With no real cure for covid-19 found yet, many of us are still having to work from home.
A messy home can not only be hard to work in but there's also evidence to suggest that it can reduce productivity!
One of the greatest assets we as employees gain from working from home is the fact that we have the freedom to decorate our work area in any way we want! The tough part comes when we're trying to find the right balance to make our workspace more 'work-friendly'.
Below we've listed a few things you can do around your home so it is more organised which should lead to increased productivity and output from your side.
1) Declutter
Anyone who doesn't manage their desk on a regular basis will have things scattered around that they have not used in a while.
Your first job will be to get rid of things you no longer use or need. This alone will create additional space and make your desk look more organised.
The next step is to put the things you use back in their usual places so you're not left wasting time looking for them when you need to use them.
Note, the above should not only be done for your desk but includes your workspace/office room in general. Don't forget things like furniture and supplies.
2) Get comfortable
Being comfortable and at ease in your work space is essential when organising and trying to achieve maximum efficiency.
If you're always moving around to different seating areas or changing which room you want to work in, your productivity levels will no doubt decrease.
Make sure the room that you choose to work in has everything (to the best of your ability) that will make you feel comfortable so you're able to focus solely on your work.
3) Consider expanding your workspace
Those of us who are now working from for the most part have dedicated a sole 'office' room to work from.
The problem with this for many of us is that this room is not always big enough to accommodate everything we need to work efficiently.
If you have the space to move into a bigger room with more work and storage space, we recommend giving it a go.
Having everything closer by should have a positive effect on your productivity.
4) Establish work areas and non-work areas
When working from home, it can be very easy to wander off into another room or take a quick peek at the telly from the room you're working in.
Property buying specialists Housebuyers say:
“Discipline is key when you're trying to achieve maximum productivity working from home so establishing 'work zones' is a great way to keep yourself in check if you ever get the urge to wander around or walk into the room where everyone else is watching something on the telly!”
5) Get the right tools & equipment
For example, a labeling machine or sticky notes of some form are great ways to organise your work so if you think you'll be using them, stock up and put them in the right place.
In addition, if you work with lots of files you may want to consider investing in a cabinet of some sort to store everything in.
It's also a good idea to organise your drawers so things like envelopes, notes, and writing pads can go into one drawer. You can use another draw for something else that relates to your work and finally also keep a separate draw for personal things.
6) Good lighting is important
Sometimes our desk lamps are too bright and other times we maybe working from a position where we're not getting enough natural light so everything looks a bit dim.
If any of these are you, consider improving or changing the lighting so you're able to see everything more clearly.
During the winter months, it's essential to get some artificial lighting in your workspace. In addition, good amounts of natural sunlight are known to improve moods and sleeping patterns.
The bottom line
Now that so many people have experienced working from as oppose to going to the office everyday, we believe even when the virus finally settles down there will be employees who will prefer to continue working from home.
In addition, for employers – not having to pay additional overheads such as office rent, some of them would definitely prefer their employees to continue working remotely.
We hope the tips we've provided above will help people organise their homes better so they're able to firstly achieve maximum productivity, but also make their homes look and feel more organised!
