{"id":560,"date":"2021-06-16T16:42:56","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T11:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/?p=560"},"modified":"2021-06-16T16:44:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-16T11:14:30","slug":"7-tried-and-true-secrets-for-a-productive-home-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/7-tried-and-true-secrets-for-a-productive-home-office\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tried-and-True Secrets for a Productive Home Office"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The jury is still out on whether employees who work from home or work from an office are more productive, but research from a recent&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2015\/01\/a-working-from-home-experiment-shows-high-performers-like-it-better\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Harvard Business Review article<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;suggests that people who work their same office schedule from home get more done per day. The employees\u2019 explanation? The quiet environment helped their productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, working from home&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.themuse.com\/advice\/10-reasons-working-remotely-is-even-better-than-you-thought-it-was\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">gives you the freedom<\/a>&nbsp;to create the space you need to do the work you need to do. At home, you can control (at least most of) the features of your surroundings, while in an office, you\u2019ve pretty much just got your desk to design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that in mind, I decided to take a look at the workspaces and work habits of seven DIY, design, and home improvement bloggers. Not only do they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\">work from home<\/a>, but thanks to their expertise, they know how to create their perfect, concentration-boosting space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are their best productivity tips, which you can replicate and try out in your own workspace. (And, hey, some of this advice might even work at a \u201creal\u201d office!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Think Like a Mouse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F40776%2Fcf77b130-bc98-4f0c-a394-acc891305210.jpg%3Fv%3Dbde1b9d16f66204d0a66397b0755c11f5353b97f89fce0c5cf46421a5092c79b&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F40776%2Fcf77b130-bc98-4f0c-a394-acc891305210.jpg%3Fv%3Dbde1b9d16f66204d0a66397b0755c11f5353b97f89fce0c5cf46421a5092c79b&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8230;And find the quietest corner of your house. While some people need some background noise to work, others find any noise at all (a barking dog, a noisy air vent, children playing) incredibly disturbing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ourhomefromscratch.com\/2014\/11\/home-office-remodeled\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Our Home from Scratch<\/a>&nbsp;blogger John Gerard, a busy room is the worst place to work. \u201cI\u2019m much more efficient in a quiet, distraction-free space,\u201d he says. \u201cOur home office is far enough away from the television and the play area that, with the doors closed, I can easily work in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you feel the same way, make sure that your workspace doesn\u2019t coincide with anyone\u2019s play space. Or, at the very least, choose a room with a door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Declutter Your Desk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.png?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F40777%2Fe670f0fc-681a-404d-a0f1-75a0e3c495c4.png%3Fv%3D9be7c06df95f2af5a95a0ddc041590dc9d1551c0dffad3fe2c800485fccc9b25&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.png?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F40777%2Fe670f0fc-681a-404d-a0f1-75a0e3c495c4.png%3Fv%3D9be7c06df95f2af5a95a0ddc041590dc9d1551c0dffad3fe2c800485fccc9b25&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s pretty obvious that swimming through extra papers and pens delays your progress, but what exactly should you have on your desk? According to&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.engineeryourspace.com\/home-office-ideas-part-1\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Engineer Your Space<\/a>&nbsp;blogger Isabelle LaRue, not much. \u201cI usually have a couple of folders on the left-hand side housing my current projects and since I have a bad sticky note habit, there\u2019s always a few of those lying around on any given day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While sticky notes can be a helpful tool, extra books, piles of paper, or cups half full of lukewarm coffee will strongly detract from your productivity, not to mention your concentration. You don\u2019t want your desk to be empty\u2014don\u2019t stow away your pen if you\u2019ll be picking it up again today\u2014but giving yourself space to work allows you to have space to think as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. And the Rest of the House<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16583.jpg%3Fv%3Dabc6e43ad7c2742ad251c20dbe56d862d377eb77c912f4ccbe353897452d2a1c&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16583.jpg%3Fv%3Dabc6e43ad7c2742ad251c20dbe56d862d377eb77c912f4ccbe353897452d2a1c&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Melissa George from&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polishedhabitat.com\/home-office-tour\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Polished Habitat<\/a><\/em>, it might take a bit more than clearing your desk to focus your mind. \u201cI\u2019ve actually noticed that my concentration goes up when the entire house is straightened up,\u201d she explains. \u201cEven though I can\u2019t see the kitchen island from the office, I work better when it is free from mail and the other things that tend to pile up on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, as much as you want to ignore your messy living room, shutting your office door might not be enough to convince you that your mess has disappeared. Spend a couple minutes each night tidying up, so that the next morning you\u2019re ready for business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Bring in Some Green<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.png?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16578.png%3Fv%3Dd5a9c3503495349088f47051adca15e83aa52e0abe36e9e65a508430a39c305e&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.png?