How to make your home office more productive

Growing numbers of Aussies are tossing the traditional corporate ladder lifestyle in the trash and heading their own entrepreneurial endeavours – often from their dining room tables! While your laptop and a place to sit may technically be the only requirements you need to work, having an actual office space can really help you home in on those productive vibes. Here are our top five tips for making your home office a more focussed space:  

Clear the clutter

While there are studies that show that creative people tend to thrive in mess, most of us need a clean and clutter-free environment to focus properly. Make it a point to regularly clear out the junk in your office space – especially if you know you have tendency to accumulate random objects and piles of paper. Invest in some desk trays, a small filing cabinet, or storage boxes to neatly place paperwork and other objects in, and relish the feeling of a clean desk. Same goes for your laptop – delete old documents, videos and photos off your desktop and documents folder and create new, relevant folders for current projects.    

Visualise your goals

Even the most inspired and determined among us can have moments where we find it hard to stay focussed on our goals. So write them down! It’s easier to stay motivated if you can see the result right in front of you. You could even hang your list of goals behind your desk to remind you why you started, or keep them in the top drawer to quickly look at when you need to. You could also print out inspiring quotes, photos or graphics you find stimulating, and hang them around your office space – not all inspiration has to come from the self.  

Have a handy distraction

It may sound counter productive to have some form of distraction at the ready for when you need it, but the right kind of distraction can have a positive effect on your productivity. Schedule regular little distraction breaks for yourself where you are free to play an instrument, read a book or magazine, or even play a game or app on your phone – but then put it away out of sight when the break is over. Having these kinds of scheduled distractions can prevent you being tempted by other distractions (anyone feel like baking some muffins and watching Netflix?).    

Breathe easy

A relaxing work environment makes for a happier you, which in turn feeds creativity and focus. Make sure your office space has plenty of fresh air, and has at least one decent sized window to let in natural light. Some small pot plants can also enhance air quality and organic energy in the space. And most importantly, invest in a comfortable chair, or even a standing desk, which could be helpful for those who find sitting for long periods too uncomfortable.  

Disconnect if you need to

Connectivity can be both a help and a hindrance when it comes to productivity. Being able to reach someone when you need them speeds up the process of collaboration, but it doesn’t go hand in hand so much with solo projects. So don’t feel bad if you really need to remove yourself to get something done – unplug or turn off your phone, log out of email accounts and instant messages, and shut the door.