Guide to Creating the Most Productive Home Office

As more and more companies give employees the option to work remotely, a home office is becoming an important part of our lives. However, a home office done incorrectly can slow down productivity rather than increase it. This article will bring you through the process of choosing then designing your new home office space, so that you can enjoy working from home productively.

The first step in creating your own home office is to choose the room. Think about whether you work best in a quiet environment or need some background noise. That will help you decide whether you should set up a home office further from or closer to the living room or main parts of your house.

Try to find somewhere with lots of natural light. Humans feel happier when feeling the sun and absorbing vitamin D. This last point is especially important if you will be working indoors for most of the day.

Now that you have picked a space in your home to turn into your office, you need to design it. If you are able to be picky with your furniture and can paint the walls, it is a good idea to choose a color palette for the room. Different colors can help promote productivity depending on your line of work, but green is generally a useful color for improving creative thinking and efficiency.

Pastel blue colors match the large windows by keeping the room bright in the Olympic Residence

Think about what furniture you will need. This can depend on the work you are doing, but most offices will at least have a desk and chair. If you are expecting guests to come in to your office, plan for a few more seats.

One of the advantages of working from home is having the freedom to choose furniture that fits you and your workstyle, so spend some time thinking about this rather than buying generic office furniture. Make sure your desk and chair match each other and the chair comfortably supports your back, so you can sit and work comfortably and healthily. Since sitting all day is unhealthy, think about getting an adjustable table that can rise up so you can work while standing up.

Place your desk and chair appropriately so that no source of light is directly shining into your eyes or into your computer screen. That would cause you to strain your eyes and harms your eyes in the long run while making you feel tired.

The desk in the Regency Residence executive office does not face towards or away from the window,  which prevents the sunlight from shining directly into the employee's eyes

However, as you probably know, lighting is important. Sitting parallel to the window allows sunlight to shine onto your work area, while never shining directly into your vision. For late nights or early mornings, make sure you buy a lamp for your work area.

While working, you will probably have a lot of papers or books floating around. Decide on a system of storing your materials in your office. This is a very important part of your planning process, because a messy office can not only waste your time looking for a book, it can also cause higher stress and make work seem more of an ordeal.

However, keeping your office tidy does not mean extreme minimalism. A bare room can actually make a person more depressed. Make sure the room is sufficiently decorated so you feel comfortable and not as if you are in a prison cell.

One healthy way to decorate your home office is byplacing house plants in the room. Plants not only improve the air quality and moisture in your room, they also help with stress levels. Watering the plant can also give you small breaks from work and help improve your mood, because caring for living things help with loneliness.

Simply keeping flowers on the table can improve the atmosphere and make the room feel more alive

If you are creating a home office environment from scratch, consider buying newer office technology, including large computer screens, easy-to-use printers, and faster wireless connection. Delays caused by technology you do not understand can be very frustrating. It slows down your work progress and puts your in a bad mood, further decreasing productivity.

Finally, one of the most important tips for a productive home office is creating a psychological barrier between your home office and the rest of your home. Do not let in a TV, game console, or a bed. They can distract you from your work for long periods of time.

Designing a home office is finding the balance between a personalized and convenient environment and a productive workplace. Go too far either way, and you either lose the efficiency of a regular office or the happiness of the home.