So, you’ve decided to ditch the rat race and start working from home. Congratulations! You’re most likely the envy of all your friends. They scurry to work on busy trains and buses or get stuck in nose-to-tail traffic. You’ll enjoy a leisurely start to your work day, sipping your coffee and relaxing into your easy chair.

But beware! Working from home can be as much of a blessing as a curse. Whether you’re self employed or working remotely as part of your job, you’re completely responsible for your own productivity. And after a while you might just miss your old job keeping tabs on you and making sure that you’re not scrolling through Facebook.

Still, that doesn’t mean that you have to make it through each day on willpower alone. In fact, the way in which you decorate your home can have a surprisingly powerful effect on your productivity. Let’s look at some decorative tips that are also productivity hacks…

Establish an ‘office space’

This is absolutely essential. As appealing as the idea of working on the sofa in your PJs or working in bed might be, neither is conducive to doing your best work.

You need to designate a space to work and absolutely nothing else. It doesn’t have to be a room, but it should be a space free of distraction where you can remain focused.

Check out this previous piece on the three elements which make a perfect home office. Keep your decor here as spartan and minimalist as possible while still ensuring that it’s a pleasant and personal space in which to work.

If you intent to paint the walls, use cool and muted tones for a calm and pleasant environment.

Surround yourself with the language of nature

Both inside and outside of your home office you should try and use natural materials wherever possible. The language of nature is not only a proven mood booster, it’s also proven to aid concentration and make our brains work more effectively and efficiently. That means you should let as much natural light in as possible and work near windows when you can. 

Try and use natural materials like wood, stone, cotton, linen etc. all around the home. Think timber look tiles, cotton throws and, of course, lots and lots of house plants. These will help to oxygenate the room and keep you calm even when deadlines loom near and work days seem disastrous. 

The sweet smell of success

Last of all… remember that while most decor is appreciated visually, the other sense play a huge part. Natural materials (or other materials that closely approximate them) are effective not because of their appearance but because of the familiar way they feel.

Scent is also important in maintaining peak productivity when you work from home. Make sure that you always have essential oil diffusers for aromatherapy candles close by when you’re working or about to start working. These can help you to feel calm while keeping your mind active. Mint and citrus scents are particularly effective here. 

Do you have any other tips for working from home? Please share them with other readers.