The first step is to create a designated home working area; ideally, that would be a dedicated home office, but not everyone will have a spare room they can use for this purpose. Think creatively: anything from a chimney alcove, a narrow corridor or the gap under the staircase could be transformed into a made-to-measure home office workstation.
Alternatively, an existing dresser or living room table could easily double up as a multi-purpose workspace. If possible, it should be in a place that offers as much natural light as possible, or with an outside view.
Maintain your Workspace
‘Tidy desk, tidy mind’ is a saying that not everyone agrees with – we all know colleagues who work between mounting piles of paperwork on their desks that appear about to topple at any moment – but at home it is a mantra that should be applied rigorously. Keeping clutter to a minimum helps you focus on work, rather than the mess around you. Creative storage solutions can help, such as ottomans or shelving; it avoids the untidiness of cables, charging points and printer cables.
Apply the Human Factor
But finding a suitable working area will not, by itself, encourage a creative mindset. The best office environments are designed to stimulate employees; for example, research by ARTIQ showed that staff were almost 15% more productive if their workplace featured art. Meanwhile, in a separate study by the British Council for Offices, six out of ten employees said artwork inspired them to think and work more creatively.
The important thing to remember is that creating a stimulating work environment does not need to be expensive. Hanging posters and postcards, or displaying personal photographs, can act as a source of inspiration and give personality to your workspace. Making a montage can be stimulating and create an arresting effect. Or you can create your own artworks, for example by framing wallpaper samples or painting onto simple abstract canvases.
Summary
The positive impact of art on our physical and mental health is tangible – a fact recognised by Florence Nightingale 160 years ago – long before the term ‘wellbeing’ had been coined. She wrote ‘Little as we know about the way in which we are affected by form, by colour, and light, we do know this, that they have an actual physical effect.” Now is the perfect time to encourage your employees to discover that for themselves.
Don’t neglect the obvious little touches that can transform a home working environment. Carefully chosen accessories can breathe life into any office space. Simple features such as placing a house plant on the desk will make the area more homely and inviting.
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