Whether you’re job-hunting during a pandemic or in a stable full-time position, one thing’s true for anyone engaging in the workforce in 2020: You’re laboring away at home to some degree — and probably doing so with what you’ve got on hand.
And while there’s no shame in rigging your dining room table and a cardboard box into a standing desk or considering a collared shirt and sweatpants telegram data business casual (we’re all doing it), it’s worth considering how your workspace and your home affects your well-being.
Beyond some basic work from home tips, we’re homing in on a few ways to create a work-from-home space that’ll promote productivity and positively affect your mood. To help, we also included advice from interior design and psychology experts:
1. Pick Up Your Mess
Your home environment is a direct reflection of you, according to this statistical method double Justin Baksh, LMHC, MCAP. This means that pile of dirty dishes in the sink or unmade bed could translate to frazzled concentration. Do yourself a favor and declutter your home and organize your chaos to proceed through your workday with a clear head. The only caveat: Don’t overextend your cleaning if it’s going to stress you out. The point of having a picked-up home environment is to promote productivity, not stall your productivity.
2. Designate a Workspace
Work-life balance is something that’s probably been ingrained in you since you entered the workforce. But it’s a different ballgame when your work and personal life occur under one roof and, in the case of COVID-19, it’s the only place both can occur. Physically dividing these facets of your life can help. That might be reconfiguring a room into an office or investing in room dividers to block off your “office” and maybe having set hours to be in that workspace. Once you “clock out,” don’t return until your job resumes the next day.
3. Soak Up Bright, Natural Light
Here’s a bright idea: Embrace natural lighting while you work. It calling list suppresses your melatonin, making you more lively and more productive. Position your desk next to a floor-to-ceiling window, if you have one, or drag it as close to a window as you can. If you have an outdoor space, maybe even consider posting up on a patio for a day, assuming you have the full functionality of an indoor workspace (think: Wi-Fi, electrical outlets, etc.).
4. Invest in Plants
Plants are among the most affordable decor you can find — and their added health benefits make them a steal. Not only do they serve as a natural air purifier, but plants are mood boosters. “[When you] have greenery (fake or real) in your home, it helps remind us of things that are living and thriving,” says Rachel Dubrow, LCSW10. “It also helps connect us to nature, which helps with overall mood.”