7 Tips To Improve Your Home Work Environment
By Bruntwood
Our working environment can have a huge impact on our comfort, mood and productivity, so here are our Design Team Creative Lead, Jayne Baguely’s top tips for making the most of your home working environment - whether that’s a full study or the kitchen table.
1) Natural daylight
Setting up your workstation near a window to harness the power of natural daylight can be really beneficial. It not only reduces our reliance on artificial lighting, but can help us maintain a normal circadian rhythm - the body’s natural cycle of alertness, sleep and hunger.
2) Fresh air
Air quality can have a huge impact on cognition. Opening windows to allow in cooler, outdoor air can dramatically increase productivity, reduce CO2 levels and other indoor pollutants, as well as benefiting the mind.
3) Plant power
Biophilic design uses planting and natural materials to create a connection to nature. This is something that can be brought into the home workstation really easily just by moving an indoor plant to the area. It’s been proven that plants can have a positive impact by promoting calm, cleaning the air and helping control noise.
4) Music
Choosing the right playlist can help keep you focussed and increase motivation for the day. If you’re used to a busy open plan office, it can also combat the quiet that home working can bring.
5) Move around the space
Picking workspaces to suit the task you’re working on can be as beneficial at home as it is in the office. Certain tasks will lend themselves to a full table and chair set up, but other tasks like reading a report might be more comfortable in a relaxed chair. Making sure you’re comfortable is key and moving locations can help to re-energise and re-engage your mind.
6) Express your style
The lines between work and home have been blurring in office design for the last few years, with many spaces adding cosy, homely touches and new types of breakout spaces. Embrace your personal style in accessorising your home workstation and be proud of expressing your personality on video calls. Working at a distance might in many ways bring us closer together as we get a glimpse into people’s lives at home.
7) Powering down
If you’re working from areas that are usually a key part of the evening routine, such as the dining table, make sure to turn off your equipment and remove it from that space. This will help you to switch off at the end of the working day.