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As Pew Research explains, over 2 years into the pandemic, roughly 6 in 10 U.S. workers say their jobs can mainly be done from home. They are now working from home all or most of the time. This means many adjustments, perhaps saying goodbye to the open concept living so you can have office doors or adapted break schedules to take care of the pets.

Whether you are reveling in the work-from-home life or missing the motivating office environment, one thing is for sure – your work environment is crucial to your productivity and happiness. And if you are working from home, you can really dive in and create the environment you desire! An environment that speaks to you, minimizes stress, and motivates your well-being!

According to architect and design expert Ben Channon and Environmental Psychologist Eleanor Ratcliffe, here are 5 ways to achieve just that:

1. Display art and other items you find beautiful or that remind you of your identity
   This doesn’t have to be expensive at all. You can even print a photo from your favorite museum or a favorite memory of yours to make the space uplifting and welcoming to you!
2. Implement any shortcuts technology can provide to make your life easier
   The goal is not to get more addicted to technology but to take advantage of modern innovations that are intended to make your daily life a little easier, such as timers on social media so you don’t go down the Johnny Depp rabbit hole.
3. Include elements of nature to create a more relaxed space
   Use biophilic designs in your office as they are proven to create a more relaxed space, enhance creativity, and reduce antisocial behavior. According to a UK Study, households were given plants for 3 months, after which 54% of people had increased cortisol levels. Some ideas include actual plants, a leafy wallpaper, a natural-wood table, or a curvy couch!
4. Maximize storage opportunities to keep things orderly and stress free
   Ben explains, “Mess in general is shown to be linked to stress… plus people in messy homes tend to record higher “depressed mood scores.” Interestingly, one of the spaces you should organize is your bathroom! Why? Our bathrooms set the tone for how we start and end our days.
5. Create a space specifically for work, to separate work from relaxation time
   The COVID working-from-home surge prompted heightened mental exhaustion and stress for people everywhere. To help mitigate this, it is important to create the feeling of a mental commute. This means instead of working from your bed, try working on a desk, a laptop tray, or anywhere with visual cues that signal the feeling of “clocking in” and “clocking out.”

For more ideas, see my worksheet on creating your perfect brand-aligned physical background!

Sending love from my home office to yours!

Much Love,