Working from home is an option that is becoming increasingly popular with people that have long commutes, we take a look at the top ways to boost your productivity while working from home.
By 2020 more than 50 per cent of the UK workforce will work remotely, with nearly 1.5 million employees currently ditching the office for their dining table.
According to the latest research from Harveys, London has the highest number of remote employees, with 408,000 people using their home as their main office, with over half working from home, every day of the week.
Believe it or not, everything from the position of your chair to the music you listen to can affect your productivity. With this in mind, Harveys reveals how to create the perfect work setting.
Feng Shui
Feng Shui is the art of placement, teaching us how to position objects in the space around us to balance energy and create harmony. It has had a huge impact on the aesthetics of interior design and plays a huge role when creating a productive workspace.
To follow the art of Feng Shui, you should separate your working and living space to encourage a good ‘work and home life’ balance.
“Avoid the sofa, as this provides a space that can energetically separate your living and working life. Position your desk so that the back of your chair has the support of a solid wall,” said Priya Sher, Feng Shui expert.
“It’s also a good idea to avoid sitting with your back to the window or open shelves. According to Feng Shui, open shelves act as arrows in your back and a window in your back can make you feel unsupported.”
Colour
There are four primary psychological colours: red, blue, yellow and green. Whether you work indoors or outside, surrounding yourself with certain colours can help boost productivity.
“If you’re in a physically demanding job, red is a great productivity booster. Workers that require a lot of physical exertion such as tradespeople, personal trainers, and tree surgeons may respond well to red,” commented Angela Wright, colour psychologist.
Use blue for a productivity boost in if you’re an office worker, it’s brilliant for completing administrative tasks or projects that require maximum focus. Add a splash of orange if you need extra inspiration.”
“For innovators and entrepreneurs, yellow will help if you have a little brain fatigue. It’s great for a productivity boost and will get your juices flowing.”
“Finally, if you thrive in a calm environment, green is the colour for you. It’s great for people who practice yoga or meditation.”
Music to improve your mood
Like listening to music whilst working? Turns out it could be making you more productive. The connection between listening to music you like at work and an improved mood is strong, it turns out it’s not just classical music that stimulates productivity – however, we’d avoid anything too heavy.
Songs which include sounds of nature can enhance cognitive functioning and improve levels of concentration. If your work requires you to be more upbeat, you could try listening to music that matches this tempo. Baroque is a good choice if you have a lot of work to get done.
Keep cool
If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ll know how difficult it is to get the temperature right and keep everybody happy. Working from home means this is one less thing to worry about – as you are in full control of the thermostat.
Previous studies suggest that the perfect temperature to maximise productivity should be between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. However, as our bodies are all different, keeping the room at a temperature that’s comfortable for you should do the trick.
Have you found working from home a breeze or do you get distracted and end up being a lot less productive than if you were in an office? We’d like to hear your thoughts on Twitter: @PALifeMag
