In today’s digital era, accessibility and convenience reign supreme. You can practically do everything at home. Because of the internet, people can now shop, video call, and even work from home. A study has found a 159% surge in the number of people working remotely from 2005 to 2017.
If you’re a work-from-home newbie or you’ve been having trouble being productive at home, check out these tips for a conducive home office:
1. Comfort is Key
Get a comfortable chair, set the air conditioning in your home in Park City, Utah or elsewhere to around 71°F, and get to typing. You should feel relaxed enough to work efficiently, but do not be too comfortable. It might be tempting, but working from your bed isn’t ideal. Apart from the probable productivity issues, it could even affect your sleep patterns.
Copy the best parts from your office set-up, so your mind associates your home office with work. If you’ve been working at an office for a while, your entire body is used to your routine at your workplace. Help make the transition easier by making your body feel like you’re at the office.
2. No Distractions, No Problems
Among the biggest challenges when working from home is the tendency to procrastinate. Without the watchful eyes of bosses and HR, it’s so easy and tempting to play games or check Instagram on your phone. Get rid of that itch by removing your phone from your desk or installing a free productivity app to help you focus. Remove other knick-knacks, like sticky notes and neon highlighters, that could take away your attention. Set up a regular schedule to clean your table.
Limit outside distractions, as well. If you have loud neighbors, use earplugs or listen to music on your earphones to block out the noise. If you have roommates, set up a timetable where you all have quiet time for yourselves.
3. Make Light Work
When setting up your home office, make sure you have a window where natural light passes through. A study has found that workers with exposure to daylight performed better compared to those without. Although, make sure you place your desk in such a way that there’s no glare on your computer screen.
If you can’t set up your workplace by a window, make do with the right lights. An article published by the University of North Carolina says higher color light temperatures, which look blue-white, improve productivity, and lower fatigue. Don’t get carried away and make your room too bright, though. It could induce the cause of eyestrain.
Consider dimming lights during daylight or using a shaded light. It’s also essential to give your eyes a break. The Mayo Clinic recommends taking your eyes off the screen every 20 minutes and focus at something else 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Working from home has many benefits. You don’t have to commute, wear make-up every day, or wake up extra early. That being said, there are also difficulties. It can worsen your productivity and focus. But with the right set-up at home, you can maintain and even surpass your performance at the office.