Working from home was and still is the norm for a great deal of us. We're a WFH household over here with both my husband and I choosing to work from the comfort of our home rather than an office. Because of this we've had to make our home much more functional. It needs to be our home first and foremost, but there also needs to be a comfortable working from home environment. We've picked up a few tips and tricks (as well as some big old no no's) along the way, which I'll be sharing with you today.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
Do you feel ready to work from home?
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How to create a great working from home environment.
A tidy workspace = A tidy mind.
I'll be honest and straight up say I'm not the neatest person in the world. I'm actually quite messy, but I think it's because my mind is awash with XY&Z to do, that things casually get strewn across the house. When it comes to working from home I've had to learn to be tidy!.. Which admittedly sounds rather stupid coming from a 32 year old woman.
Prioritising what you really need in your workspace is a must! I've massively downsized my desk, eliminating the clutter and getting rid of the distractions. It's true what they say, a tidy workspace equals a tidy mind. And a tidy mind is much more comfortable!
Good lighting.
We both work from computers, and although my husbands set up is much more screen dominated than mine, our working from home spaces both need to be appropriately lit.
The best way to incorporate this is by using natural light. Direct sunlight can reduce stress, headaches, even drowsiness at work. It's also said to reduce anxiety levels and increase work satisfaction. Natural light is great, however there's no denying the negative effect is has on screen visibility. It might be worthwhile playing about with your WFH layout, taking into consideration how the suns movements affect the lighting in your space.
If you are using lighting to aid your working from home environment you need to look for something soft. Being subject to harsh lighting for large periods of time can have a huge affect on your mood, your wellbeing and your productivity. Perhaps a warm toned floor lamp with an adjustable or moveable lamp would work well?
[Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash]
Avoid silence.
I'm including avoiding silence in my list although I have to admit I'm quite the opposite... But I know I'm part of the minority here.
An easy way of making your working from home environment close to the real thing is by incorporating the hustle & bustle of working in an office. The chatter of staff members, the buzz of the coffee machine. I bet there's a great number of sounds you miss (and some you probably don't) from working in an office.
You can create background noise from a number of different things. Podcasts, music playlists, even working outside. I personally absolutely love doing the latter. There's something about being outdoors that makes me feel so relaxed, it makes me so much more productive.
Create a routine.
You probably won't be very surprised to find out that my working routine can be quite slap dash. Especially after my admission of messiness in my first pointer. However creating a routine has been imperative for my productivity.
Routines and to do lists aren't for everybody. It'd be boring if we were all the same. But for me a great working from home environment centres around routine and checklists.
Investing in comfortable furniture.
Typical working offices are usually furnished with traditional commercial office furniture. Some can be quite outdated and make the working environment feel much more corporate than comfortable or productive.
When it comes to your home, it's important to remember it's your home as well as you working space. You need to invest in comfortable furniture which works practically, but also fits your homes aesthetics. There are a great number of furniture choices out there these days, from height adjustable desks to folding tables it'll be easy to find something which works comfortably for you.
And if your work from home setup includes any hands on or technical tasks (like engineering, repairs, or running a home-based business that relies on equipment) having reliable components can make a big difference. Investing in quality tools and Siemens automation parts, for instance, can help keep your systems running smoothly and allow you to focus more on your actual work rather than tech troubleshooting.
Avoid household chores.
A big thing for me when creating my ideal working from home environment is creating a space which is purely for working. And by that I mean, a space where I can switch off from outside factors and fully get my head into being at work. When I first started my WFH journey, like a lot of people I struggled finding the right balance between work Claire & home Claire. I struggled juggling motherhood with becoming self employed and everything else in between.
A huge distraction for me was household chores and feeling like I needed to fit them in whenever I'd get a spare five minutes at work. Truth is those five minutes never stay five minutes. Before you know it you've created 10 extra jobs and you feel even more snowed under than you did before.
Avoiding chores during work hours has been so highly beneficial for me.
[Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash]
Do you have any tips on creating the most comfortable working from home environment? Where do you stand on the working with background music
Since doing my degree from home (and having a newborn!) I definitely had to make some changes to my environment. I really think background noise definitely helps me be more productive as well!
