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One of the most important obligations you have as a freelancer is establishing ways to keep yourself productive. Interestingly, the items that you include in your work-from-home office can have a large influence on your overall level of productivity.
Since many new freelancers aren’t quite sure what to include, we’ve created a guide to help you out. Let’s dive in.
The utility that comfortable home office furniture is able to provide simply can’t be overlooked. No matter what industry you work in, there will be times throughout your day where you need to mentally rejuvenate for 5 or 10 minutes.
But, it can be difficult to do so while remaining at your desk.
Additionally, not everybody has the time or energy to go on a walk, exercise, etc. Having a comfortable couch or reclining chair can allow you to take a short break and recharge before your next sprint.
If your schedule allows, you could even take a quick nap. In general, many people find that it’s easier for them to wake up from a nap on a couch or chair as opposed to a bed. The last thing you want to do is oversleep in the middle of your workday and spend all night catching up (or even worse, miss deadlines).
Natural elements have been psychologically proven to improve our mental state. After all, there’s a reason why something as simple as sitting in a park can be so enjoyable.
Although it’s not practical to work outside in most cases, this doesn’t mean that you can’t add a plant or two to your home office.
These don’t even need to be real plants, either. Synthetic plants can accomplish the same task and will help add a bit more life to your home office. Otherwise, your room may begin to feel a bit too much like a giant cubicle.
A key factor in staying productive in your home office is making this space feel like it's unlike a work environment. Personalization can go a long way in this endeavor.
You also have a large amount of flexibility when it comes to how you personalize your workspace. Many people choose to incorporate pictures, posters, etc.
Depending on your personal taste, you could also incorporate various types of art. Even something as simple as a lava lamp could add a much-needed touch of personalization.
This is especially important for those who work in creative fields, as having a personalized workspace is highly conducive to maintaining peak creativity. You even can interact with other professionals in our freelance community and ask for suggestions or feedback.
If you aren’t able to incorporate a large amount of natural light into your home office, it’s worth investing in a reliable light source. If you constantly work in dim conditions, you may find that your productivity suffers.
Additionally, doing so for long periods of time could also have an adverse impact on your mental health.
You might also find that colored lighting helps get you into a productive mood. For this reason, many freelancers tend to include light sources with adjustable colors that they can modify depending on how they feel.
There will be plenty of times where you need a small snack or refreshing drink. But, getting up from your desk could easily throw you out of your flow state.
Instead, it’s worth including a mini-fridge in your home office.
You can keep essentials in here in order to stay fueled during your most productive moments. This also provides another element of your office that you can personalize.
For example, it’s not uncommon for freelancers to include a vintage-style Coca-Cola mini-fridge solely for its aesthetic value.
Having a cluttered home office desk is one of the most definitive ways to decrease your productivity.
But, it’s highly likely that you will frequently handle documents, folders, etc. To help ensure that your workspace stays free of unnecessary items, it's worth investing in a small table or bookshelf.
This will allow you to keep these assets out of your way while you’re getting work done. Combined with our client management software, it's highly likely that you won't have anything on your desk but the bare essentials.
Including this item in your home office will provide you with a way to quickly check your outstanding obligations. Even the next best alternative (which is often opening a notes document on your computer) could cause an interruption in your productivity.
Depending on the size of your whiteboard, you could even plan out an entire week or month, allowing you to have a solid understanding of your short-term goals. In combination with our project management software, you will be able to ensure that you handle all of your obligations in a timely manner.
Hectic is specifically designed to help keep you as productive as possible. Track your time, manage projects, and take notes all in one place.
You can visit this resource to learn more.
Candles are the perfect way to add a bit of atmosphere to your workspace. But, they come with an extra benefit — incorporating a certain type of scent that is unique to your office will help get you in the mood to work.
This is achieved by your brain associating a particular smell with your work environment. Although simple, this could be one of the most effective methods that you incorporate when it comes to staying productive.
Just make sure that you keep a backup candle or two as replacements.
So, keep the above information in mind. From here, you can easily make your work-from-home office the most productive environment possible.
Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.
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