iStock/PeopleImages(NEW YORK) — With the COVID-19 pandemic relegating millions of workers to their homes to limit the spread of the virus, chances are we haven’t given all that much to out ‘home office,’ until now.
However, leave it to those crafty folks at Etsy to help us get our house in order.
The website’s trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson offers the following tips to making any space feel more professional — even if you’re pecking away on an old card table.
- Prepare the essentials — Give yourself the tools you need to have a successful workday, whether it’s a desk organizer, charging station to keep your electronics fully fueled, or whiteboard to jot down ideas.
- Add greenery and natural light –– Plants and sunlight are known to reduce stress and increase productivity. If you can, choose to create your home office in a room that gets plenty of natural light and has space for a few plants. Nature will always make you feel a little brighter.
- Keep track of time — Get yourself a desk clock to remind you how long you’ve been sitting at your desk. It’s important to take breaks throughout the day, and an old-school clock will ensure that you have an easy way to view the time.
- Prioritize comfort — Comfort is key to working from home, so make sure to choose a proper chair, or add a cushion to the chair you have, to keep yourself comfortable throughout the day.
- Find your light — Proper lighting can increase productivity, so make sure you have a good fixture, whether it’s a desk lamp or a wall sconce, and play with the angles until you get just the right amount of light in your work space.
- Utilize wall space — If your work space has a wall nearby, consider adding a peg wall or cork board to add reminders, calendars, or even inspirational messages to keep you motivated.
- Reduce stress — Keep calming aromatherapy roller balls, essential oil diffusers, or candles on your desk to help release stress. And don’t forget to take a minute to relax when you need a moment. It’s okay to take self-care breaks!
Johnson also notes that if your home office is in your bedroom — as hers is — you should try to make the office part feel like a totally different room to separate when and where you’re on and off the clock.
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