If you are a homeowner and work from home either full time or part time you may have a home office. Being productive at home can depend on managing your work environment and noise levels. Here are some top tips on how to keep your home office calm and productive.

Three ways to keep your home office calm and productive

Working from home gives you greater flexibility over the layout of your office. If you want to set up on the sofa, go ahead. If you want to angle your desk towards the television, no one will stop you.

However, whilst working from home gives us the freedom to indulge in some added luxuries, there are a few things you should consider to ensure you are creating the best possible working environment. Doing these will boost productivity and healthy mental wellbeing.

Here are three things you can do to create your own working space that will be the talk of your video calls.

Embrace your horticultural side

Particularly as we plunge into the doldrums of winter, investing in a few houseplants for your office can really brighten up the room. Not only will they vastly improve the appearance of your workspace, but they can actually help improve focus and general wellbeing.

Studies have shown that the installation of plants in an office can lead to reductions in feelings of tension and anxiety by up to 37%, as well as a drop in depression or dejection by 58%. Furthermore, introducing just a handful of houseplants to an office has been shown to boost employee productivity by 15%.

However, it’s something of a myth that houseplants improve the air quality in your home. So don’t rely solely on your horticultural additions to create a healthy environment. Instead, open the windows.  HomeViable recommends using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to remove harmful particles from the air.

These essential steps will promote a healthy working lifestyle. Be sure to read the reviews of the best new vacuums to give you a head start on keeping your home office clean and tidy.

Let there be (natural) light

When setting up your home office, try and find a space with lots of natural light. If your desk is set up by a window, be sure to open the blinds throughout the day to get as much exposure as possible.

Research conducted by neuroscientists at Michigan State University suggests that regularly working in dark spaces can hinder our mental capacity and can also lead to short-term eye strain.

There are plenty of ways you can increase the amount of sunlight coming into your home. Ensure that windows are kept clean, and think about adding shiny objects or mirrors into your office which will reflect the light and make the room appear brighter.

In some homes that are limited for space, sunlight isn’t always an option. If your working space isn’t near a natural source of light, install lots of artificial sources. No, the light from your display screen doesn’t count.

The natural light won’t do any harm to your new houseplants, either.

Personalise but don’t clutter

Beyond the obvious draw of wanting to remain employed, there should be additional reasons to spend time at your desk. This starts with adding personal touches to your working environment. Choose pictures of loved ones or a scented candle to create your personal space. These little touches will motivate you. You will ‘arrive’ at the office on time in the mornings, and it will improve your wellbeing throughout the working day, too.

However, whilst scattering photo albums and picture frames across your desk beware the cluttered desk. It isn’t conducive to productive working if you are battling desk ornaments and clutter. In this case, the ‘less is more’ approach can be useful.

Find a few special items that will encourage you to remain positive and productive throughout the week. Avoid falling into the trap of cluttering your desk with distractions from around the home.

Final thoughts on how to keep your home office calm and productive

Most of us spend much of our day to day lives working. It is essential that we protect the space in which we spend so much time absorbed in work. These simple tips will help you make your home office calm and healthy and therefore productive.

Further reading on working from home and housesitting

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

Working from home with pets

A working dog parent’s guide to puppy ownership

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities

Top dog sitting tips for beginners