snack for a mid-day pick-me-up.
Take a Break
Breaks are essential to productivity.
You can’t expect your mind and body to work all day without having at least one break to recuperate strength and energy. It’s easy to use your break time to scroll through social media or play a game, but try doing something productive.
Make sure you get out of your chair, as this will help your mind reset when you get back to work. Staying in your chair will make your brain think you are still working and not taking a break. Use this time to have a snack or coffee, do some stretching or light exercise, or go on a walk. Anything that gets your mind from work is good, as long as you don’t spend too much time on it and completely lose focus.
If you have been feeling stuck in your work, unable to find a solution for a problem, taking a break may be what you need to come up with an idea and a solution. We all struggle with productivity sometimes, especially if working from home. It’s easy to get distracted, and you may even feel uninspired. It doesn’t have to be this way.
For almost any home office problem there is a solution. Create a space that feels like you and that will help you in being most productive and excited to start your workday. Even if you have to share a space, there are ways to create an illusion of separation, with partitions and big furniture. Make sure you have a relaxing and enjoyable activity on hand when you take breaks to reset your mind and be even more productive.
As you are setting up a home office for remote work, you can implement modern home office ideas or DIY home office ideas and create the best office set up for productivity.
