Get up, get coffee and claim a spot to work for the day before your spouse, siblings or children could do so – does this daily routine sound familiar to you these days?
With many of us working from home amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, creating a home office may start to sound like a reality for most of us. In fact, experts have speculated that many employees may choose to continue to work from home at least some of the time even after the pandemic is under control.
The good news is it isn’t hard to create a home workspace, and it doesn’t take as much space or effort as you might think. Here are 5 tips on creating a comfortable and productive workspace in your home.
1. Design According to Your Profession
When designing your workspace, consider the type of work you do. This will determine the types of furniture, equipment and storage space needed to ensure work efficiency.
Ask yourself: are you creating websites, building spreadsheets, handling administrative tasks or managing business calls? If you’re a designer, you might want a big desktop monitor. Or if you’re running an e-commerce business, you might need more storage space for packaging materials and even inventory.
Tailoring your home office to your professional needs can enhance your efficiency and comfort.
2. Designate a Productive Work Zone
It may be fun to move from spot to spot at home to battle boredom, but that will set your productivity back because you’ll get distracted by non-work stuff. Establishing a dedicated work area can help you concentrate and get into your “work zone”.
Thus, it is best to find a spot in your home that you enjoy spending time in – and stick to it! Consider also the type of environment you operate well in. Do you need total privacy, a little background noise, or easy access to the kitchen for coffee refills?
While transforming a spare room into a home office is an optimal choice, not all of us have the luxury of space to do so. If you don’t, get creative. Can you carve out a desk space in the living room? Or get a writing bureau that opens up when you are working and closes when you are done so that you can still get an organised, uncluttered look in a shared space?
Writing bureaus offer an elegant and organised solution for space-starved homes.
3. Think Comfort First
While functionality is important, you should also take care of your mental and emotional needs. As you will be spending a lot of time in the workspace, it should be a place where you feel comfortable in.
The first thing you need to do is to invest in a quality chair with proper lumbar support. This is because the way you sit impacts how you feel physically and mentally. When you are not sitting in an ergonomically correct position, it can result in back and shoulder problems, and aches can sap your motivation – and productivity – fast. For the table, make sure that its height is suitable for you.
Consider also painting your workspace a soothing colour. If that’s not an option, how about brightening your space with an art piece or a desk plant? Visual variety comes in handy when your eyes need a break from the screen. Even adding a pleasant smell makes a difference. Essential oils such as Peppermint offers energy boost while rosemary helps in concentration.
Soothing colours such as blue and green are known to improve productivity.
4. Keep it Organised
Avoid piling too much stuff on your desk as junk can clutter your mind and prevent you from setting a focused mindset for work. When your desk alone isn’t enough to keep everything in place, consider clearing some shelf space to store papers, folders and other essential items. Using a rolling file cart for storage can also keep your office mobile and flexible; when your work is done, you simply roll it into a closet or a corner.
Also, knowing where to find the most frequently used items can improve efficiency. When everything has its own place, your workspace feels more purposeful and in control.
Too much work stuff? Declutter by building storage space to stow away non-essential items.
5. Keep it Bright & Airy
Your workspace should have proper air circulation, temperature control and good lighting. Keeping the room ventilated with a fan or air conditioning is essential, especially for Singapore’s hot and humid climate.
Good lighting prevents you from getting eye strain and improves your mood. That might mean investing in a desk lamp that can be adjusted to direct light where you need it. However, avoid lamps that are too bright because that will tire your eyes out easily or dim lighting as it tends to make you feel sleepy. If you use a computer, opt for white light because yellow light will sting your eyes when you stare at the screen for too long.
Table lamps with white light are good lighting additions for your workspace.
A well-designed workspace can improve concentration. In fact, working from home can increase productivity as long as you can work out a way to handle temptations and distractions. For more information about creating a home office, please contact us at tel. no. 6778 6866.
