Working from home is an ideal situation for a lot of people. A better balance between work and your own life, more family time, no commuting and you you’re almost your own boss, to an extent. But chances are you’ll want to separate your work space from your living space, because there’s nothing less motivating than a comfy sofa and your favourite box set staring right at you across the room, is there?.

Having a clean and tidy space in your home dedicated to doing your work will likely increase productivity levels, and help you to differentiate your relaxation time from your working hours. Here are some tips on how to create the perfect home office.

Think Practically

There are a lot of trendy “home office” designs on the internet nowadays, but it’s up to you to evaluate their practicalities. For example, upholstered wooden chairs may look the part, but they aren’t going to do your back or posture any favours. Investing in a sensible and comfortable computer chair, or at the very least a comfy chair with a back support is crucial to making the hours you’ll spend at your desk bearable. Likewise, make sure your desk is spacious enough so that all of your necessary items won’t be crammed on there, and so you have enough room to spread them out and work efficiently.

Neutral colours are also a great way to give the room a calming, yet focused vibe, because let’s face it, a fuschia pink statement wall might be unique and striking in the living room, but might be the recipe for a headache if you’re staring at it all day while trying to hit a

deadline. Equally, if you are looking into selling your home in the future, sticking to neutrality could hugely benefit you. Whether you’re looking to sell traditionally, or would rather go with a company online that claims they buy any house, you’re likely to get a higher offer for a house with a spacious, neutral spare room as buyers are able to see the potential in it. Not only is the minimalist trend huge right now, but it lends perfectly to an in-house office, for more reasons than one.

Avoid Paper Clutter

Do you really, really need to keep physical copies of every document, invoice and spreadsheet you’ve ever made? The answer is no, you absolutely do not. As long as you keep virtual backup copies, whether it be on a memory stick or on your computer’s hard drive, there is no reason for keeping and creating copious amounts of paper waste. Not only will you be creating a tidier working environment for yourself, but by saving on paper, you’ll also be helping the environment. A win-win for your productivity and your moral compass!

Go Green

It’s a bright summer’s’ day, and shock, you’re stuck in the office again. But what if you considered bringing the outdoors, in? First of all, choosing a room that lets in plenty of natural light is a great first step in doing this – however make sure you adjust the position of your computer/laptop accordingly so the screen isn’t affected by the light! Studies actually show that people who work in natural lighting are more productive, absorb more vitamin D, have a better sleep at night and have less eye problems (which is a common issue when working at a computer day in-day out.) Not only this, but while you’re using your computer, printer, telephone, and whatever other electrics you’re using in your office, you’ll save some money on your electricity bill by keeping the light off.

Another way of embracing nature from behind your desk, is investing in some houseplants for your office. Not only are they easier on the eyes, and a way to connect to nature despite being indoors, but they also look great and actually have some healthy benefits to them too. Did you know that certain houseplants are actually air purifying, so will provide you with a healthy environment to breathe and work in?

Finally, Remember to Inspire Yourself

One of the hardest things about working from home, is you have to have a strong sense of self-motivation. Whether it’s art, lyrics, or go-get-’em quotes, decorate your office with the things that inspire you to work harder and be better. It might even be something as simple as a picture of your family, or the dream holiday you’re working towards going on.

Whatever it is that makes you want to do the best you can, use it to drive you forward. Remember, you wouldn’t even be able to work hard from home if you hadn’t gotten this far, so keep pushing!