Thanks for sharing, these are great tips for making your environment better whist working at home 🙂
These are great tips. We especially agree with avoiding silence and having good lighting. Lighting is always one of the things that can office work environments to sterile and uncomfortable. Thank you for sharing, and don't forget to check out our latest posts.
So true! Second last and the last point is the most important for me. Thank you for sharing.
Yes to these points! I've not been using my office much recently sadly so working from my bed again is far from ideal so I really need to get back into the habit of a routine etc. Good lighting is really important!
Completely agree with this, I work from home a lot so making sure my workspace suits me and keeps me motivated is key. Natural light is a must to wake me up in the mornings and making sure my back is supported in a proper office chair. Interestingly though, I tend to do some small household chores throughout the day as a screen break from work. My work always stresses we have 10-minute screen breaks so I tend to do little chores like folding laundry, meaning I don't have to do it once I log off. Everyone is different though!
Lisa x
https://thelowwasteweekly.com
Although I find routines helpful I sort of actually don’t think I like them. I think I t can make me a bit stressed being so structured. Home chores yes! They really can snowball! I don’t work from home but I do study and blog from my home. Reading this has made me think, maybe a morning routine dedicated to house and life chores would be good idea then it leaves me free and comfortable for the rest of the day! Structure for the boring things and free flowing and fun for the fun stuff!
I do like having something playing or some sort of noise in the background while blogging, particularly music! These are great ways to make working from home work for you! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
These are some really great tips which I’ll for sure be taking on board and using! I defiantly have to agree with a ‘tidy surroundings, tidy mind’ - I physically cannot function if I’m surrounded by clutter. It makes me feel at ease having a tidy space around me. Thank you so much for sharing this with us lovely Xo
Elle - ellegracedeveson.com
I've been a homeworker for over 13 years now and I cannot have any music or anything else on in the background. I need silence otherwise I lose my thread! Probably my biggest tips for WFH are a comfortable chair and a laptop stand that raises the screen to eye level and the keyboard to a comfortable typing angle. Very much with you on household chores and work Lisa/home Lisa though! xx
I definitely need to get better lighting (thanks for the reminder) as this can really impact my ability to do what I need to do; I also love the suggestion of avoiding silence. I definitely need quiet but do benefit from very quiet background noise (usually my home playlist music) but I think I will give other noise a try as I think it will help!
These are some really good tips for working from home. I have just brought a new desk and ordered a share that I pick up Saturday! I am really excited for a new work space. A tidy work space is a must! Thank you for sharing.
Lauren x
I think creating a routine and limiting distractions are both so important and helpful to getting work done from home.
I worked from home for a year and a half and I agree with most of these, except I need it to be silent in order to be productive. I'm in the minority, I know. It also helped me to be in a room with a door that I could lock. Not everyone has enough space to do that, but it definitely helped send the signal to my family that I was not to be bothered.
These are great tips! I very rarely work from home, but when I do the odd day I never usually have any background noise - I must be in the minority but I think I find it distracting!
Amy x
callmeamy.co.uk
I’m with you on the importance of being in a tidy space. I feel as if my thoughts are more organized as a result since I don’t have to worry about any clutter around me.
Having a clean, fresh scent also helps me as well. I use oil diffusers throughout my home to help with that.
Crystal | http://www.amazingbaby.app
Such a great list!! I find having a routine and keeping tidy work for me too! Thanks so much for sharing!✨
I really need to work on this! I just end up working from bed which isn't great but I hate the risk of waking Leo by getting up!
Corinne x
This is so useful! I’m still working from home for 2 years now. And couldn’t agree more with this. It all depends on your home. When I was in my flat, a desk and chair was suitable for me but since moving into the house it’s not. You just have to do what works for you x
With my new job, I've started working from home twice a week and I definitely agree with these tips! x
Fantastic post and you've hit all the marks. I can't express enough how important lighting and comfortable working space are. They prevent long-term injuries that we often don't think of because 'we're just at a desk.'