10 Ways To Increase Home Office Productivity

Office

Learn how to boost productivity and increase efficiency in your home office with these 10 tips. From organizing your workspace to setting clear goals, these strategies will help you get more done and achieve success in your home-based business.

You must have a strict regime when working in the office at home. It is not the size of the office but the layout that is crucial to managing your time and efficiency. These 10 methods have been compiled from years of experience and skills handed down to the next generation. These practices are used by Mrs Badger in her studio because they work.

Let Us Discuss How To Layout Your Home Office The “Lao Way”

• The Position Of Your Desk
• Plants
• The Desk And Computer Desktop
• Separate The Workplace From The Home
• Keep The Goal In Mind
• Focus on Organization
• Brighten up the gloom
• Colours
• Focus on Comfort
• Clear Your Mind

How To Layout Your Home Office The “Lao Way”

Coming from South East Asia and of Lao decent strong values of what is required to complete tasks efficiently has been past down through the generations. The flow of energy to get the job done with the minimal inconvenience is most important to Mrs Badger. The concept of this energy flow in the home office ensures that all the furniture, wall decoration, decorative accessories, and your work desk are arranged to form a proper flow of positive energy. Mrs Badger refers to it as “Lao Way”. Follow Mrs Badger as she describes 10 easy to follow ideas to obtain the “Lao Way”.

1. The Position Of Your Desk

If possible have a separate room for your office. Avoid having the back of the chair facing the office door, or main entrance, as that is where work enters. This part of the flow is seen as welcoming the work and people bringing it to you. You must always be ready to welcome people who enter your work area. Mrs Badger's desk is L-shaped so she can welcome people from the main door and have a large area for design collaboration on her right hand side. Maintain control of the work area and have the entire room in view where possible.

2. Plants

Not only do plants give out oxygen they are good for absorbing stress and negativity. Having green plants in the home office produces a calming atmosphere and produces uplifting energy as they clean the air.

3. The Desk And Computer Desktop

Daddy Badger has some input with this as he has been involved in design work using computers for many years. Your work area must be restricted to the current project. As soon as the project is not being worked on or completed it needs to be filed and removed from the work area. This applies to the computer as well. All work must be placed in a folder that has a significant meaning and backed up to an external hard-drive or USB stick. Refrain from dumping work related items on the floor as this will hamper the positive flow. At the end of the working day, yes, you need to set hours even at home to help you focus on time, clear your desk and desktop. This act gives you closure on the days activities and allows you to rest mentally. Also, it ensures that nothing can be lost and the next morning starts with a clear view. There is nothing worse to ruin the positive flow than clutter.

4. Separate The Workplace From The Home

The workplace and the home must remain separate. If there is no other option but to have the office in the bedroom then there must be some form of separation, a screen or some curtains will do. Avoid working on a bed or sofa as these are areas for relaxation and will remove the energy flow required for work. You must ensure your back is supported whilst working to maintain a correct posture and use a steady base to work on.

5. Keep The Goal In Mind

Dress as if you are going to the office, keep the times you would use if you were going to the office. All this creates the positive flow of energy. Social media: designate times it can be used for recreation and preferably not during the working day unless it is to post items regarding your business. Mrs Badger has separate accounts for business and pleasure and are never mixed.

6. Focus on Organization

25 minutes work and 5 break. This is the time block that Mrs Badger uses and it works for her. There are different extensions for Chrome/Opera that offer a Pomodoro setting, some with background sound to help make it easier to concentrate. Setting the alarm on the phone is just as good. Start the day with a plan of action and stick to it. Wandering off course will disrupt the energy flow and add to the possibility of confusion.

7. Brighten up the gloom

If your work area is poorly lit then you will suffer from eye strain and this has a negative affect on your flow of creativity. There are times when you can benefit from subdued lighting, it can create focus to certain tasks. This is not the same as poor lighting. LED lamps are ideal and can come with variable levels and tones of bright white or yellow glow. Where possible maximise the use of natural lighting, the use of mirrors can assist with this. Also be aware of placing your desk next to a window that has bright sunlight. Here, in South East Asia, the sun is very strong and the UV bounce from the desk can cause great discomfort. The setting sun may look beautiful but will hinder you even in the middle of winter.

8. Colours

The studio at Mrs Badger Designs has a band of yellow and red as these colours bring energy and positivity. The floor is ceramic tiles in a light brown shade. This brings the mother earth colour into the studio. Colours are very important in “Lao Way” and this is why Thai silk is dyed in certain colours and created with certain patterns.

9. Focus on Comfort

The chair. Being comfortable in your work is a mainstay of “Lao Way”, if you are not at ease you cannot concentrate on the matter at hand. Mrs Badger has a chair that can recline and adjust the height for different tasks. Daddy Badger sits crossed legged on the floor as he prefers to be in that position, he also sits like that on chairs! No matter which way you sit make sure you are comfortable. Some people prefer to stand whilst working and there is nothing wrong with that. There are height adjustable desks available.

10. Clear Your Mind

At the end of the day take some time to put everything away and if necessary make some notes for the following day. Shut the door or close the curtain and do not venture back into the work area until the next day or session. A time to recharge is important in the “Lao Way”. You would not try and use your phone with only 5% of battery left so do not do it to yourself!

The Wrap

A lot of people working from home have found benefits in adopting new styles of working, for some it takes time and practice to develop the new style. It may all seem to be common sense but a lot of wisdom handed down often is and the “Lao Way” has been handed down for many generations.