16 Ways To Update Your Home Office

16 WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR HOME OFFICE

Your working environment can have a huge effect on both your productivity and creativity. A home office should be a personalised haven tailored to you.

However, if you work in a shared office there often isn’t much you can change.The uniform colour is white or grey and desks don’t offer much inspiration. We all need a phone and a computer but a dull desk is just depressing.

If you’re lucky enough to work from home or have the ability to upgrade your working environment we’ve got 16 tips guaranteed to leave you feeling more motivated…

1. Get rid of the rubbish!

First things first, do regular desk swipe. Old coffee cups, receipts, papers and wrappers can mount up leaving you feeling stressed and limiting your breathing space. No need to turn into a neat-freak just pick a regular time in the day to ditch the rubbish.

2. Add method to the madness

Use the left to right method. When working through your jobs move the completed tasks from the right side of your desk to the left side. This saves you shuffling through papers and helps keep your desk organized.

3. Add a personal touch

Quotes, post cards of inspirational figures, photo frames filled with family snaps. Whatever takes you to your happy place, adding a personal touch can remind you to take a breath when you’re feeling stressed.

4. Use paper clips for storage

The creative alternative to an in in tray, keep paper clutter away from the desk surface by mounting paper clips onto a wall.

5. Upgrade your desk accessories

Spray painting your accessories in a bold colour can transform even the dullest (and cheapest) of pen pots.

6. Jam Jars

Who said you have to stick to traditional organisers? Upcycle old jam jars for a pretty and inexpensive way of organising your stationery.

7. Create a Chalkboard wall

Get creative, wipe off and start again. Transform your office wall into a chalkboard with just a few coats of paint. The act of doodling on the board instead of typing a way in front of a computer is bound to change up your thought process.

8. Adjust the lighting

Change the mood of a room by investing in chic light fixtures or even just change the bulb to create a warmer, more welcoming light.

9. Frost your windows

Retain the natural light whilst avoiding distractions and nosy neighbours by using frosted glass spray on your office windows or doors.

10. Add colour with spray paint

Add colour to unsightly storage boxes and metal stationary by making them feel a part of the room design with a few coats of spray paint. Choose a bold colour to bring even the most tiered of boxes a new lease of life.

11. Create a magnetic pin board

By adding Magnetic Primer to your office wall you not only get the pin board style organisation but the space will be in keeping with the existing colour of your walls.

12. Make use of every nook and cranny

Rethink every space as a potential storage space. From a bookshelf a filing cabinet even the smallest of spaces can help you ditch the clutter.

13. Create space with a mirror

Home office a little on the small side? Create the illusion of space by adding a mirror, just make sure you chose the spot carefully. Staring at yourself all day might become a little distracting.

10. Feng Shui your surroundings

Ok, so you don’t need to go the whole hog and implement Feng Shui strategies but by rearranging furniture to optimise space, light and functionality can be as good as a change of scenery.

15. Re-use an old shutter

Post mounts up and can become a trigger of stress. Motivate yourself to action the post by ditching the junk into the recycling and slotting the post that needs addressing by popping it in an upcycled old shutter.

16. Scents

Different scents affect how you work triggering memory and creativity. Consider using scented candles to achieve your goal. Check out the table below for a guide to motivational scents…