Whether you are working from home full-time, running a small business, trading at home, or otherwise working in your house, having a home office is great. It gives you somewhere to store everything that you need, but also somewhere to concentrate away from the distractions of the rest of your house.
Over the last few months, many of us have been thrown into home working for the first time, and it hasn’t always been easy. If you didn’t already have a home office, you might have been forced to work with what you already had, quickly converting a spare room or adding a desk or workbench to another room in your home. This can be effective, but it isn’t ideal.
Sitting facing a blank wall in a crowded space all day isn’t exactly inspiring. It won’t help you to work productively or creatively, you are unlikely to feel alert or happy, and you may struggle to do your best work.
Creating a more inspiring office can make a lot of difference to your work performance, your mood, and your energy levels. So, let’s take a look at how you can do it.
Get Some Help
Some of the ways to make your room more inspiring are easy, and you can do them on your own without too much trouble. But this isn’t true of everything. One of the first steps, if you’ve been using another room, is either to clear it out, or properly repurpose it, changing the structure. You may even need to create a new room with an extension or conversion. You may need help from sustainable architects, you could need help adding a window to a dark room, or you may need help clearing junk from the room, from your family.
Invest in Comfort
If you want to be able to work to the best of your ability, you need to be comfortable. Invest in a comfortable and supportive chair and a desk that’s the right height and offers you all of the space and storage that you need.
Add Energy and Mood Boosting Colors
It’s easy to feel gloomy and tired in a dark room. Keeping things bright is a great start, but white walls aren’t exactly inspiring either. Add pops of color to furniture and accessories to boost your mood and your energy levels.
Include Personal Touches
Your home office is your workspace, but it’s your personal life that inspires you. Bring in photos, artwork, plants and flowers, and other personal touches that make you smile.
Give Yourself Some Space
If at all possible, use a room that’s big enough for more than just a desk. Give yourself room to stretch when you are tired, and space for a sofa for when you need to unwind.
Bring in Nature
Natural elements, like plants, flowers, water features, paintings of nature, and natural materials like wood and stone, can be both inspiring and relaxing. Let nature give you a boost, even when you are at work.
For many of us, the switch to working from home is here to stay, so make sure that you have everything that you need to do it well.