One of my very first posts I ever wrote was about creating a calm, serene feel in your home. I talked about use of colors, placement of furniture, feng shui. You name it! I listed 5 spaces that may be your favorite place in your home to relax. The first few places I wrote about were very easy to elaborate on. Not hard to create a sanctuary in your bedroom or even in your backyard. But amongst the list was your home office. What was I thinking?! It’s where you work! Can your home office setup actually create a calm space?
Honestly when I started this Relax At Home venture, my office was the first place I thought of. It’s the one space in my house that is all mine. I can choose my colors and place the furniture wherever I want. Obviously, having a space that makes your happy will create an atmosphere that you’ll actually want to work everyday. But can your home office setup make your day more productive? You bet! Here’s how to make your space calm and productive.
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Clear Space / Clear Mind
This isn’t a new concept. I’m sure you are all familiar. But I’ve learned something new about this recently from Rebekah Lara, creator of Time to Thrive program. Mindset is everything! Change the way you think of a task and it’s all doable. Rebekah is one of the best productivity coaches I know. If you want to learn how to do this, join Rebekah’s Facebook group Calm the Chaos. Doing this will actually give you more time in your day! So let’s use your space to keep your mind clear and ready to work. Make sure everything has a home and preferable out of site unless it’s something you use everyday. Have only your favorite pens and pencils out. And make sure to create a space with a paper tray or file basket on top of your workspace. This is for the most important things that need to be done first and the “to be filed bin”. Keeping your space clear and clutter free will keep your mind ready for your work.
Only 7 Things Belong on Your Desk
- Computer – obviously!
- Coffee – again, obviously! Well I guess you could drink something else.
- Small notepad or post-its – although, Rebekah can show you how to eliminate the need for either. No really!
- Pens and Pencils – only a few of your favorite.
- Paper Tray or File Basket – for the most important or the things that need completing first. Also can include a “to be filed”.
- One piece of inspiration – this can be a family photo or a clay dish your kid made for you. Or another decorative item.
- Special items – or tools that are specific to your job.
Everyone’s needs are different but you get what I mean. Keep your desktop as clear and fresh as possible. Look at your desk now. What do you think? Does it feel dry and bland? Focusing on function of your space doesn’t mean it can’t be a beautiful design. We want this to be a space you want to be in, right? We need to spice it up elsewhere in the room.
Know Your Design Style
I think everyone would agree that a lot of your job isn’t necessarily your favorite thing to do. Some is, but not everything. To help you be productive and get through those moments that you don’t want to be doing the things, make your office a place you want to spend time in. This is one of the reasons I chose my office as my place to relax in my home. That’s right, relaxing in your office is possible LOL When I started my office redesign I found this owl print at Hobby Lobby. It just made me smile inside. That’s where you need to start.
Find an item, or maybe it’s just a color, that makes you smile inside. Steal the colors from your item but start with more neutral tones for the big areas of your room. Then use the other color in small doses. In my space I chose the stone tones for the walls and larger furniture. Then I have throw pillows in pink (I also added green because I love it). So my color scheme includes all the colors in the print except, instead of black, I’m using green (neutral stone color, pink, green and gold).
Feng Shui Home Office
Full disclosure, I’m just getting into the study of feng shui. But I do believe this philosophy will make a big difference in your state of mind and, in turn, your productivity. If you are unfamiliar with feng shui, according to Oxford Languages, it is “a system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy and whose favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into account when siting and designing buildings.” This means that the space should be uncluttered, organized, and aesthetically pleasing.
In order to achieve this balance, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. One is to make sure there are no sharp corners or edges in your office. Sharp corners can cause discomfort and anxiety. Another is that your desk is facing or pointing towards, but not in direct line, with the door of the office. This will help create a sense of openness and welcoming but also gives you command of the space. Take this as a sense of empowerment of your day and your work.
You can read more about creating feng shui in your office at The Spruce.
Minimalist Desk
Minimalist design for our home office setup sounds extreme! But keeping your space in a minimalist concept will do so much for you. It keeps with the feng shui theory as it allows your business to grow. So what does that look like. We started this by selecting your color palate with a neutral color for a majority of your space with simple pops of only a couple of colors. Remember if you have wood furniture or metal decor, that counts as a color. Seriously, keeping it simple will keep your mind clear to focused for work.
Next, only have the minimal amount of furniture you need to run your business. Again, this allows your business to grow and your mind to be clear to focus. Realize that when I say ‘it allows your business to grow’, it’s not just physically. But having this spacious visual in your workspace everyday, allows your mind to be free to even think about growing. Very subliminal! Another benefit of minimal furniture is creating movement throughout your space which creates free flow of thoughts.
Home Office Setup
Rebekah teaches her clients that you don’t have to do all the things. That you’ll be more productive if you only take a few of the things on your list each day to focus on. If you take this concept to your physical space it means CLEAN UP YOUR DESK HaHaHa! Put things away in the places they belong. Rebekah has a great post on having a priority bin on your desk. So the important things on your to do list are there in front of you but you have a definite end to what HAS to be done that day. Just like everything on your computer desktop is organized into folders and in their place, your physical desk should be too. Here’s more desk setup inspiration.
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FAQ
Q: What do you need to set up a home office?
A: This question depends on what your job is. But most would need a desk, computer and internet. The rest would be a bonus!
Q: How do you build the ultimate home office?
A: The first steps to the ultimate home office are to first find the perfect space. The space should be large enough to hold the necessary furniture and that you are comfortable with. It also should be secluded and with a door. Quiet and private are key.
Q: What is the perfect desk setup?
A: Check out the suggestions above. The perfect desk setup should be one that is comfortable to work at and for maximum productivity.
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