Optimising Your Work-from-Home Workspace

With many of us working from home at the moment, we thought it would be useful to put together our top ways to optimise your workspace. Being productive in self-isolation is very difficult, particularly when we are surrounded by lots of distractions. Getting your working environment right can have a huge positive impact on your productivity.

Having a separate space in your home is the most important thing. You need a dedicated area that you are able to set up your equipment, and ideally with a door that you can close for extra peace and quiet! Let’s have a look at some other ways to optimise your workspace.

Lots of natural light

Not only does bright light make us feel happier, it also helps reduce the strain on our eyes when looking at screens all day. We are referring to natural light here too, as opposed to artificial fluorescent light in the form of a desk lamp. Try to position your workspace close to a window so the natural light and gentle breeze can flood in. Some studies have proven that natural lighting promotes productivity and improves your health, so make the most of it if you can.

Poor lighting can also contribute to eye strain and headaches. This will make you feel tired, drowsy, and unmotivated. You need to feel awake in your workspace otherwise you will struggle to concentrate.

Tidy desk, tidy mind

No one can work productively in a messy environment. Having a desk full of clutter will leave you feeling deflated, so before you start work have a good tidy up. Go through that pile of pens you have accumulated and bin the ones that don’t work, file any paperwork into a tray, and pop any random bits into your desk drawer. It has even been proven that people who have a messy workspace have a lower level of persistence at completing challenging tasks. Not to mention it will make you feel so much better after a tidy up.

Choose productive colours

The colour of your workspace can really impact your mood, particularly if you are a visual type of learner and like to colour code your work. Different colours are associated with various emotions, so think carefully before you redecorate your offic

Blue – brings out a sense of calm and clarity (similar to the ocean). It helps to promote peace and focus and is a reliable choice for increasing productivity.

Red – this is a colour associated with anger and strong emotions. This colour can increase your heart rate, and is better suited for an environment that is physically active (such as a gym).

Green – a soothing and calming colour that makes you feel more connected with the Earth. If you are someone who gets stressed easily, green will help to relax you.

Yellow – often associated with emotional responses, this colour is normally not used in an office environment. However, if you need to be creative and generate new ideas, yellow could work.

Background noise

Some people like to work with music on, whilst others concentrate better in silence. It is a personal preference. The best thing to do is try working with music one day, and without the next, comparing your productivity.

If you are working from home with your children around, you may want to turn to noise-canceling headphones in order to reduce the impact of background noise. It is thought that music can reduce boredom and boost work performance levels, so give it a try – you have nothing to lose!

Bring the outdoors in

There is strong evidence that suggests plants are great at reducing stress and negative moods in workspaces. They also naturally filter the air, reducing CO2 levels and improving the quality of the air around you. A pop of green is always nice to look at and will help you to feel calmer. Try to choose a plant that is low maintenance such as a succulent, so that you don’t have to worry about watering it regularly.

We hope these tips have helped to improve your productivity, do let us know if we have missed any productivity-boosting ideas out.