Just as we can start to tire of the same old routines, we can begin to feel bored being surrounded by the same things. You can re-energise your workspace by making a few simple changes. Working at home gives you more opportunity to tailor a workspace to your needs and desired comfort levels. It also gives you more flexibility so you can create a work environment that lights you up, inspires you, and helps you perform better.
One of the best ways to spark creative thought is, according to science, being in a good mood. Making your workspace a happy place to work will let those creative juices flow and lead you to be more productive.
Change your perspective
If your space allows, this is an effective way to make a room feel like a new space.
Change your desk orientation so that you face another view. Not only does it breathe new life into the room, it can also shift your own perspective and ignite your creativity.
New focal points, slightly different angles and views can make you feel more alert as you are suddenly more aware of your surroundings.
If your space means you are limited to where you can place a desk, there are other ways to shift things about. Perhaps you can move another piece of furniture or even just change your desk top arrangement so things are reorganised and give a new look to your desk top.
Experiment to see if you like your desk facing out into the room or tucked against a wall.
Read our features on Green Living and Feng Shui in your home office to see what arrangements could work for you. Inside Volume 2 of the print magazine.
Changing your perspective can also mean just moving to a new location. If you can’t physically move your desk or table, think about where else you could work. Try sitting in a comfy chair for some reading or taking your laptop outside for a couple of hours on a sunny day.
Read about the most innovative new products for homeworking here.
Don’t overlook the walls
From paint to pictures, think about the colours around you and the impact they have on your mood and creativity.
Framing some prints, or pinning up some postcards you like can bring instant joy and happiness to your workspace.
Create a statement gallery wall or put some inspirational quotes around you. There are also fantastic wall murals available that can elevate a room from dull to delightful!
You might enjoy our home workspace features on colour in volume 3 of the print issues.
Make a statement
Often a special item can evoke happy memories or bring a smile to your face.
Don’t be afraid to make a statement and don’t think it needs to be an expensive one. Re-energise your workspace with a simple item that can instantly lift your space and improve your mood without blowing the budget.
It might be adding a pop of colour that you love that works with your branding. A cushion, a rug or blind are easy and affordable ways to add colour that might be overpowering if you painted the whole room that shade.
Perhaps you have an ornament or some furniture you’ve inherited that has special meaning for you that you could place nearby.
You might find a statement lamp or special sculptural piece for a windowsill or cabinet. These things can make you smile, bring you joy and create a new sense of occasion in the space.
Declutter and reorganise
While this might be an obvious one, a good clean and tidy is also one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to make a space feel like new again.
It is amazing how quickly papers and household ‘stuff’ accumulates and ends up stuck on a chair or on your desk where it doesn’t belong.
A good declutter is a real energiser.
A tidy up, pencils sharpened and in the pot, a dust and vacuum and knowing your drawers are organised and not a mound of mess to be tackled, restores order and calm in your mind as well.
Read all about the simple system to do a physical and email declutter in Volume 1 of The Homeworker Magazine
Ambience
Don’t forget the ambience in your environment. Wherever you work, even if it is in a communal space in your home, you can still re-energise your workspace with a few little tweaks.
Even the smallest space can feel wonderful with a change of atmosphere.
Think lighting, candles, stationery, even music.
Create a cosy or cool ambience that fits with how you want to feel. The best thing is that these are all temporary too and easy to change depending on the day and time of year.
How do you like to feel in when you work from home?
How are you going to give yourself a lift and re-energise your workspace?
Make sure you subscribe to the digital magazine to get our quarterly Design Brief from Edward Thomas Interiors.
Dedicated to helping you thrive when you work from home, The Homeworker publishes articles that are designed to keep you healthy, happy, and more productive in work and life.
