A growing number of people are starting to work from home. According to Upwork (2020), it is estimated that 22% of American workers will be working from home by 2025.
Working from home means that employees are working remotely instead of at an office (Bloom, 2020). It also means that fewer employees are traveling to a physical location, which is a significant benefit, in light of the rising gas prices (Koeze & Krauss, 2022).
There are other benefits to working from home such as spending less money during lunch breaks and just being comfortable and cozy. But, how do you stay productive when your couch is right behind you and your bed is in the other room (or perhaps even the same room)? It can be very challenging, which is why creating productive work-from-home space is so important.
Setting Up Your Work from a Home Space
If you are working from home, there are ways that you can create a workspace that encourages productivity (Vischer, 2018).
Your Workspace
Your workplace can influence your behavior. For example, your workspace can make you feel balanced, which allows you to achieve flow (Demerouti et al., 2012). Flow is a state of mind, in which you are focused fully on your work, and the day feels like it’s flying by.
Conversely, your workspace can make you feel unbalanced. When you feel unbalanced, it’s hard to concentrate, and the day feels like it’s dragging along. For some people, having a dedicated spare room, or just a small corner in your home for work, can make all the difference. Below, are a few workspace tips that you can consider and easily implement:
4 Helpful Workspace Tips:
- Create a space that is dedicated to work, not on the couch or your bed.
- Make sure that you have good lighting; having your desk near a window would be ideal.
- Keep it tidy: reduce clutter by using baskets, bins, or cabinets to organize your space.
- Make it flexible: if you are sitting at the desk for hours at a time, consider getting a desk that adjusts so that you alternatively can be in a standing position.
Staying Productive at Home
Now that you have set up a workspace, how will you remain productive?
3 Essential Productivity Tips:
- Be sure the workspace is free from distractions. Too much background noise from children or pets can challenge your attention and reduce productivity.
- Create a schedule with your family and stick to it to ensure that everyone stays on the same page. Your schedule can help you to achieve a balance between work time and time with loved ones.
- Every day, write down what you need to get done and when it needs to be done. This will help you to stay organized and focused on the tasks at hand.
Scholarly Sources
Bloom, N. (2020, June). How working from home works out. Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Stanford University. Policy Brief, 1-9. https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/policy-brief/how-working-home-works-out
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Sonnentag, S., & Fullagar, C. J. (2012). Work‐related flow and energy at work and at home: A study on the role of daily recovery. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(2), 276-295. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.760
Koeze, E., & Krauss, C. (2022, June 14). Why gas prices are so high. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/06/14/business/gas-prices.htm l
Upwork. (2020, December 15). Upwork study finds 22% of the American workforce will be remote by 2025. https://www.upwork.com/press/releases/upwork-study-finds-22-of-american-workforce-will-be-remote-by-2025
Vischer, J. C. (2018). Building-in-use assessment: Foundation of workspace psychology. In W. F. E. Preiser, A. Hardy, & E., U. Schramm (Eds.), Building performance evaluation: From delivery process to life cycle phases (pp. 129-139). Springer International.
