Are You a Shipping Expert
More and more people are working from home nowadays— and your home office can help (or hurt) your focus and productivity. We put together some tips to help our franchisees design their home office for success, low-stress, and a productivity jumpstart.
Start with lighting. The right lighting changes can also transform the atmosphere, your mood, and your productivity. Here are a few suggestions:
- Work in a space with as much natural lighting as possible.
- Work during the day whenever you can to take advantage of the benefits of natural light.
- Avoid fluorescent lighting when using artificial light: shoot for soft, clear lighting.
Add some plants. They bring color and cheer to your workspace, and caring for them has been known to relieve stress. Not to mention the right plants can remove impurities from the air.
Comfort is important. Make sure any furniture updates to your home office space are both comfortable and encourage healthy movement (and good posture).
No junk! When it comes to productivity, clutter is Public Enemy #1. Here’s what to do:
- Go through ALL your papers and “stuff”.
- Keep only what you need every day on your desk.
- Store what you need every week in your desk drawers.
- Put what you need to reference every now and then in your filing cabinet.
- Anything else should either be thrown away, given away, or put in long-term storage (not your home office space).
Trust us. You’ll feel an immediate weight lifted, and your focus and productivity level will increase.
Pick the right colors. Did you know certain colors trigger particular emotional responses? Do some research about the psychology of color, and make sure you pick a color that’s a good match for putting you in a good mood. Make sure you have artwork and other visuals on the walls that align with your favorite colors, and inspire you to do your best work.
When it comes updates for the technology in your home office, there are two must-haves to bump up your productivity:
- Electronic Filing: It’s 2017. There’s no reason to be drowning in paperwork. A good electronic filing system means some work for you on the front end, but it’ll save you hours of time once it’s set up. You’ll be able to spend less time sifting through piles of paper, and more time actually getting your job done.
- Reliable Internet: If your Internet isn’t fast, bug-free, and regularly updated, there’s no way you can have a low-stress and highly productive day working from home. Invest in updates to make things run smoothly— it’ll definitely have big returns.
- Cloud-Based Storage: There are tons of options for this, and most of them have extensive free versions. We recommend Google Drive and Dropbox for starters.
Finally, make sure you’re doing what you can to reduce the carbon footprint of your home office. Turn off lights and appliances when you’re done working, and look for products that are Energy Star certified.