4 Tricks for a Calmer Home Office

A calm, clear workspace always leads to a better day of work. Learn how to easily create the perfect place to be productive while feeling your best in the process.

Though it may sound like a dream to those who still have to commute to work, the home office lifestyle is not always as easy as it sounds. As in any office, the basic constitution of the space—its atmosphere, tidiness, and furniture—all determine how pleasant (or unpleasant) the worker’s experience is, along with their overall productivity. But with enough intentionality and foresight, it’s possible to make sure that your place of work brings joy and calm throughout the day, thereby setting the stage for a healthy work-life balance. In this article, we break down four easy ways to make your home office cozy, comfortable, and inspiring.

Air Circulation and Natural Light

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the home office is in the ability it gives us to control our environment. So now that we’re given the chance, why not ensure that the many hours we spend at work are as healthy as possible for our physical and mental well-being? For those of us who live in a rural or suburban area, windows do so much to keep us grounded: natural light helps regulate our circadian rhythms, ensuring that we get better sleep every night, while enough fresh air from outside improves our cognitive function and productivity. We recommend placing your desk close to a window (at a right angle, not facing it) so that you always have the chance to look outside and breathe in that fresh air—even if you’re not consciously making an effort to do either of those things, the mere presence of a window nearby can do wonders to keep us calm and focused on the things that matter.

If the air quality outside is not ideal, you may want to consider purchasing an air purifier to ensure that the air being circulated in your office isn’t polluting your lungs or causing your allergies to act up.

Art, Plants, and Personal Mementos

You’re going to be a lot more inspired and uplifted if you’re working in a space that feels warm and welcoming, aren’t you? Ask yourself what kinds of objects make you feel most at home—literally!—and start decorating the space with those adornments. Art can challenge you to think creatively, framed photographs can remind you of the people you love, and plants, in addition to being pleasing ornaments, can serve as a powerful supplement to your air purifier. By carefully curating your space with objects that bring you joy—perhaps borrowing from Marie Kondo’s teachings along the way—you’ll build a workspace conducive to productivity and lucid thought. After all, you are in your home—why not remind yourself that this is your happy place?

Desktop Organization

A cluttered or disorganized workplace can prove a significant impediment to productivity and personal well-being. Not knowing the whereabouts of essential belongings can distract from an otherwise well-crafted space, causing stress as we search for that small but essential item that was recently misplaced. And while this certainly applies to the room at large, it’s most true of our desk, where our most vital devices reside. A disorganized bookcase and a messy side table can both cause some degree of distress, but they won’t catalyze the immediate disorientation that comes from a cluttered desk. A desk that’s neatly organized, on the other hand, will provide the peace of mind you need to stay focused on the task at hand—no need to worry where you left that file or placed that flash drive.

To keep your desk life simple and streamlined, we recommend looking into any of the custom-designed accessories that were expressly conceived to declutter the modern work desk. Some of our favorite solutions at Branch include a Desk Caddy that keeps note-taking implements neatly organized, a Desktop Organizer that serves as a dedicated depository for your smallest possessions, and a Wireless Charging Pad that can efficiently charge up to three different devices at a time. We’ve partnered with two companies, Native Union and Most Modest, to offer some of the most essential accessories that go a long way towards making your office—but more specifically, your desk—easy to navigate on a day-to-day basis.

Prioritize Ergonomics

One of the best things you can do for both your mind and your body is maintain a healthy, dynamic posture through the workweek. Now it certainly takes some amount of conscious effort to accomplish this, but you’ll make it a whole lot easier on yourself by enlisting the help of ergonomic office furniture. With an ergonomic chair, for instance, you’ll minimize the stress you place on your joints and keep your vertebrae aligned as long as you remain seated at a desk. Unlike your average chair, which is rigid in its configuration, ergonomic chairs feature between four and eight points of adjustment in order to accommodate your physical needs. This, in turn, does so much for your well-being: it helps you focus, provides comfort, and helps prevent chronic back pain.

A standing desk is another ergonomic solution that can keep you relaxed, even during the busiest and most demanding days. By giving you the option to vary your posture, standing desks provide some much-needed relief from the condition commonly referred to as “sitting disease” in professional circles. Instead of constantly pining for that walk in your backyard (also important!), you can bring your body some of the respite it needs by getting out of your seat and onto your feet while keeping your eyes on the prize. But don’t just take it from us—scientific studies have demonstrated that the benefits of a standing desk include better posture, reduced stress, and higher productivity.

A Healthier You

Your home office is a centerpiece of your work life, but it’s ultimately just one piece in the puzzle of a healthy lifestyle. We recommend taking plenty of walks outside, stretching regularly, and keeping a highly regulated work schedule. For more tips on how to take care of yourself while maximizing productivity, take a look at more readings from the Branch Blog.