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16578.png%3Fv%3Dd5a9c3503495349088f47051adca15e83aa52e0abe36e9e65a508430a39c305e&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Though you probably shouldn\u2019t set up shop in your garden, you can definitely bring some of the outdoors in. A desk or floor plant is a great way to add a breath of fresh air to your workspace and create some visual variety when your eyes need a break from the screen. \u201cI always have fresh flowers beside the computer on my desk,\u201d says Daune Pitman, blogger at&nbsp;<em><a href=\"http:\/\/cottageintheoaks.com\/2013\/02\/18\/cottage-office\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cottage in the Oaks<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t trust your black thumb to keep that plant going for more than a week, try something resilient, like a small cactus or succulent, or at least arrange your desk so that you can see the outdoors. \u201cMy desk faces two large glass doors and windows,\u201d says Daune, \u201cso I can always have a view outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Try a Scent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16577.jpg%3Fv%3D182fd28a110fb112c541175315aeb25a37d8ca55b940cc09a2a8320cfb48e22c&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16577.jpg%3Fv%3D182fd28a110fb112c541175315aeb25a37d8ca55b940cc09a2a8320cfb48e22c&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For some, including&nbsp;<em><a href=\"http:\/\/organizingmadefun.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/my-home-office-fabulous-reveal.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Organizing Made Fun<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;blogger Becky Barnfather, a good scent can make a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond adding a pleasant smell to your workspace, certain essential oils have&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.com\/mind-body\/14-essential-oil-remedies-you-should-try\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">proven effects<\/a>&nbsp;that could help you get your work done. Peppermint, for example, can give you an energy boost, while rosemary can help you concentrate and get tasks done faster and more accurately. And sweet orange can help with anxiety. (Just make sure you look up how to use each kind properly and safely!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Use a Smaller To-Do List<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16579.jpg%3Fv%3Dd3235beabff1de2109fce4e1b608d424a8b07dca1e48d34dc59bec7fac53e0a7&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16579.jpg%3Fv%3Dd3235beabff1de2109fce4e1b608d424a8b07dca1e48d34dc59bec7fac53e0a7&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you begin tackling the day\u2019s tasks, spend 10 minutes creating a detailed checklist. Then, spend another five making an even shorter checklist of tasks you absolutely know will get done in the next couple of hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This idea is from Donna Williams, home decor and design blogger at&nbsp;<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.funkyjunkinteriors.net\/2015\/01\/an-old-sign-themed-paint-studio.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Funky Junk Interiors<\/a><\/em>. \u201cIf the tasks are too many for the day,\u201d she explains, \u201cthere&#8217;s no way it&#8217;ll get done.\u201d This trick not only helps you remember and plan for each chore, but also breaks your day down into small, actionable tasks. Plus, once you check off or cross out your finished work, those visible accomplishments will spur your productivity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Take Meaningful Breaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16584.jpg%3Fv%3De707257874529927707b7c202615a87534c19ee466a9bbb6a7c9aa4c175e175d&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pilbox.themuse.com\/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.themuse.com%2Fuploaded%2Fattachments%2F16584.jpg%3Fv%3De707257874529927707b7c202615a87534c19ee466a9bbb6a7c9aa4c175e175d&amp;prog=1&amp;w=450\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When it\u2019s time to take a break, most of us default to clicking over to social media for a while. But for a more productive way to recharge your batteries, try reading relevant articles to give you some inspiration, learning about new innovations in your field, or even taking a walk around your block.&nbsp;<em><a href=\"http:\/\/thecuttingcafe.typepad.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">The Cutting Cafe<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;blogger Regina Easter works in paper crafts and designs, so when she hits an unproductive slump, she\u2019ll spend some time on Pinterest, getting some inspiration and motivation to keep working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as you\u2019re timing your breaks, you\u2019ll be back to work shortly and your brain will feel a bit more refreshed. Choose an increment of time that works better for your schedule and work habits. Just be careful not to make it so short that it interrupts you when you\u2019re finally in the zone, or so long that it is ineffective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong><em>Originally published at The Muse and written by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themuse.com\/author\/tikva-morrow\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tikva Morrow<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themuse.com\/advice\/7-triedandtrue-secrets-for-a-productive-home-office\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.themuse.com\/advice\/7-triedandtrue-secrets-for-a-productive-home-office<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The jury is still out on whether employees who work from home or work from an office are more productive, but research from a recent&nbsp;Harvard Business Review article&nbsp;suggests that people who work their same office schedule from home get more done per day. The employees\u2019 explanation? The quiet environment helped their productivity. What\u2019s more, working [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,2,9,6,3,25,7,27,5,8,4],"tags":[18,21,22,20,23,30,16,19,11,14,13,17,12,10],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=560"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":562,"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions\/562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.remotebharat.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}