Tried and Tested Home Office Productivity Secrets — By Home Office Experts

Tried and Tested Home Office Productivity Secrets
By Home Office Experts

As a business owner, chances are that your home office is also where you spend most of your time. It’s not uncommon to struggle with productivity in this environment — especially when it comes to getting work done without interruption. The good news is there are many ways to increase productivity while working from home. So what are some of these “Tried and tested home office productivity secrets by home office veterans” that we need to use?

A home office can be an extremely productive setting when used appropriately. When done right, working smartly in an amazing home office can be the key to achieving your desired goals. Moreover, many successful “home office veterans” hold the same view. Decluttering your desk is one way of improving productivity. This gives you space and atmosphere to think more clearly and creatively.

Finding a quiet and secluded spot devoid of destructions is also important. This will allow you to focus more and be more productive. Taking breaks represents one of the most useful tips here. It is an effective way to stay refreshed and motivated throughout your work sessions.

Creating a good home office environment will help you work more efficiently. The atmosphere of a great home office can provide can help you get a lot of work done. As a ripple effect, you will more likely be in a great position to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In this post, we shall highlight some of the tips you can leverage to achieve massive productivity while working in a home office. We shall share some of the best tips suggested to us by successful people who have been there and done that. It will also touch on some of the negative effects that you can encounter should you not follow our tried and tested strategies!

When set up well, a home office can give you an equal if not more, productivity than your traditional in-office setting. Why then should you not leverage some of the best and effective techniques recommended to us by experts? Do not be left out. Pick out some of the strategies we shall discuss and practice the ones that you deem suitable for you!

WHAT DO THE “HOME OFFICE VETERANS” SAY?

• Start by Decluttering Your Desk

Your productivity relies heavily on the state of your workstation and the organization of your equipment. A clean working space will offer you a chance to think clearly and organize your thoughts. It is not uncommon to find a desk that is littered with pens, papers, folders, and other stationery that you use in your work.

When not arranged properly, these can make your workstation very untidy. You can place the items that you do not use frequently in your drawers. These efforts aimed at decluttering your desk may help to improve your focus and concentration. Consequently, increased focus will ensure that you get a lot of items off your to-do list boosting your productivity.

• Give an “In-office Garden” a Try

You can do this by bringing plants into your home office. People are visual and love to see a variety of things in their surroundings. Bringing a plant inside your office will help you in a lot of ways.

First, it will bring a sense of calm to the home office. Therefore having a small plant on your desk or the floor of the corner of your office is good for tough days. You will find it a breath of fresh air. Having flowers by your desk will also go a long way towards giving your eyes great “visuals”.

This will help you to avoid losing focus in your work. By doing this, you will have essentially brought the outdoor atmosphere and scenery to your office. Indoor plants can also purify the air of your home office while also giving your space a great “pop of color”.

Therefore, you will be able to stay refreshed which is important in helping you to sustain concentration and be more productive. Succulents and even cacti will be easy to maintain and also give your space the “greenery” that you crave for!

• Add a Scent to Your Home Office

A great scent can work wonders when it comes to your productivity. Picture a situation where you are working in a space that smells nice. Now picture another scenario where the room you have chosen to work in has a strong bad odor. I am sure the first scenario sounds better right?

Such an atmosphere will have you feeling super motivated to keep going on with your work. In addition, research has shown that some scents can result in positive effects especially in matters of productivity. For example, it has been established that a peppermint scent can result in a spike of your energy since it acts as an energy boost.

On the other hand, a rosemary scent has been known to help people to relax. It has also been established to assist people to concentrate more and sustain long periods of focus. This is essential in achieving higher productivity.

• Taking Breaks Will Help A Lot

Taking meaningful breaks to recharge your batteries is a fail-proof strategy of guaranteeing high levels of productivity. The Work from Home veterans however suggests that even the breaks in between your work sessions have to be meaningful.

You can take a walk around the house while getting a much-needed breath of fresh air. Reading articles that are full of information on matters that concern your industry is also highly encouraged. An amazing break will go a long way into making you feel very refreshed.

However, there is one important tip to remember here. Your break should not be too long. A long break can make you feel “zoned out” of your work session and thus reduce your productivity. In addition, your break should not be too short. This is because you will not be able to feel that you have rested accordingly.

