Work + Relaxation: The Balance in Your Home Office
As companies continue to take advantage of remote working, employees are looking for ways to turn their home spaces into office spaces. But how does one balance a productive office with a relaxing one? Work + Relaxation: The Balance in Your Home Office
CDAClass.org shares some home updates that can improve your home office.
Consider repainting
Did you know that the colors around you can affect your mood? We tend to associate the colors we see with what they remind us of. For example, the color green may remind someone of positive things like money, fresh vegetables, or an open field of lush grass.
With this in mind, repaint your office area. Though cooler colors are seen to be relaxing, maybe blue just isn’t a color you like. Red may be seen as an “angrier” color, but if it’s your favorite, it can improve your mood and thus increase productivity. If your office is in a shared space like the living room and you don’t want to repaint the entire space, consider painting one focal wall where the desk is located.
Create a designated workspace
Do your best to create a designated workspace. Convert your guest room or your children’s old playroom. If you don’t have room to spare, find a space in your house where distractions will be limited. The dining room probably has less foot traffic than the living room, and the bedroom will have even fewer distractions. Bear in mind, however, that part of keeping work and relaxation in the house is separating the office from your home space. In a shared space, try using screens or curtains to “close” your office at the end of the day. This is another way to find balance in your home office.
Think outside the box when choosing your home office space. Walk-in closets and bay windows are underutilized spaces that can make for excellent working areas. Additionally, the more natural light, the better. Bestar explains that offices with an abundance of natural light provide the illumination required for an inspiring, positive workspace. If your office is somewhere where natural light is unavailable, be sure to use plenty of extra lighting to compensate.
Declutter and reorganize
Just like color, clutter can affect your mood and, according to Health Shots, even your mental health. Studies have found that women who lived in cluttered homes had higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and were more likely to be depressed. Clutter goes hand-in-hand with organization, and these elements are crucial.
Completely clear off your desk. Now sit down and test your muscle memory. If you think about grabbing invoices, does your hand move to the left or right? Do you prefer your computer at an angle? Maybe you want to move your second monitor to the opposite side. Arrange your dream desk, focusing on a sensible organization that you’ll easily adopt.
Speaking of decluttering your desk, if you’re still using paper accounting records, chances are good that your desk is covered in piles of receipts and invoices. Switching to a digital accounting solution will help you get rid of all that paper clutter, giving you a more calm and organized workspace. Best of all, a new accounting software solution can give you valuable insights into your business finances. By taking a closer look at your spending patterns and income sources, you can make informed decisions about where to cut costs and how to boost revenue.
Get sentimental
Though you should limit the amount of décor for the sake of decluttering, incorporate something personal. It could be a toy from your childhood, a piece of family inheritance, a photo, or anything else that makes you feel happy.
Take care with which items you choose. If your desk is old and a little wobbly, don’t choose anything like a photo in an old frame or porcelain figurine. Also, be mindful of the motions of your regular workday; for example, don’t place an item so close to your computer mouse that you’ll constantly knock it on the floor.
Go green
Research has shown that ordinary house plants can actually improve mood and reduce stress, so bring some plant life into your office space. In addition to the mental health benefits, a study by NASA found that house plants can reduce the levels of several chemical pollutants found in the home. Some of their suggested greenery include:
- English ivy
- Gerbera daisies
- Bamboo palms
It isn’t easy to balance work and rest, and it’s even trickier when those occur in the same place. Whether you’re designing your home workspace for the first time or reorganizing and redecorating, these tips can help you have a relaxing home office.
This blog was created by Janice Russell. Janice Russell believes the only way to survive parenthood is to find the humor in it. She created Parenting Disasters so that parents would have a go-to resource whenever they needed a laugh, but also to show parents they aren’t alone. She wants every frazzled parent out there to remember that for every kid stuck in a toilet, there’s another one out there somewhere who’s just graced their parents’ walls with some Sharpie artwork!
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