How to Make Your Home Office More Productive

According to a recent survey, about 70% of people worldwide work from home at least once a week. If you choose to work from home, it’s important to have your own working space, ideally a home office. While it’s tempting to plop down in the middle of your kitchen table or in front of the TV with your laptop, these are not the ideal working environments and won’t encourage productivity.

If you’re looking to design a working space that will promote concentration and productivity, get started with these home office ideas.

Find the Right Furniture

Having the right office furniture is an important first step in designing your home office. To start off, be sure to measure the space and decide what furniture will fit in the room, but not be squeezed in there. Ideally, you’ll have some space to move around the room too.

Comfort is key if you’ll be working from home all day, multiple times a week. Search for a comfortable chair with plenty of back support and a desk that is big enough that you can have a computer but also room to do any paperwork your job may require. If it’s within your budget, a desk that can be raised and turned into a standing desk is another good option. According to a recent survey, standing desks can help boost productivity and over 52% of employees reported feeling more engaged at work.

Lastly, buy furniture that matches with your style and design preferences rather than purchasing office furniture just for function.

The more that the space is a reflection of who you are, the more time you’ll want to spend working there.

Use Circadian Rhythm Lighting

Healthy lighting is a key component of a home office that should not be overlooked. It’s important to use circadian rhythm lighting so that it syncs with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.

What this means is that you should choose lighting that is bright and clear during the day and that can be tuned down as it gets closer to night. Ideally, your home office will be in a room that’s naturally lit, so that you can experience the natural cycle of light throughout the day.

If there’s a minimal amount of natural lighting available or none at all, you will have to use a mix of both overhead lighting and task lighting. Overhead lighting can help illuminate the entire room, casting light into spaces natural light may miss. Brilli’s Get in Sync dimmable fixtures are a good option because they mimic the natural progression of the sun from sunrise to sunset. Brilli’s bulbs also help reduce flicker, a common cause of eye strain.

The effects of lighting on performance are pretty significant, which is why you should also aim to have task lights, such as a desk lamp. Brilli’s Charge Up bulbs simulate the brightness of natural daylight, which is known to help improve productivity and increase energy and focus.

When you’re choosing where to put the lighting in the room, make sure it’s not directly overhead or behind a computer screen. This can cause glare and increase eye strain.

Create a Clean and Organized Space

Working in a messy area will have negative effects on your productivity and has been shown to increase stress hormones, in addition to reducing focus and making it harder to concentrate on specific tasks.

This is why it’s important to buy the proper organizational tools, such as file cabinets or desk organizers, to reduce paper clutter and keep track of important work documents. Your desk should be free of extra “stuff” and should allow enough space for you to spread out and work.

The room itself should be clean too. To keep your space neat and free of clutter, try setting aside half an hour to an hour each week to clean up. It’s also a good opportunity to take a break from working and stretch your legs.

Minimize Distractions

One of the most difficult parts of working from home is minimizing distractions. Your home office should be in a private, quiet room of the house away from any TV screens or other technology distractions. If possible, try to have a door on your home office to keep family members and pets from stepping into your office whenever they want.

If sound is an issue, try using a quiet fan to reduce outside noises. You can also use noise-canceling headphones to drown out sounds.