Create a Harmonized Workspace at home
I recently had a change in my home-work space. As much as it pains me to admit it, my husband was right. Gasp!
I was delighted with myself when I came up with the plan of creating my office space in a corner of the children’s playroom; a little spotlight above the desk, to lovely shelves, one of those half magnetic whiteboards, and a fancy desk tidy.
It took only a few days to realised that the thing I had initially said wouldn’t be a problem. It was in fact a pretty big problem. No window.
A room is not a room without natural light
– Louis Kahn –
Over a lifetime, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work! I know it can be difficult to create a dedicated workspace at home, but if this is your predominant place of work, it really is important to create a space that makes you feel happy, that entices positive energy and reduces our stress levels.
Here are some top tips on creating a space for peaceful and productive home working.
Consider your lighting source
Ideally, natural light in front or next to your workstation and computer screen is best, to avoid glare and maximise your outside views. Even better, you could position your workstation facing north or south so that that sunlight doesn’t throw a shadow at any point in the day. It’s proven that exposure to natural light in an office will increase productivity, health and overall wellbeing.
Introduce alternative lighting with a desk or standing lamp. You could play it safe with a practical purchase or you could splash out on a stylish desk lamp that will literally light up your working space. A lamp in an unusual shape or colour will make space your own. Make your working space a welcoming haven, rather than a space to avoid.
Bring the outdoors in
Greenery works wonders for your mindset so consider bringing living energy into your workspace. Plants don’t take up much space and are peaceful to look at.
If you don’t have the space to do this, you could decorate the walls with framed photos of landscapes, flowers and flowing water.
Declutter
Clutter creates stagnant energy, much like stagnant water ends up a funny colour and a bit smelly. If you have stagnant energy in your house, this will have an impact on your energy and can block creativity.
When you clean and declutter you make the room feel fresher and energised, making space for new thoughts, a release of creativity, and feelings of happiness. Don’t clog the Feng Shui!
Environment
Finally, colours are closely associated with the Feng Shui elements, with varying effects on work life.
I’ve incorporated yellow into my work environment – it’s warm, happy and stimulating. In Feng Shui, yellow is believed to focus attention and stimulate the intellect, its uplifting and creates a cosy, welcoming feeling.