5 Tips for Creating a Tranquil Home Office Space
Many people are fortunate enough to be able to build thriving careers in the comfort of their own homes. Not only does building a home business give an opportunity for someone to be financially stable, it also allows them to chart their own destiny—to not be tied to the whims and vicissitudes of bosses, daily traffic, and the uncertainty of the job market.
However, a home-based entrepreneur or freelancer also has to take into consideration the kind of environment that they work in day in and day out. Although you may be staying at home and working according to your own desired schedule, you still have to have a space that is dedicated to your professional endeavors. In this article, we’ll provide you with some ideas on how to make the most of your home office space by making it as tranquil as possible.
Keep Your Workspace Clutter-Free
Eliminating clutter from your desk, shelves, and floor can immediately impact your state of mind since clutter has the tendency to erode a person’s ability to focus and to think creatively. Admittedly, some people do feel the need to surround themselves with some amount of material belongings to be in the zone, but once they reach their threshold for what to them is an acceptable level of clutter, they can quickly lose concentration. As such, it is important to constantly clear your work space and rid it of unnecessary mess.
Create a Workspace That Is Free from Distractions
It is absolutely important to draw the line between work and personal time, even if you work at home. As such, your home office should be free from distractions, whether it’s your kids, your pets, the television, a game console, or something else. Set specific times when you can to attend to the needs of your kids or animal companions, and only touch entertainment devices when you’re resting or having a break.
Install a Water Feature
One way to make your office space more zen is by introducing a water feature like a wall fountain or a tabletop fountain. A fountain is an awesome addition to any indoor space as it provides a pleasant background sound that is not at all distracting and can even help with your concentration. If you have a home office space where you entertain clients, you can also consider installing a wall fountain with your business’s logo emblazoned on it. It’s a great way to showcase your brand while having a water feature that doubles as a decorative item.
Play a Pleasant Background Music
What is pleasant to the ears is relative to one’s tastes and preferences, but certain genres like classical, bossa nova, orchestral, new age, regae, smooth jazz, and soft rock tend to be quite popular among people who play music while they work. There are even studies that have shown how listening to music is actually conducive to concentration and creative thinking, so it might be worth it to consider building a playlist of tunes that you can play while you work on your projects.
Think Green
Numerous studies have shown that being around green environments like forests and parks can help reduce a person’s stress level, thereby contributing to their overall health. You can simulate this beneficial effect of a forest in your home office by surrounding yourself with potted plants—both the flowering and non-flowering types. Popular flowering plants include devil’s ivy, oxalis, clivia, geranium, African violet, cape primrose, begonia, peace lily, amaryllis, and flowering maple. Non-flowering plants include philodendron, dracaena, sansevieria, cast iron plant, Norfolk pine, and aloe vera.
A tranquil home office space is often necessary for optimum concentration and focus to help you accomplish the tasks that you need to finish. The five tips above should set you on track to creating an indoor environment that is favorable to creativity and productivity.
