With the current COVID-19 situation, more and more employees and teams are shifting to a more flexible working environment – that is work from home set-up.  Studies show that people working remotely from home are actually more productive than working in a traditional office space. That is because in many cases, when home offices are designed properly, people have more comfortable space to work from home, fewer distractions, less overall noise, less stress in commuting and they have more personal space.  All you need is a place where you can achieve the perfect balance between being comfortable and having the perfect space to work.

This is why we have put together several strategies and ideas to help you stay productive when working from home – from choosing the precise location in your home to set up your perfect home office to selecting the proper equipment.

Setting up your office space

When choosing the space for your home office, make sure that it should be separate from other areas; and as much as possible choose a space in a quiet spot in order to focus while working from home.  Keep all your office work in that space because it is very important to be efficient within your home office space.  This way, you are able to separate work items from non-office things in your home; this will help you relax and have a healthy balance at home when you are not at work. Make sure that your working space is well-ventilated and has an appropriate temperature as well as fresh air getting through.

As much a s possible, set up your perfect home office in a place where you can get enough natural daylight because it will help you feel more active, energized, and help maintain your levels of vitamin D – a nutrient that greatly improves your sleep and keeps you feeling good.  Having your home office space with natural light helps reduce your energy consumption as well.  If you need to work after dark or your office space has limited natural light, consider installing ambient lights or add a high-quality desk lamp or floor lamp near your desk.

Choosing the right equipment for your perfect home office

Invest in a comfortable and ergonomic chair, it is the main element of a productive home office, since you will be spending a lot of time in that home office.  Ergonomic furniture is essential for your well-being and help you focus better because these furniture are more comfortable. In selecting the right chair, pay attention to the back, thigh, and arm support; these are the very important factors to consider.

Consider using a standing desk where you work standing up – this is very popular with the new generation workers, since studies shows that sitting for long period of time is unhealthy.  Most of these standing desks have adjustable height and some can even be converted into conventional sit-down desks.

Use a second monitor since having an additional screen can make many tasks easier especially for your coding, designing, writing, and researching tasks. Try using mechanical keyboards and gaming mice they are comfortable to use and accurate.

Speed and efficiency are very critical when setting up your home office – make sure you have high-speed internet connection and be sure to invest in the fastest equipment available.

Inspire yourself, add a personal touch, warmth with décor and pick the right colors

Express yourself and own your perfect home office as per your unique personal taste.  Make your office space feel more inviting such as placing wall art in your working area, add some green plants this help reduce stress, increase happiness, and improve productivity.  Surround yourself with personal items that inspires and motivate you, this will boost your productivity.

Colors surrounding you can have great psychological impact on people.  Choose your color accordingly and be aware of the psychology of color when picking the colors for your home office since it can affect your mood and energy levels.  In general, natural colors such as greens add freshness and vitality to an office, it relieves stress, and it is the most relaxing color for the eyes.  Yellow tone on the other hand, grabs attention, evokes optimism and makes people happy.  Red produces a strong feeling and create excitement; it should be used as an accent only.  Purple stimulates imagination while white, ivory, gray and tan are light, airy, and comfortable colors that has a calming effect.

Working from home is now the new norm for many people around the world and while there will be many challenges that comes with working from home, your office should be a connection to yourself and your productivity.  Make the space your own and create a place where you can focus rather than distraction.  Your perfect home office should be a place where you would want to spend time in; make sure that the positivity of the environment will influence you and enhance the work you need to do in your home office.