Working from home can be a bit of a bind at times!  I usually work on the dining room table surrounded by chaos.  My husband on the other hand gets to leave the house and focus on his work properly!  I tend to sit down then notice the washing machine needs filling or emptying, the kid’s things need to be put away or some other chore needs doing!  I think I need to sort out my home office, so I am more productive.  There is a spare room upstairs so maybe I should earmark that for me!

At the moment I am so easily distracted.  There is too much going in the room I work!  It’s hard to give a blog post 100% when my eye is wondering.  Always adding to my “to do list” the next item that needs to be put away or what needs to be cleaned!  I would love to decorate the spare room and claim it as my home office.  I could close the door and ignore the housework!  Then when I have caught up with my deadlines, I can do a bit of token cleaning if (and only if!) the mood takes me…

Proper Storage

I could do with getting some files to store my paperwork and some drawers for pending reviews.  Currently I just have boxes and packages piling up with no proper organisation!  I am sure I would speed up considerably if I had a better system.  If I could arrange them in order of deadline.  Then I could attend to what should be written first rather than whatever my hand lands on next!

Opt For Comfortable Seating

Aim to choose seats that you can sit comfortably at length.  If your not comfortable you will get distracted and fidget.  I could really go to town with my home office and even add a few meeting chairs.  Maybe if I kitted out my office professionally everyone would take me more seriously.  I am going to use that as an excuse anyway, as I love the Eyes Wood Chair designed by Johannes Foersom & Peter Hiort-Lorenzen.  But many of the people I know don’t realize quite how much work goes into running a blog as a business!  I have had a few comments before about how wonderful it must be to laze at home at all… That kind of attitude does not help my productivity levels, I worry its self fulfilling!

You might also find my article about how moving your furniture can increase productivity useful.  If you can sit by a window so you get plenty of natural light.  Natural light is good for a health, it helps us be more creative and productive.

Pick Energizing Colours

Whether its for your paint choice or your furniture think about choosing colours that will increase your productivity!  Apparently red increases brain activity!  My brain could do with a boost as I sometimes struggle to think what I want to write!  Maybe a red desk would banish writers block because my brain is finally fired up!  Green is a colour thought to reduce fatigue, I always feel tired lately, so I think I do need some green thrown in my home office for good measure!  Although perhaps don’t experiment with too many colours just in case you have sensory overload!!!

Buy Some Plants

Adding plants to your home office is thought to improve productivity and job satisfaction.  So, don’t delay and pop to your local garden centre and pick out some greenery!  You don’t want your office being too minimalist.  Less is not always more!

Clutter no, a few well-chosen plants and office accessories yes!  The picture above is too stark I need a bit more than that going on!

Wish me luck persuading my husband if he had his way he would make it a gaming room for him and the kids!