Continuing a good work life, home life balance is especially difficult if you're working from the comfort of your home. In between your indoor physical workout routine and looking after your personal mental health, your home office environment might be one that you have already spent several months in, and possibly a few more.
Between virtual meetings, planning your next big project, making dinner, and finding the time to relax, it can get overwhelming to find the right balance. Stay focused and productive when you need to but know when it's time to put the work away. What can you do to create a better home office environment?
Separate Home from Work
Separating home from work is especially important when living in a smaller space. Do you have a dedicated home office, or is your dining table your workstation? If the latter is your case, there are ways to stay productive during work hours and still get your rest and relaxation afterwards.
On your typical workday (remember?), you had your morning routine down to a tee. Even when working from home, start the day with a routine. You're more likely to win the day by creating physical differences between your day-at-work environment, and your relaxing weekend-at-home.
If your workstation-by-day is your dining-table-by-night, get into the routine of clearing your work equipment away at the end of the day. Easily store your work tools on furniture with wheels so you can move it out of the way after hours.
Did your usual office inspire you? At home, consider decorating your workspace with artwork to spark creativity and motivation. Get inspired through physical reading materials and images. Stimulate your mind and promote positive mentality.
Get Comfortable
So, you've got your desk, workspace, and office, now comfort is your goal.
Studies have found office workers who are more comfortable in their workspace show signs of increased productivity. These factors include the likes of ergonomic chairs, desk type, and even the amount of natural light.
Consider the purchase of an ergonomic chair. Ask your employer if you can take your chair from the office, or even discuss an expense account with your manager. While your chair needs to be comfortable for you to get work done, there are other factors that can lead to your physical comfort.
Try a laptop stand combined with a mouse and keyboard. This will raise your eye level and get you away from being hunched over your laptop screen. If your desk isn't quite a desk, a standing desk converter can be placed on any surface to raise your workstation into a comfortable position for standing.
Have the Right Tools
If your employer does give you an allowance for work equipment, there are other tools outside of your basic keyboard and mouse combo that can turn your environment into an even more productive and comfortable one.
How is your Wi-Fi connection? As we spend more time at home, eating up our data, some employers are providing a Wi-Fi allowance to their teams. Now that you'll be attending more meetings via video conferencing software, it's good to have a stable connection. Upgrade your speeds if they're not up to scratch. Try Wi-Fi analyser software to increase your speeds if you're in an apartment building with lots of interference, or go the wired route for stable video.
If you don't have the luxury of a private room, noise-cancelling headphones are an absolute must, especially if you're sharing your new workspace with a roommate or your partner.
The same goes for expanding your workflow on multiple screens. Ask your employer if you can take your monitors from the office. Alternatively, utilize other screens in your home, like your television. Sounds like the perfect workstation for success.
Whatever your new home office looks like, take the necessary steps to separate work time from home time, have the right tools at your disposal, and get comfortable. It could be a long ride, but hopefully a productive one.
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