Optimizing Your Home Office
America enters its ninth month in quarantine and woking from home seemed so great in the beginning. You don’t have to waste time or money sitting in traffic and you can work in the comfort of your pajamas. Yet as time goes on you may start to yearn for change. The monotonous schedule of staying at home every hour of the day, save for the occasional trip to the grocery store, has you feeling weird and tired. After months of staying indoors, your home could use a little excitement.
The space that you work in has a huge impact on mental health and productivity. The little things that surround you don’t seem like they make a difference, but over time you might start to notice that you aren’t feeling as good as you used to. By reinvigorating your workspace you can help boost your mood and stay focused.
Other Ways To Prevent Burn Out
Burn Out
Burn out is the inevitable feeling of fatigue after continuous and constant stress. The many signs of burn out include:
- Physical and mental exhaustion
- Not getting restful or proper sleep
- Negative feelings or paranoia
- Frequent illness such as colds or nausea
At home, you have much more freedom in preventing burn out. You have control over your environment and have the power to remain healthy and happy. Adjusting your workspace is one of the best ways to prevent burn out and keep working from home interesting.
Keeping Your Space Yours
Make your space for you and keep it that way. And make it personal. You want to feel like you own the space and make it comfortable for you. If you have room in a home office, add a couch or a chair that is specifically for taking breaks. Allow yourself to just sit back and not think for a little while without feeling guilty that you are not being productive. Taking breaks actually helps you stay focused and will allow you to produce even better work. So when you are taking care of yourself, everyone wins.
If your home is too chaotic or suffocating, taking short trips outside can be very beneficial. If you decide to go somewhere, make sure you wear a mask to prevent contracting any illness or spreading any of your own germs to others. Miro safety masks are comfortable and breathable, made with special HEPA filter fabric so that you can breathe easily while also staying safe.
If you are sharing a desk with a spouse or children, this may prove to be difficult. Though not so difficult that it is impossible. The best way to make sure that your things go untouched is keeping everyone’s supplies organized. Optimize the space by using organizers and labels. Make sure you communicate appropriately with your family, setting boundaries for yourself and those around you is the best way to maintain your sanity as well as everyone else’s.
Minimize Distraction
Set up your office or workspace so that you are not easily distracted by the other daily activities that go on in your house. Also, make sure you keep your space tidy and clutter free. Having a cluttered desk or room will only increase your stress levels. Mari Kondo’s popular book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” perfectly goes through how to declutter your home and make your space work for you.
Let the Light In
Natural light has so many benefits. It helps regulate your circadian rhythm and keeps you energized throughout the day. If possible, it is best to set up your space near a window or in a room that gets a lot of natural light. If this is not really possible for your home, then there are many lamps that emit a light that simulates natural sunlight.
Take Care of Your Health
Stress weakens your immune system. You will become more susceptible to colds and flu, which only adds more stress to your days. By minimizing stress you can avoid the negative impacts of it, though some days it can be difficult to do so. Staying healthy while juggling everything else in your life just seems like another chore. Thankfully there are ways to maintain your health with less effort, such as simply adding a humidifier to your home.
Humidifiers offer many benefits including easing symptoms of allergies and asthma, as well as inhibiting the spread of germs and viruses in the air. You want to make breathing easy for your body to avoid any complications later. Humidifiers and staying properly hydrated throughout the day will decrease the chances of you waking up congested or with a headache in the morning. The NR07G and NR08M humidifiers from Miro are the perfect addition to your home. They are a breeze to clean and run for up to 24 hours with different settings to adjust it to your needs.
Other Ways to Prevent Burn Out
There are various other ways that you can help improve your mood and prevent burn out. You may not realize how the small changes in habit can make a huge difference. Here are some other things you can do to keep burn out at bay:
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a balanced diet
- Take breaks as needed
- Meditate or take walks
- Don’t try to cram so many tasks into your day
- Work on one task at a time