How to create the perfect home office to boost your performance
If you are working remotely, it is important to create a productive work environment for yourself – one which will serve to boost your performance just as well as (or better than) your typical office setting. But how to create the perfect home office?
There are plenty of small adjustments you can make to your home (now also office) to make sure you have the best working environment you can get. No need to spend money on a co-working space or having a dedicated room in your house to use as your office – you can create a comfortable space where you feel productive and empowered no matter the size of your apartment.
To help you in the quest for the best working from home set-up, we have listed a few tips to create the perfect home office to boost your performance.
Create a dedicated home office space
First things first, a dedicated home office setup – even if it’s just a small corner of your apartment – is vital when it comes to boosting both your performance and productivity levels.
The easiest solution to a space problem would be to use your dinner table as a desk for the day but that would blend your personal space with your professional space and it would create a precarious work-life balance.
It is best to identify a low-traffic, quiet area and make this your home office; set up a desk (there are plenty of fold-up options if you’re hoping to save space – and a single shelf would work effectively, too) or workspace. Use this space as your work bubble and put it away or cover it up when the working day is over so you don’t feel the need to do extra work after working hours.
Declutter your new home office
Next, set to work on decluttering your new home office (a clean workspace is guaranteed to boost performance, while a cluttered one may lead to agitation and increased stress levels), before making sure you have good lighting; natural daylight is the best way to boost your performance, but good lamps are useful too - just be sure to keep your screens turned at a 90-degree angle from your home office’s light source to avoid any glare.
If you really want the perfect home office, consider adding a houseplant or two; spending time in nature is proven to support working memory, reasoning and learning – which, in turn, increases productivity and energy levels, and boosts your performance.
On a similar note, experts recommend painting your perfect home office – even if it’s just the patch of wall above your desk – in a neutral and nature-inspired colour palette. Speaking to Homes & Garden, interior designer Fiona Duke says: “The calming effects of nature-led colour schemes are well documented, and they can genuinely help improve productivity and reduce attention fatigue.”
Invest in a good home office set-up
It’s important to invest in a decent ergonomic chair for your perfect home office; your knees should be at the same angle as your hips, your feet on the floor (or a footrest), the back of the chair at a 100-110 degree angle, and your arms in a natural position. Why? Well, Erik Peper, a Dutch behavioural scientist, says that sitting correctly is an easy way to boost your performance.
“Sitting straight increases the likelihood that you'll think positively,” he says. “The next time you struggle with a negative attitude or workplace drama, sit straight. Your mood and mindset will change, allowing you to focus on work and get more done.”
Keep your work-life balance in check
Once your perfect home office is set up, it’s important to make sure you keep it as separate as possible from the rest of the house – not just to boost performance, but also to prevent work and life from bleeding into one another. If you can’t do this physically (you could shut the doors to your office, or use screens to cordon off your desk), then do so mentally; get dressed for work before you start the day, and engage in a “commute” to and from work; essentially, take yourself on a walk around the block before starting and finishing each day. This will help your home to continue feeling like a home, and your workspace to be a zone for work and productivity.
Essentially, it’s easy to create the perfect home office to boost performance and productivity; keep it calm, decluttered, and as separate as possible from the rest of your home. And invest in a good chair, obviously!