1. Create A Space You Enjoy Working In
1.1. On your desk or wall, hang a motivational quote, painting, or even rented art.
1.2. Remove distracting triggers from a workstation, such as a television or games console.
1.3. Patrick McCrae, CEO of UK art consultancy ARTIQ says
1.3.1. “Art has been proven to increase productivity, enhance wellbeing and help creative thinking, making it an essential addition to any home office,”
1.3.2. “Paint the office a more desirable color, hang posters and postcards or display personal photographs”
1.3.3. “Filling workspaces with motivational images such as vision boards and inspiring quotes can also aid productivity.”
2. Cats, Dogs, And Candles Allowed
2.1. You can also use smart lights to change the visual tone of your home office
2.2. Changing light strength would probably annoy colleagues in an office, but that’s not an issue at home.
3. Establish Boundaries Between Work And Personal Life
3.1. If you don't have a dedicated home office, confine work in your house or apartment to a single location like the kitchen table.
3.2. Experiment with lighting to signal when it’s time to focus on work versus switching off for the day.
3.3. Earplugs or noise-canceling headphones can help you get in a mental zone if space is an issue.
3.4. Endless video conferences and a deluge of instant messages don’t help.
3.4.1. If you’re a manager, agree with your team about how much communication is expected and when.
3.5. Megan Wheeler, Director of Recruiting at LifeLabs Learning says:
3.5.1. “Some of the most important norms to set include…agreeing on ‘dark time’ (when a response is not expected), aligning on how to show availability (e.g., calendar blocks, Slack status), and establishing what channel to use for what purpose”
3.5.2. “Once norms are created, there should be one source of truth, like a playbook, making it easy to review, update as needed, and onboard new team members.”
4. Experiment With Color
4.1. Use the extra free time after work or during the weekend to reconsider an overdue home decorating project.
4.2. The color red is conducive to energy, green unlocks creative thinking, and blue is calming.
4.3. McCrae says.
4.3.1. “Block colors and strong lines are proven to help with tasks that require focus and concentration, whilst abstract content and neural palettes are preferable when promoting calm and tranquillity”
4.3.2. “If you are looking for inspiring content, use bright strong colors with refined compositions.”