Working at home can appear to be much easier than working somewhere else, like an office. It may be rewarding and give you an amount of flexibility, but, as you are about to find out, it is also much more demanding. You tend to occupy all the time you have with work or have the tendency to believe that if you are home, you will have an entire day at your disposal for working. Well, it is not quite like that. Without proper organization, you will start feeling overwhelmed and clogged with tasks. Even the free time you once had now risks disappearing entirely. So here are helpful pieces of advice when it comes to organizing you time while working at home, which will make you more productive.
- Assign a particular place in the house that will work as an office
You need to create a unique working area where you will do nothing but work, for the designated amount of time. No TV, magazines, games or anything else should be in this area to distract your attention. Thus, here you will have your laptop or desktop, you can have a few shelves where you place books if you need, an agenda, pens and text highlighters, sticky notes, and a desk lamp. So you see, it is pretty much like any other office, having all the things you need in one place, for working. You can also make this working space more welcoming, by adding a small green plant on the desk, and even enjoying a cup of green tea, for its rejuvenating effects.
- Bring improvements that will increase focus and productivity
The entire room can be prepared for your benefit, creating a productive and work stimulating effect. For instance, the walls can be painted in shades of blue or greenish-blue. It has a calming effect, and it works great in de-cluttering your mind for a better thinking process. Having shelves and drawers are very practical in creating a depositing space. Still, keep your shelves in a nice order, to avoid a chaotic image of books and files flying around. Also, invest in technology, like an all-in-one computer, for its versatility, and a smart pen, for transforming handwriting into other types of electronic formats. These will definitely make you work easier. And do use some motivating quotes or pictures, to keep you in mind for what you are working so hard. Your goals, your family, whatever gets you going each day.
- Have space for refreshing and breaks as well
It is not advised to keep on working without any breaks. You need to unwind from time to time so that you can always give your brain time to chill a little, before passing to your next assignment. Have a couch and a coffee table in your working room. Place them both near a window, since natural light is extremely pleasant and relaxing. Not to mention that you can also decorate this corner with natural green plants, which will soothe your eyes and mind, and release fresh oxygen. You may keep your smart devices synchronized with your computer, to be able to receive important notifications when you are not working.
- And do be careful about your posture while working
You can do that by getting ergonomic chairs, specially made to support your spine and promotes a correct working position. Also, you can get a particular elliptical bike for the ones that work too much at a desk, to avoid feeling cramps in your legs after a day working. And even try working standing up for short periods of time, as it improve your backbone position and saves you from any back aches.
Below you’ll find an infographic from OmniPapers. This is an excellent cheat sheet to help you organize your writing space and your cabinet in the best way possible.