Tweak Your Home Office Setup for Max Productivity

Whether your “home office” is in a nook under the stairs, its own room, or your local library, there are things you can do to help optimize your physical workspace and stay at your productive best.

“Comfort is critical, but productivity is — first and foremost — defined by positioning, or how and where you are sitting,” said Courtney Lake, an interior designer who works with Pottery Barn. The home furnishings retailer recently released an interactive guide to explain what changes can help boost your productivity and why.

“Finding a workspace with good, natural light — that’s important. A work surface that’s a good size, on which your forearms can rest levelly — absolutely. If you’re working with a computer, the top of your monitor should meet your eyeline. These are the positional principles that provide the basis for productivity.”

Home office tips from freelancers

Experienced freelancers also have their tried-and-true productivity tricks, so we asked the Upwork Facebook community for their favorites. Here are some of their suggestions.

“I have work/motivational quotes on posters in my room. That helps when I need motivation. Plus tea/coffee when you are exhausted works like [a] charm.”
– Awais Sarfraz

“A home office sounds so appealing and assuring, but sometimes it can be quite the opposite. To avoid that, your home office should be separated from the main part of the house, and should be a solitary environment. It should be as clean and spacious as possible.”
– Nahidul Islam

“My best home office productivity tips are to first create internally structure of room same as office. Like a table, glass, window, interior design, etc. Then it must be a silent place. No one can enter when we are working without our permission. It must be separate room. Coffee, tea must be available at all times.”
– Er Nikunj Patel

What if you don’t have a home office?

For a lot of freelancers, a “home office” is wherever you put your laptop down for the day. Even if your office moves with you, Lake says you can still be picky about where you set up shop.

“If you’re constantly working on the move, finding a productive workspace isn’t always a priority — we’ll often settle for half-decent WiFi,” he admitted. “Seek out quiet areas that are bright, spacious, and away from crowds. Avoid dark, cramped spaces as much as possible — feeling free to move and spread out is important to remaining relaxed and focused.”

Another pro tip from Lake: Tag each productive place on your own Google Map, and build a geographic portfolio of workspaces across the cities you work in. “You never know when you’ll be in the neighbourhood again.”

What’s made a difference in your home office setup? Share your ideas in the comments section below!

Editor’s note: Responses edited for grammar and spelling. The statements above are those of their authors and do not constitute the views or opinions of Upwork.

The post Tweak Your Home Office Setup for Max Productivity appeared first on Upwork Blog.

from Upwork Blog http://ift.tt/2f8HG4O