Home Office

Top five tips on how to improve productivity in a home office

Whether you’re running your own business, telecommuting, or you simply enjoy working from home, setting up a home office is a great way to boost productivity. The flexibility benefits of a home office are quite enticing, considering the constraints of modern lifestyles. You get to set up your own schedule and save valuable time and money on commuting.

However, working productively from home demands a high level of discipline and commitment. You’d expect the comfort and convenience of working from home to inspire creativity and motivation. Sadly, that’s not always the case. Here are five tips on improving work productivity in a home office.

1) Location matters

Choose a quiet location as a dedicated area for your office space. A spare bedroom or a secluded extra room in the house is an excellent choice. The area should be well illuminated (preferable by natural light), with a non-monotonous view to ward off boredom. Your home office doesn’t have to resemble a corporate workplace, but again it shouldn’t remind you of home.

2) Work in comfort

You’ll obviously need an office desk and some comfortable office chairs for yourself and visitors – should you have any. Comfort goes beyond office furniture and you should ensure you have everything you need, from office equipment to air conditioning.

3) Set up some boundaries

Your family and friends need to acknowledge and respect your office space and work time. Demand privacy from other members of the household, friends and even neighbours during working hours. This will help you avoid distractions from unannounced visits and noise. The goal is to separate your personal life from your professional life.

4) Dress the part

When picturing working from home, many people imagine wearing pyjamas and casual outfits. It seems odd to dress up for a home office. But the truth is, what you wear influences your confidence and productivity.

You don’t have to put on a suit, but you can still pull a professional look in comfortable clothes. Wear something decent that puts you in a professional mildest. Be presentable, even if it’s only to yourself.

5) Stick to a schedule

Working from a home office does not mean you’re done with routines. An effective way to improve productivity is to plan your work and time carefully. Make a list of all the tasks you have to do and allocate a time slot for each. Create a daily schedule and stick to it, and don’t forget to include meaningful and reasonable breaks.

An office schedule helps you manage your time and gives you a clear picture of your accomplishments.

Bottom line

As long as you can avoid distractions, respect your work, and remain focused, a home office is a highly productive work environment. Just make sure you have a nice quiet space and everything you require for work. Remember, you can always set up your office in the layout, colour, lighting, and furniture that best stimulates your work appetite.