While it may be tempting to plop down on the couch in your sweats and declare it your new office, a well-designed workspace is vital to your productivity and well-being, as well as your ability to concentrate. The time you invest in choosing the ideal setup as a remote worker will pay off. Here’s a list of key enhancements to help you get your workspace up to speed for optimal efficiency:
Quality Speakers
When you listen to music, you can both feel energized and relaxed at the same time. As a bonus, it can also help you be more productive. Music therapy researchers at the University of Miami found those study participants who played music while working completed their tasks faster and higher quality than those who didn’t.
With a Bluetooth speaker, you can fill your workspace with your favorite tunes to set the mood and drown out any distracting noises to increase your concentration. So, make a playlist of the ideal songs that will help boost motivation (catchy rhythms, instrumentals, and simple chord progressions often have the most effect).
An Aesthetic Carpet
Even though hardwood flooring might look elegant and simple, the styles offered are limited. There are a variety of designs, colors, and textures available for a carpet. It’s also possible to slip and fall on wooden flooring, while these accidents rarely ever happen with a rug in the room. The plush softness of carpets also helps reduce the impact of the falls, if ever they occur.
It is also important to keep carpets clean because they retain pollutants such as dust particles, keep them from getting into the air, and improve air quality. Using a thick rug, especially one made of wool, in conjunction with an underlay of good quality, can effectively insulate a room and reduce energy use. Carpets from Westex and other brands will undoubtedly give you the quality that you want.
A Yoga Mat
You’re tethered to a desk and a computer, just like the majority of the knowledge workforce. Because of this, sitting for more than eight hours a day isn’t the healthiest option. Investing in a yoga mat for your home office is one of the most acceptable ways to counteract lousy posture and inactive desk life.
The usefulness of yoga is recognized by many corporations such as General Motors (GM), Forbes, Apple, and Google, that they offer classes to encourage health programs. In addition to increasing clarity and motivation, yoga also improves posture, alleviates tension, and lowers joint and back discomfort in the body.
There are various introductory yoga sessions and videos available for you to watch on your desk break. And because you work from home, no one will stare at you strangely as you try to implement lizard and dog postures to improve your health.
An Ergonomic Office Chair
Desk slumping, a craning neck over the laptop, and what used to be a minor soreness in the lower back are now interfering with your job and well-being. While stretching and walking provide relief, it’s only temporary.
In addition to reducing back discomfort, an ergonomic chair with optimal lumbar support can help you stay focused and productive. Ergonomic chairs have been proven to reduce physical problems and negative emotions in employees throughout the day while enhancing productivity by 17.7%, according to a 2003 ergonomics study.
Soft Light Desk Lamp
In addition to a comfortable and productive work environment, a modest desk lamp with gentle light is essential. Adding a soft glow to your workspace might create a mellow and less hectic atmosphere.
Getting exposed to natural light in the day has been found to have significant benefits on your physical and mental health, so pull those shades and let the sunshine in — your brain will appreciate you for doing so! On the other hand, working in dimly lit areas with screens as the primary light source will put your eyes under stress, which can contribute to exhaustion as well as blurred vision and headaches.
An Indoor Plant
If you don’t have a plant on your desk, you’ll never realize how much it can improve your morale by simply giving it a glance while working. Plants are more than just a pretty adornment for your dining table. These living creatures can help you refocus your attention on the essential things. To liven up your office environment, consider adopting indoor plants that don’t need much light, such as pothos, pink Syngoniums (for a splash of color), fittonias, cactuses, and succulents.
As well as serving as an adequate workspace, your home office should be a reflection of who you are as a person. Make it your personal space and inject some personality into it to make it more interesting. You can make your office a remote worker’s paradise by decorating it with photos of loved ones, souvenirs from past adventures, or beautiful art pieces.
