As working from home has cemented its status as the “new normal”, it’s hard for us to find tips for being productive working from home: having a morning routine, maintaining a consistent schedule, even decent clothes (maybe not tight pants, but not pajamas either). We also know all about Take frequent breaks from work, use a standing desk, and incorporate microwave exercise.
Sure, those are all important, but routine or time off from work aren’t the only keys to being more productive. Your physical environment also affects productivity for better or for worse. One of the big advantages of working from home is having full control over your workspace. Even if you’re taking up half a dining table or cramming into a closet (this can be nicer than it sounds!), you can revamp your workspace and tailor it to your taste . After all, it’s part of your home, so you want to enjoy being there.
Most of us probably don’t pay enough attention to the sensory environment — what we see, hear, and smell while we work. Easy, inexpensive touches can increase both happiness and productivity. This is the place to start.
The eyes have it
You may feel like you spend all day looking at a computer screen, but it really isn’t. The rest of your visual field can significantly affect productivity and stress levels. Consider the following.
Lighting
It’s hard to get good work done in a dark, dreary space. Dr. Andrew Huberman, Stanford neuroscientist emphasizes the importance of getting bright light in the first 9 hours after waking up. Specifically, he recommends strong lighting from above and having spotlights directly in front of you. These substances stimulate the release of dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine to increase alertness and focus. The morning light is also a zeitgeber—A signal that regulates circadian rhythms, Helps promote optimal energy during the day and sleepiness at night.
Ideally, the sun provides morning light, so position your desk by a window if possible. Research shows that people who work in a windowless office get worse sleep than their co-workers who receive daylight in their workspace. You can also use artificial white overhead lights and/or supplement them with lights if your workspace is not naturally lit. Don’t make it so bright that you have to squint or get a headache or eye strain, but if it doesn’t, turn those lights on.
The call of nature
Ideally, your home office should have windows that let light in and allows you to see some nature — trees, a garden, a neighborhood park. If you can’t get close to a window or your window faces a concrete jungle, bring a little nature indoors with houseplants. Heck, buy some houseplants even if your home office overlooks a lush garden. Studies show that houseplants
- Increase your ability to focus
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve your mood and increase happiness
- Enhance attention and productivity
- Reduce stress levels
- Reduced sick leave
- Improve satisfaction in the workplace
If you’re one of those rare people who didn’t pick a few plants — or a few too many — while stuck at home in 2020, now is a great time to try your green thumb. friend. Take a peace lily, ivy, spider plant or chrysanthemum, which is said to have outstanding air-purifying benefits. Pick up some succulents if you’re having trouble remembering to water your potted buddies.
Still trying to go out as often as possible. Abundant evidence confirms that time in nature improves mood, improves concentration and attention, reduces stress, and promotes creative thinking. There are walking meetings during the day. Take your laptop to a local park. Lunch in the sun. No matter how beautiful your home office space is, try to get out of it every day.
Use color to set tone
While many studies have examined the effects of color in the room on cognitive performance, none of the colors seem to consistently enhance or decrease productivity. Color preference is obviously quite characteristic.
However, you can still use color to your advantage. Choose a color scheme for your home workspace feel the best. If your work puts you in a calm, relaxed state, you may want to start with blue, green, or perhaps yellow. On the other hand, if you work better in a heightened state of euphoria, you may prefer a more saturated red tone. Some people like to be surrounded by white because they find it less distracting, while others find it boring and draining.
If you don’t want to make up the whole office, start with a few colorful accessories. Or paint an accent wall and see if you get a little bit of work inspiration.
Use sound to increase productivity
The acoustic environment in which you work is very important. Sounds can be distracting and stressful, or they can help your brain focus and improve your mood during the workday.
Music
Research shows that music enhances cognitive performance and well-being during the workday—if it’s the music you like. At home, you have full control over playlists; but if you’re moving back to an office environment where you have to indulge your coworkers’ problematic musical tastes, you might want to invest in noise-cancelling headphones to optimize your productivity. Music with lyrics and sad music (minor keys) can interfere with attention and performance, so choose upbeat instruments.
Nature sounds
Natural sounds like birdsong and running water tend to reduce stress and increase productivity, even in the presence of human sounds like voices or traffic noise. On the other hand, mechanical sounds like an air conditioner or a boiler have the opposite effect. Open that window or download an app that provides the sweet sounds of nature.
Binaural rhythm
With binaural beats, tones are delivered to your left and right ears at slightly different times. The mismatch stimulates certain brainwave patterns and, depending on the frequency, produces effects such as relaxation and stress reduction. Certain binaural beats can enhance learning and memory, promote divergent or creative thinking, and enhance cognitive flexibility. They do this in part by stimulating the release of dopamine which, again, enhances focus and attention. Huberman recommends starting with binaural beats at 40 hertz, which has been shown in studies to have the greatest effect on work-related cognitive functions. He suggests listening to binaural beats for 30 minutes before starting work to start the pump, so to speak.
Overall, like color, everyone’s sound preferences are very personal. Some people work best in quiet environments, while others prefer music, white noise, or even louder spaces like a coffee shop. If you’re like me, your interests change from day to day or from task to task. Sometimes you need complete silence to focus, and other times, you crave some background noise. So, the best course of action is probably to go with the feel, adapting your audio environment to what resonates in the moment (no pun intended). Any noise, even a pleasant one, can be distracting if it’s too loud, so watch the overall volume level.
What is that smell?
Don’t forget your olfactory environment. The way your workplace smells can boost focus, memory, and goal setting. Specific smells can also relieve stress and bring you into a more comfortable space to get the job done.
Mint, cinnamon, and rosemary are generally considered beneficial for yield. Lavender, vanilla, and sandalwood can all help with relaxation, which can be good or bad depending on what you need. As with everything else we’ve discussed here, scents are personal. Certain people may have strong positive or negative associations with you based on prior research. Maybe a beloved teacher always smells like roses, or you’ve been in a terrible car accident in a car that smells like pine. Those smells will likely always evoke specific feelings for you, so choose the ones you like.
Generally speaking, Fresh air is always preferable to stale, stuffy air, which is another reason to open that window. You might also consider investing in an air purifier to remove unpleasant odors and improve air quality.
Small change, big impact on productivity?
Your environment directly affects your levels of happiness, motivation, and productivity. The goal is to create a space where you feel comfortable, focused, and ready to tackle your workload each day.
Each of the modifications suggested here require a low investment of time or money, but they can certainly pay off in getting the job done. Instead of assigning a specific office, I recommend paying attention to how your surroundings feel. Energized and alert? Open and creative when the situation calls for it, and instead, focused and task-oriented when that’s appropriate? Annoyed or calm? Happy or depressed? High or low energy?
If there’s one thing to take away from this post, it’s that everyone’s needs and preferences are different. My best advice is optimize options and flexibility. Start with a well-lit, quiet, and comfortable workspace. Connect with nature through windows and/or plants. Then, use the sounds and scents to fine-tune each day or project.
And, if one day something doesn’t work, change it! Go out or visit a coffee shop. Light a candle. Boom some tunes. Take a nap. Make the most of the freedom you have when working from home!
What did you say? What’s the best (or worst) thing you’ve done to make working from home more enjoyable and productive? Let your fellow readers know in the comments section below.
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