Focus better with these simple home-office tips

Some companies continue to run bi-weekly from the office to adhere to safe-distancing measures, leaving you to work from home (WFH) every other week. Whilst having the liberty to WFH has its pros, the con is that procrastination ultimately still runs in the blood no matter where you work from.

Recall how you tend to focus better at the office? Undoubtedly, it’s impossible to replicate your office layout at home, but we have compiled some simple home-office tips that hopefully can help you to focus better. After all, you’re still paid the same to work from home, so there’s no room to slack off.

Pick the right location

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If you’re always sitting facing the wall or your colleague’s cubicle in the office, here’s your chance to pick a spot with a view at home. Apart from choosing a brightly lit room, it’s also best for you to use a place with as little foot traffic as possible. The more frequently other household members walk by you to get their necessities, the harder it’ll be to stay focused. Thus, you’ll want an area at home that people rarely visit during your working hours. Check out some of our tiny home hacks below if you are not able to fit a whole office at home.

Transform a corner: Notice how you often have an awkward space where you end up shoving random bags and shoes or let the dust pile up? That essentially could be your home office, but of course, with an added touch of creativity. We recommend looking for a table that’ll fit perfectly into whatever tiny space you have, preferably a cornered wall desk or an L-shaped one.

Repurpose a bookshelf into a foldout desk: If getting a new table doesn’t seem feasible, repurposing a bookshelf into a foldout desk is the perfect hack. All you need is a bookshelf, hinges, brackets and a stable wood plank that’s sufficiently sized and you’re good to go.

Prioritise comfort even at home

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Just like how you’d splurge on a nice pair of heels or a suit for the office, we recommend working on getting the optimum comfort in your home office. Ultimately, this could also help prevent backaches and even eyesores which eventually lower productivity when you are working.

For the back: It’s no surprise if you are doubling up the dining chair as an office chair to save some space and of course, money. But ultimately, doing that takes a toll on your back and neck. Whilst getting an ergonomic chair seems to be everyone’s go-to for optimum comfort, perhaps just making do with what you have at home would be sufficient.

We recommend getting a lumbar pillow that should slip over your chair to provide the best support for your lower back. Of course, with the long hours of being desk-bound, make sure you get a breathable one so it doesn’t heat up too much. If you have a leg massager around the house, plopping your legs in them whilst working could also be a good way to relax your muscles.

For the eyes: If you have tried all the obvious solutions for reducing distracting glares such as installing an extra lamp, it’s time to take a look at your walls. Although you may find a bare white wall the best to work in, we recommend painting your walls in soft, matte hues instead. Not only will colours of this category reduce light flares, but they can also help you stay calm even in times of needing to jump on a crucial Zoom call with a client.

Improve productivity with these items

We get how some may equate a messy table for a hardworking employee. Well, that isn’t the case when it comes to productivity. Essentially, not getting your items organised or arranged in a designated space could clutter the mind and make you less efficient while working.

Image: Shopee Singapore

Cable organiser: We get how untangled wires seem like a chore and needless to say, ends up ruining our moods. Whilst our dads would recommend just cable tying all the cords together, this may be a hassle if you need to get the wires out once you are heading back to the office.

An alternative is to get a cable box organiser like the example above—it’s as simple as opening the lid, inserting your power strip and feeding the cord out of the slot on both sides of the box—the best hack to hide your messy cables from sight.

Image: Pinterest

Do-it-yourself (DIY) pen pot: Undeniably, you may often find yourself scrambling for a pen when you need to jot down important points during a meeting. It may seem like a waste of money to buy a pen pot, especially since they look similar to a tin can. Well, in that case, DIY-ing a pen pot out of an empty condensed milk can would be the most cost-efficient.

Items needed:

• Tin Can
• Markers
• Paint
• White Glue

To make it:

• Coat the tin with white paint
• Let your creativity run loose with markers and coloured paint

Image: Lucidio Studio/Getty Images

Bulletin board: To keep your desk free of loose papers, we propose pinning important documents or notes up onto the wall. Of course, we wouldn’t risk sticking tape on the wall for fear of patches; thus, a corkboard would be the best option. Alternatively, you could also hang up inspirational quotes and pictures, which can certainly help to keep you focused. 

Additional tip: If a corkboard doesn’t fit your room’s theme, getting a magnetic board would do the trick too. Either way, you’d need to get thumbtacks or magnets to go along with the boards.

Feature image taken from Westend61/Getty Images