A happy workspace is a productive workspace, but how can you make sure it’s a happy place, to begin with? Everyone has days when they’re less motivated than others, especially when working from home during a worldwide pandemic, so is there anything that can be done around the home office to ensure you’re being as productive as possible? Put simply, yes there is. From creating the right working climate to utilizing the power of plants, there are a number of workplace-based ideas you can utilize to encourage productivity. Listed below are a few great ideas to get you started.
Color
The style, design, and colors used in the aesthetic of a workspace can make a big difference to productivity levels. Darker colors like blacks and reds often give a less inspiring look, subtly influencing how we feel while we’re working.
On the other hand, lighter and brighter colors – like yellows, creams, and lighter pastel-based colors – can offer a more immediate positive feel, stimulating us to feel and want to work more productively.
However, while color may be important, the lighting used in the workspace is too. Low lighting could cause eye strain while using a computer, for example, meaning you’ll feel tired more quickly. Brighter, LED lighting can prevent this being such a concern, ensuring you stay awake and alert over a period of time.
For example, the HMG Creative office has large windows and bright white walls, offering a nice, naturally lit workspace. We even have our personal mantras on a mural in our office to inspire us every day! But since we’re not in the office these days, we make sure to have our home office spaces well-lit and ready for anything the day throws at us!
Organization
It should go without saying really, but having a clean workplace is absolutely imperative – and not just from a productivity point of view. It’s important for us to actually want to be there, otherwise, we will just resent our work and feel demotivated about getting it done.
To ensure workplaces are kept as organized as possible, they should be cleaned and maintained regularly. The cleaner the workspace is, the more receptive we will be to working harder and, hopefully, smarter.
Plants
Office plants can be a highly effective means of ensuring we work more productively. Whether it be ivy, aloe vera, or a rubber plant, the very nature of plants is to regulate the air around the room and pump oxygen out into the surrounding environment.
Having this high level of atmospheric oxygen around the space helps keep brains functioning effectively, ensuring we stay focused on our work over a longer time period. Plus, plants are nice to look at as well, promoting a more positive – and therefore productive – atmosphere for us to work in. Plant power for the win!
As a bonus, some of our favorite plant shops around Austin, TX include:
All of these mentioned are offering curbside pickup, so you can spruce up your own work-from-home space too!
Climate
The climate of the workspace can make a big difference to the overall level of productivity. If it’s too warm, you could start to feel tired more easily. Whereas, if it’s too cold, you might wrap up in so many layers it makes it near-impossible to type without shivering. Finding the ideal temperature to work in is therefore vital. It’s so important to ensure the working climate is suitable.
Most importantly, we at HMG Creative believe that it’s utterly necessary to leave the workspace for a bit. Yes, it’s okay to get out there! Most of our team members go for daily walks. Others break a sweat by doing yoga at home. Because we live in a beautiful Central Texas city, we also love to be out on the water!
We encourage you to get active and get outside! You’ll be surprised as to how well it boosts productivity. Of course, we encourage you to practice social distancing by staying six feet away from others, and wearing a face mask whenever possible!
Music
Working from home normally brings with it a number of distractions that can instantly draw us away from our work. Whether it be social media notifications, a loud television, or cooking smells emanating from the kitchen, it’s easy to fall out of the working mindset.
While this won’t be for everyone, listening to music can actually help prevent this from happening, drowning out any external noises to help us stay focused on our work. Back at the HMG office, we always had music going, taking turns at controlling the Spotify account. Now that we’re all in our respective homes, we share some of our favorite music on slack.
Here are a few we’ve mentioned:
- Blaine recommends: His Daily Mix!
- Sarah recommends: Quiet Morning Coffee
- Ian recommends: RetroWave/Outrave
We hope you can incorporate some of these tips to make your workspace a happy place to be! Although our productivity is crucial no matter where we work, remember that everyone else is adjusting just like you. For many of us, working from home still doesn’t feel normal and with all of the uncertainty around the world right now, it’s okay to have your ups and downs! Keep up the good work!
This article was contributed by Chester Avey. Chester has over a decade of experience in Business Growth Management and Digital Marketing. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with other like-minded professionals through his writing. This article was edited by HMG Creative’s, Thalia Carrillo.