Also, it may reduce the level of productivity that you give. Another great way of using your mini-breaks is to make some snacks or food to refuel and have more energy to carry on with your work.

• Work In a “Private” Location

Here, finding a spot away from the “traffic” in your house is key to productivity. The home setting has a lot of noises that cause distractions. Your kids (if you have them), may constantly cry for your attention.

If your home office is located where your little ones can gain easy access, there’s not much work you will get done. It is also imperative to have your office as far away from your kitchen as possible. This is to discourage you from making constant trips to the kitchen. That temptation coupled with the eventual “abandoning” your workstation every now so often can reduce your productivity. How?

Your productivity falls because you will not be able to have extended periods of concentration and focus. Settling on a dedicated spot in your house, closing the door, and shutting out distractions is therefore the way to go!

• Fulfill Your Social Needs

Some people prefer to work alone in the absence of other colleagues. However, even in this case, their social needs should never be pushed to the side. As humans, we are social beings. We need to interact and spend some time with others.

Both Work from home experts and medical experts opine that the psychological effects of working remotely can crush your morale and productivity. Feelings of isolation and loneliness when working in solitude can harm your mental well-being. Those who do not know how to handle such a situation have been known to develop suicidal thoughts in such instances.

As we all know, this can be very detrimental to your overall well-being leaving you incapable of hitting your targets and objectives.

• Color of Your Home Office is Important

Colors have always been associated with our moods and how they can be able to make us feel. They are an important but gravely “unsung” aspect of our daily lives. The color you chose for your home office can greatly determine if you will be motivated or feel sombre.

Some colors create a tranquil atmosphere to enable you to work peacefully. Relatively “dull” colors such as black can make your office so uncomfortable that you will not be able to work. Work from Home experts advise that cold colors such as green and blue should be the go-to!

• Good Lighting is Key

Setting up a home office with good lighting is so crucial in the overall aesthetics of your home office. Good lighting will also help you to perceive the colors of your office easily. The experts suggest that you should set up your home office in a room that will allow natural lighting (from the sun) easily. This is because natural lighting is considered the most comfortable for our eyes.

However, the natural lighting should not hit you directly in your eyes. On the other hand, they are of the opinion that yellow light is the best to go for since it does not tire our eyes fast.

They have also suggested that blue lighting on or near your desk can work wonders. It can help you to focus more and thus put you in a good position to be more productive.

• Comfortable Furniture Equals Increased Productivity

A good chair, desk, or table can be the difference between a pat on the back from your boss or a proper “telling off”. Why do I say so? A good chair will enable you to be comfortable and focus more.

You can concentrate for longer periods than when you are using a faulty or rickety chair, table, or desk. In addition, good furniture will not give you body aches. If your furniture makes your body feel great, you can be able to produce more.

For example, experts consider a chair to be “good” for your home office if it can allow your arms and elbows to be at 90 degrees whenever you are typing. Your chair should have great lumbar support and allow height adjustments easily.

• Get Dressed For Work

You probably made a face when you saw this heading! What we mean here is just that many people are guilty of working in their PJs. This has been sold as one perk of working from home. Is it a perk though?

Going straight from your bed, in your PJs, and sliding straight into your workspace can be very counter-productive. This is because you will still be in a comfort mode, to say the least.

Cleaning up and getting dressed may go a long way in motivating you to be more focused. You unknowingly send a message to your brain that it is time for work. Therefore, you will be able to create a serious enough environment that will ensure you are very productive.

• Use Technological Tools to Keep in Touch with Colleagues and Clients

These tools are very important in maintaining much-needed communication between your clients and yourself. They are also very crucial in instances where you are required to hold meetings with people who are far away and not in your office.

For example, the Zoom app comes is a dependable video conferencing tool that you can use to conduct meetings. In addition, apart from the email, you can use Instant Messaging apps to hold and maintain conversations with your clients regarding matters such as contracts.

This will prevent you from missing out on potential business and thus boost your productivity.

In conclusion, achieving and maintaining high levels of productivity while working from home is by no means an easy feat! There are several lifestyle adjustments to be made, strategies to be followed and tips to be tried out.

Tips such as the ones we have highlighted in our post will put you on the correct path towards attaining the productivity levels that you desire from the comfort of your own home and space!

Originally published in HomeOffice4Us