Personal Productivity
How To Create a Home Office That Inspires Focus and Creativity
AUTHOR: Indiana Lee
As beneficial and enjoyable as working outside your home is, many prefer to work from home. And for good reason. The convenience and comfortability of an at-home setup are enticing.
However, working from home can be incredibly distracting if you aren’t careful. The first step is creating a designated office space that inspires productivity, efficiency, and creativity.
The following tips will help you design an organized, flowing home office that boosts your productivity.
Be Intentional About Your Home Office’s Location
The location of your office is integral to inspiring focus and creativity. Being locked away in a dark room in the corner of your home probably isn’t going to set you up to be as focused and attentive as you should be when working.
A space with lots of natural light, a door that closes, and room to work comfortably will help facilitate high productivity levels. So, be intentional about where you put your office. Decide on a few top choices and walk through them. Imagine how the setup would be and how you would feel working in the space.
Once you’ve chosen the right location for your home office, focus on your color scheme.
Choose Colors That Boost Productivity
If you haven’t heard about color psychology, you should familiarize yourself with it before choosing colors for your home office. Color psychology studies how colors influence one’s behaviors, emotions, moods, and impressions.
In this case, the goal is to choose wall and accessory colors that inspire the most productivity, creativity, and focus in you.
For example, red can incite a sense of power and urgency, both of which aid productivity. Blue can make you feel calm and enable you to concentrate and communicate better. And yellow can inspire confidence, lift your mood, and stimulate creativity.
In addition to colors, pick great accessories.
Pick Accessories That Fit You
Not only do you want your accessories to be of the color scheme above, but you also want them to fit you. In other words, choose accessories that reflect your personality and support your work habits.
For example, if abstract artwork prompts creativity for you, include that artwork throughout your home office. If seeing photos of your family on your desk makes you work a little harder, include those. Or, if you prefer a minimalist approach with just a few accessories throughout your office, design it that way.
Whatever accessories are most “you’’ and helpful in your efforts to have productive work sessions, give them a place in your home office.
Ensure Your Space Is Clutter-Free
One of the most important things regarding your home office is ensuring it’s clutter-free. Clutter can affect our brains. When things are messy and disorganized, it can result in cognitive overload, decreased focus, more stress, and sleep issues.
Conversely, a clutter-free space can improve your ability to focus, process information, and be productive. It can also help you feel more confident when your room is organized and intentional. So, declutter your office space.
For example, if you’re using a stand-up desk, use a strong arm monitor to suspend your monitor in the air and free up space below you. Tie your cables together with zip ties. Good-sized cable trays, wireless keyboards, and relocating accessories to the underside of your desk are also helpful in keeping your space clutter-free.
Prioritize Organization
Decluttering your space is only half the battle. You also want to maintain organization in your home office to ensure it stays de-cluttered and is as functional as possible. Take time to develop an organizational system that works for you.
For example, if you’re a student focusing on managing stress, you likely have a lot on your plate schedule-wise. You probably also have a lot of books, papers, and accessories to house and use. A planner can help keep your schedule organized. Notebooks with dividers and folders can help you manage your paperwork. Color-coding everything in your office might also be beneficial to your organizational efforts.
Remember that everyone gets organized differently. So think about the system and organizational accessories that best fit you and your work style.
Create a “Break” Corner
To remain focused and productive throughout the day, frequent breaks are essential. A 15-minute break every hour or so of work is recommended. Taking lunch every day is also essential.
Having a “break” corner in your home office can help ensure you take all necessary breaks throughout your workday. This corner will also help eliminate the infamous “working lunch.”
Designate a space in your office to take intentional breaks that allow you to separate from work. Here are a few ideas for things to add to your “break” corner:
- Candles and incense
- A selection of books
- A journal to write in
- A Bluetooth speaker
- A blanket and pillows
- Dumbbells, a yoga mat, and other workout equipment
Build an Office Ritual
An office ritual is critical for inspiring focus and creativity. Each of us gets into our zone differently. The key is defining the tasks or activities you do to get into your zone. Then, you must order them appropriately so that you’re fully in your zone when it’s time to get to work.
It’s also important to clock out when the workday is over. You should be in full work mode when you step into your home office. But the moment you step out, you must leave work there.
Blurring those lines almost always leads to burnout. An office ritual will allow you to preserve your focus and creativity and bring your best to work daily.
To be productive, focused, and creative while you work from home, you must create a home office that prompts these things. The tips above will help in your quest to design a home office that inspires you to be the best you can be.
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