Home decor tricks that will boost your productivity

As January continues to speed by, we’re all coming to terms with the fact that the holidays are officially over and a new year has swiftly begun. Though we have taken down the string lights and the poinsettias have wilted, the attitude of improvement and reflection still remains, inspiring us to plot and plan for a successful 2017. Did you know that your home decor can help?

Amidst everything going on around the world, how can we position ourselves to have our best year yet?

Seasons and circumstances are bound to change throughout the year so sometimes meticulous planning can lead to disappointment. Even though nobody knows how this year will end, it surely starts at home.

If you find that your post-vacation workload is causing you to punch in excess hours at the office, the vibe in your home has an immense impact on the way you feel and ultimately on the way you perform professionally, no matter how much time you actually spend there.

So if you are hoping to prompt productivity and be propel yourself towards success this year, give these design tips a try:

1) Let there be light

If you work in an office environment, there’s a good chance your office isn’t naturally lit. Office spaces often opt for painful fluorescent bulbs. While they get the job done with little fuss, they don’t compare to their natural counterparts.

Furthermore, CFL and LED lights are known to emit a higher concentration of blue light than traditional incandescent light bulbs and blue light can disrupt the production of melatonin, which can result in poor quality sleep and lessened productivity.

Natural lighting can improve your mood, boost energy and increase overall alertness. Also, studies have shown that those who get prolonged exposure to daylight tend to sleep better and exercise more.

For this reason, it’s important to ensure that you are getting sufficient light exposure when you’re off the clock, whether it’s with lighter curtains or no curtains at all! Try positioning your dining, living, and cooking areas to take advantage of your natural lighting. For example, place your dining table close to a window so you can eat breakfast and use the sun to recharge.

2) Out of sight, out of mind

One of the biggest deterrents to productivity is distraction and if you are trying to get work done from home, they are all around. However, they aren’t inevitable. If you can’t seem to look past the distractions around your home, invest in subtle storage so that you don’t have to see them at all. Your focus is less likely to be hindered if all of your distractions are out of sight.

With that, try taking a minimalist approach to your workspace, it might help decrease the likelihood of distraction. Clutter acts as an obstacle to creativity and productivity by clogging the essential open spaces that allow uninterrupted thinking and problem solving. You don’t have to completely clear out your workspace, just try to find storage pieces that will mask your supplies.

This concept can also be applied to your living space. Clutter causes stress and in a stressful environment it is harder to unwind. In turn, it is harder to recharge and tackle your tasks to the best of your abilities.

3) So long, screens

Quiet time is essential to achieving quality rest, and better sleep is the key to more productive work days. Even though screen time can feel like a therapeutic escape, it doesn’t compare to the repose that we get without tech. It’s easy to fall into the routine of turning on the TV and being lulled to sleep by laugh-tracks, but try to avoid it.

To avoid forming a habit and not being able to fall asleep without the white noise of Seinfeld reruns, try keeping your TV in your living space and out of the bedroom. You can also set an automatic timer on your TV so that it shuts off well before your bedtime. Once it’s off, keep it off. Then you can finish the evening tech-free (put that phone down!).

We hope that these home decor tricks help you have a productive and restful year at home.