5 Simple Ways to Create a Productive & Creative Home Office
2020 has been unpredictable, to say the least. Lockdown saw us hit the pause button on social gatherings and summer plans. We also saw a standstill in the workplace, with non-essential workers advised to work from home. For some, this was a welcomed rest, a time to wind down and enjoy quality time with the family. For others, these were unnerving times. Interestingly, reports are now suggesting three out of five people will want to continue to work from home after the removal of all restrictions. Working from home might just be the ‘new normal’.
Adjusting to this work environment may be difficult for some but fear not, we have some tips up our sleeves to help you thrive during this time.
Here are our Top 5 Tips to Enhance Productivity and Creativity at Home:
1. Set Goals and Break Them Down
It might seem obvious, but setting goals can help you stay focused. It provides clarity on what you want to achieve in the day. Instead of aiming to complete large goals do the opposite and break your objectives into sizable chunks. Breaking up your tasks is a useful way to keep your brain active and engaged for longer. Why? Dopamine, that’s why.. This pleasure hormone is released each time you complete a task, motivating and encouraging you to achieve more goals (yay!).
2. Choose a Dedicated Workspace
After a few weeks of lockdown, you may have realised that the liberating feeling of sitting in your pyjamas and doing ‘work’ opposite your TV doesn’t quite encourage your most productive self. Therefore, there needs to be a dedicated area in your home environment that ignites your creative side. Here’s a great video that shows you exactly how to set up your workspace.
3. Remove Distractions
Carrying on from the recommendation of setting up a dedicated workspace, make sure it is clutter free the day before you know you’re going to use it. By removing the clutter, it becomes one less interference your brain has to consider when it comes to completing tasks. We, of course, have to cover the king of distractions here too, our phones. A ‘quick look’ at one or two posts on Instagram can quickly turn into an hour of mindless scrolling. So what’s our top tip here? Remove the phone. Putting your phone on airplane mode and leaving it in a different room might seem like an extreme course of action for some, but if you’re easily distracted, then it is worth considering.
4. Add a Touch of Greenery
Adding plants to any work environment has a proven track record of having a multitude of benefits. Studies demonstrate that the simple act of placing a plant in front of you whilst at work, can improve creativity levels by 15% and reduce fatigue by 30%! If you are unsure of becoming a full time plant parent, may we humbly suggest the reliable terrarium? Once made, terrariums become self-sufficient, so you get to reap all the rewards of having a plant minus the fuss!
5. Take Proactive Breaks
By default, our breaks tend to consist of a cheeky scroll through social media or Netflix. Next time this occurs, why not recharge your batteries by reading relevant articles or walking around the block listening to a podcast. Either of these options continue to contribute towards the flow of those creative juices, so that when you get back to it, you’ll continue to have a proactive session.
Generating a productive and creative workspace at home is like building a habit. It takes time, but once instilled it can do wonders for upleveling your projects. Give them a try and let us know how you get on in the comments section below, and if you have discovered any other tips and tricks that have helped you during these times.
Stay safe and keep on creating!
