Whether you’re working from home or in an office, it’s important to feel comfortable at your workspace. A comfortable and inviting office increases productivity and efficiency in addition to boosting your moral. Before we get into details, let’s review a few of the things which can improve your work environment.

The lighting.

Ideally, a workspace should have lots of windows and natural light. However, since that’s not always possible, you should try to maximize whatever lighting you have and also to add task lighting.

A lamp should be on the desk and you should also consider using overhead lighting in addition to that. Maybe you’ve noticed that you feel less energetic during winter months. That’s because of the lack of exposure to sunlight. The sun boosts your mood and makes you more productive. It’s also important to get some artificial lighting in the workspace to facilitate reading, writing and other activities.

Good storage solutions.

A messy and cluttered workspace can’t possibly be more productive and inspiring than a neat and tidy one. So before you start your tasks for the day, de-clutter the desk and put everything where it belongs. For that, you need a good storage and organization system. Open shelves are great because they let you store and display items where you can easily reach them.

Cabinets and drawers are great for hiding certain items that you don’t use very often. If you’re working with documents and files, organize them all using a simple system. If you have lots of books in your office, a bookcase would be ideal.

Make the workspace a single-purpose area.

Don’t mix your work with your personal life. If you decide to work from home, you should pick a spot that you don’t need to use for anything else. Ideally, you should have a separate room for this. Other added purposes will only distract you from your work.

Also, by having a designated workspace, you can organize it and decorate it however you wish without having to worry about anything else. It’s good to set some boundaries between work and personal life. So when you step into the office, you should stop thinking about home.

Get the wires under control.

I think we can all agree that wires can get out of control fast and they get annoying. We often try to ignore the issue but it only get worst. So try to find a way to organize them. A simple solution can be to tie them up under the desk.

But if you really want to be organized, then you can also label them. Get rid of all the cables that might incommode you while working. You can tape them to the side of the desk or find a more creative way to organize them. You can turn your cords into artwork.

Set a comfortable temperature.

The temperature in your office is important. If it’s too hot you can’t concentrate properly and if it’s too cold you can’t be productive. So set whatever temperature makes you feel comfortable. If you don’t have a separate home office or if others might protest to that, get a fan, a heater or a portable air conditioner.

Personalize the décor.

It’s important to incorporate a personal touch into the décor of your workspace. This way it will feel more welcoming there and you’ll be more inspired when working. For that, you can try having an inspirational poster. It will boost your mood and productivity. Pick something that defines you or something that get your brain moving.

You can also incorporate other elements in the décor. For example, display a few personal photos or choose a calendar you really like to put on the wall or on the desk. Have a corkboard on which to display both decorative and practical elements. Pick a rug that cheers up the room. The possibilities are endless.

A comfortable chair and desk.

Of course, the most important thing for being comfortable at the workplace is having a proper chair and a proper desk. There are a few things you should consider before purchasing these items.

The chair.

A comfortable office chair is always a good investment. So make sure you know what you’re looking for before buying one. A great chair should have a comfortable cushion. If possible, breathable fabric would be great too.A good chair should also have armrests. There are plenty of designs that don’t include them and they’re even worth taking into consideration. The armrests should be low enough for your shoulders to stay relaxed and your elbow to bend at a 90 degree angle.Any good office chair should have adjustable seat height. This allows you to adjust your position when sitting at your desk. Your feet should stay flat on the floor and your arms should be at the height of the desk.A thing which is sometimes neglected is the adjustable back rest height. It’s important to have good posture when working and for that you need to adjust the height and angle of the back rest.Speaking of posture, do you know how you should sit properly when working? We can help with that. You should sit as close as possible to the desk, with the upper arms parallel to your spine and your hands rested on the work surface. Your legs should also be bent at the knees at a 90 degree angle. Try to maintain this ideal sitting posture as much as you can.

If you think it’s necessary, you should also have a footrest. This can reduce the pressure on the feet and will decrease the pain at the end of the day.

The desk.

The desk is just as important as the chair. So when you go shopping for a new desk or if you decide to make a custom one, you should take into consideration a few factors. Everything should be set up in the right position.The mouse and the keyboard should be as close together as possible. If you have a keyboard tray, then the mouse should sit there too. Make sure the desk has the ideal height. You can, of course, adjust the height of your seat but it’s best to decide these things beforehand.When placing the monitor on the desk, you need to pay attention to a few things. First of all, once you’ve adjusted the chair, close your eyes and then casually look forward. Open your eyes and they should be aimed at the center of the screen. If the computer screen sits too low, you can use a stack of books to raise it.Once all the important elements are properly organized on the desk, it’s time to take care of the little things. Only include on the desk the elements you really need and make sure they are easily reachable. Don’t clutter your workspace with decorative items. Instead, display them on the wall in front of your desk where you can see them.

More Tips.

Take frequent breaks.

This will help you concentrate better and will also make you more productive and efficient in the long run. Even if you’re working from home, you should take lunch breaks or find something relaxing to do from time to time.

Reduce eye strain.

It’s important to try to protect your eyes, especially if you’re using a computer for more than 3 or 4 hours a day. Adjust the brightness of your monitor, position yourself so that the windows are to your side and blink often. Every 20 minutes, try focusing on an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Set a schedule.

Don’t let the fact that you’re working from home influence you when creating your schedule. Try to be organized. Set up an alarm in the morning and set a goal each day, according to the tasks that need to be completed. You should finish all your work until a certain time you’ve decided.

Start the day with a pleasant activity.

It’s important to start the day in a pleasant way. So, when you wake up, do something fun, something you like. Have coffee with your partner or with a friend, listen to music or take a walk with your dog.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13&14.