With a little help from Avenue HQ…
Now we’re in the midst of 'Stay Home', plenty of us are foregoing our beloved coworking spaces for the kitchen table. Although there’s a certain novelty to working from the sofa or your bed (albeit, this may now be wearing thin), it’s not always the most inspiring. Our Avenue HQ coworking spaces across the country have a real focus on colour, light and comfort to provide an optimum environment for productivity. We want to ensure that even though our members are working from home for now, they are still enjoying the benefits of flexible working, no matter where that may be.
It seems that now, more than ever, our home environment is so important. With DIY on the rise and the country settling into life in lockdown, this is the perfect opportunity to transform your home office into something a little more workable. We did some research and roped in some of our AHQ members for the top 8 ways to transform your space, no matter what your budget or style.
1. Let the outside in
Working from home can be a real challenge for those who like to get out and about, but a great way to avoid feeling hemmed in is to bring the outside in. Whether it’s a selection of tropical plants, opening your windows, working from the garden or your balcony, fresh air and sunlight can boost your mood and your productivity. (Read more on how office plants can boost productivity here).
However, if the weather is poor (typical UK) or you’re not lucky enough to have some outdoor space, the below gadgets can make all the difference.
- SAD lamps, also known as SAD lights, are a form of light therapy for people suffering from seasonal affective disorder, but are also great for giving your indoor space a boost. SAD lamps shine very bright, cool light. When this light hits the retina at the back of your eye, it sends nerve signals to parts of your brain, affecting your chemical and hormone levels, and improving mood.
- The Verilux HappyLight 2500 compact Energy Lamp produces Natural Spectrum® light that improves mood, energy and concentration. This mini-version HappyLight is ideal for a home office as it doesn’t take up too much space, but is super effective.
2. Make your space reflect your mood
Whether it’s an inspiring desktop background or a vision board of your goals, it’s important to make your workspace as motivational as possible to keep things going. At AHQ we ensure our spaces are bright and engaging, so we believe that your home office should be no different.
A positive and uplifting environment does wonders for your creativity and your attitude. In fact, it’s been reported that even wall colour can affect your mood, so a splash of colour or a vibrant plant can really lift things.
Avenue HQ St Paul’ s Square
3. Set the mood
From your soundtrack to the scents around the space, the ambience of your home office can make all the difference to your productivity. Aromatherapy can work wonders for stress and a relaxing playlist has been known to boost creativity, so it’s worth considering these elements when setting up shop at home. Opt for vegan or paraben free candles wherever possible (it’s a great opportunity to make sustainable choices) and support local makers who could be struggling for sales during this difficult time.
If you want to feel more ‘worky’ you can always put on the news in the background or a business related podcast, but we like a more chilled vibe with our AHQ Spotify playlists…
4. Posture is key
Although we’d love to work from our bed all day, our back really wouldn’t thank us for it for the next 3 months. If you’re lucky, you have a standalone home office — but you’d be in the minority. Rather than ergonomic office desks and chairs, most people are having to choose between sofas, beds, kitchen tables or even the floor, which can play havoc with our posture. As many people don’t want to fork out for a full desk set up for a few months of working remotely, we’ve found some hacks.
- Laptop Tray Tables are fantastic for ensuring to keep your back and neck straight when working from a sofa or a bed, as it slots straight over you. It also doubles as a tray for breakfast in bed – result.
- If you do want to invest in some furniture to see you through working remotely – it’s got to be an ergonomic kneeling stool. The height can be adjusted from a dining room table to a kitchen worktop, so is super versatile and keeps your spine aligned.
5. Remove distractions
As much as we’ve now got more quality time with our pets and children, they aren’t always the best coworkers. Make sure you still get some time to yourself to get in the zone and get stuff done, whether this is virtually or physically by having an hour in a different room. If people and pets aren’t your distraction, try and stay away from social media and streaming apps whilst working, they’ll really throw you off your flow.
6. Separate work and rest
Working from home can really blur the lines between being productive and clocking off. If you’re a natural chillaxer, avoid taking power naps during the day no matter how tempting and if you’re a workaholic make sure you’re logging off at a normal time for you, rather than powering through until late into the night.
Working from a garden, balcony or dining room can also be better than setting up in your bedroom or living room when it comes to separating the two.
7. Embrace coworking with your household
If you don’t live alone, there’s a good chance that you’re not the only one working from the home office. Whether it’s your partner or housemates, embrace the time together rather than butting heads. From taking regular breaks from each other (that one hour outside is going to be helpful here) to choosing an office playlist that you both like, it’s important to accept that this is the new normal.
If you’re in need of a laugh, a recent trend on social media is to make up an imaginary coworker to blame things on. Sandra at my house has eaten all the biscuits three times now..
8.Make your workspace multipurpose
‘Getting my workspace just right is a big thing for me. Being dyslexic I’m distracted, so setting up a calming space at home was key. Having a fresh and tidy space allows me to tackle one problem at once, to keep moving my business forward.
Adapting to this new way of life is taking some getting used to. Personally, I don’t cope all that well with being cooped up and I’ve always found that I’m a better person, in work and at home, if I exercise. During this lockdown is no different, so I’ve also had to adapt my workstation to be multi-purpose.’
Hayden Bailey – The Sleep App ‘Sleepiest’, AHQ Member – Leeds.
Head over to Avenue HQ’s Instagram, where we are going to be continuing to share our members #ahqathome pictures![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]