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Jane Anderson's 15 ways to make your home-office a happy workplace

1st October 2011

Jane Anderson is a Consultant and Writer in Environmental Wellness  who works with all sized organisations helping them to improve productivity and develop growth through creating healthier, happier working environments. 

In this short article, Jane passes on some tips from her De Stress Your Home Office training which she believes can benefit any home office.

15 ways to make your home-office a happy workplace ...

1.    Factor-in relaxation from the start. Ensure your back is supported, first by the best quality chair you can afford, then by a wall or screen. Do not sit opposite a door or with your back to the window as this can increase a sense of disturbance and unease

2.    Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted from electrical goods (causing stagnation and an unhealthy atmosphere) can be reduced with the use of fleshy, broad-leaved plants placed to side or behind the object. Keep in good order: dead or dying plants are worse than no plants at all

3.    Ventilate the work space and change the air by opening the window just a crack both winter and summer for 10 minutes each morning

4.    A desk lamp will create your own personal sunshine and stave off SAD syndrome on overcast days, particularly if it is fitted with a full spectrum daylight bulb. Place to your top left as you sit at your desk

5.    Empty your bin on a daily basis – think fresh, clean and uplifted. No one should be sitting amongst rubbish

6.    Rationalise your clutter by creating attractive and easily accessible storage. Keep excess paper off your desk – it’s estimated that every piece of paper surrounding you can divert your attention up to 5 times a day. Multiply that by the number of things on your desk and you have… a lot of wasted time and a problem focusing. People who constantly touch paper have much drier hands too

7.    Place a topped-up supply of filtered water near your desk and sip it as and when thirsty. Keeps you alert and healthy and staves off the hunger pangs to an extent

8.    Use music to correct or direct your mood according to the work in hand. Begin with something that matches your current mood and gradually move onto something that leads you to the mood you want to be in

9.    Create a Wonder Wall. Remind yourself of your best achievements by dedicating a single wall in your office to the The Best of You. No one else is going to blow your trumpet for you and your business so you need constant morale boosters and reminders about how well you’ve done and are doing

10. Make sure no one colour or texture dominates you workspace; reds and oranges stimulate, as do shiny and angled surfaces. Pale green hues and soft surfaces induce calm and contemplation. Create the palette that’s right for the kind of work you do

11. Bring simple contrast to your day; open the blinds, adjust the lighting (both natural and artificial), stand up and walk around; go outside and look at the sky, include an armchair for those moments when you need to think quietly, speak to a neighbour or move your work seat for a change of perspective

12. When finances allow, think about streamlining your office furniture to create a more flowing outline to the room. Look for curves and fluidity of design, an organic scheme that wraps around you rather than angles which ricochet you around the room. In the meantime, get rid of everything and anything unnecessary to how you function in your workspace. By all means beautify what’s left but balance this with the time needed to maintain any extraneous features

13. Hang a chime (not metal; use shell, ceramic or wood) over the door, just inside your office. It acts as a subconscious demarcation line – allowing you to become intrinsically aware of your entrance and departure to this workspace. When you leave work, turn off the computer and the phone and shut the door firmly behind you

14. Home workers can become very isolated. Nip hermit-like hibernation tendencies in the bud by ‘factoring’ into your diary some networking time. Deliberately set out to meet people – both in the flesh and on-line. Try to become involved in outside training and collaborative projects. Intentionally make yourself interdependent on others. It might be frustrating at times but it’s also healthy and natural to relate to others on a regular basis.

15. Remember to enjoy your environmental freedom. Relish the fact that your homework space estranges you from regimented time constrictions, strict dress codes and décor dictats. You are the architect of your own workspace. Don’t sell yourself short by skimping on the place where you spend the bulk of your day. Ultimately, your working environment should support, rather than deplete you. 

Interested in more of the same? Contact Jane at jane@radiowellbeing.org or look at www.radiowellbeing.org and CLICK HERE to read Jane's guest blog for Space on Tap, Happy@Homeworking