7 ways to improve comfort, aesthetics and productivity when working remotely – E-xecutive

Tips to help make your home office comfortable, beautiful, and conducive to effective work.

Some people regard remote work as an inevitable evil and categorically refuse to change anything at home to create a working atmosphere. Others are happy to be able to avoid the trip to the office but are not doing well with productivity in the new environment. Regardless of how you feel about work schedule changes in the realities of a pandemic, here are some tips to help you create the perfect workspace at home.

1. Daily planner. Yes, we recommend paper

There are plenty of convenient and functional task schedulers in the app stores for computers and smartphones. And often you can use them for free. For example, there is an excellent basic To Do from Microsoft, a slightly more advanced Todoist, and hardcore Asana. It is possible that some of them are already in use. However, the virtual scheduler does not give tasks the same value and to a lesser extent disciplines the maintenance of to-do lists, as it happens with paper diaries.

Try taking the classic Moleskine or Leuchtturm 1917 — then composing tasks for the day can become a pleasant ritual, and you will begin to take everything written down by hand more seriously. Such diaries are bribed with a high-quality cover, excellent paper, and typography — an excellent combo so that the aesthetics of products and the tactile sensations from their use increase the efficiency of work and the accuracy of planning cases.

2. The Office Supplies. From convenient to premium

A high-quality diary can not do without a good pen. If you take “any blue” at a newsstand, you risk losing half of the pleasant experience that keeping a to-do list on paper gives. We will not advise the luxury segment of stationery, but we will hint to look at YStudio, Stilform, and Ensso-brands of the Middle+class.

Is it still expensive? Then go to a stationery store with a good assortment and try different options. Some, for example, consider the best choice for writing inexpensive Bic with a thick ball at the end, or are ready to exchange anything for a cool sharpened pencil. Any option that is really to your liking will be better than a randomly turned-up pen.

3. Accessories. Order, aesthetics, adaptability

A good option for making a home office really working is to buy accessories to restore order on the table. We send the stationery to the organizer. If the gadgets support wireless charging — we take a mat for several devices, for example, the Satechi brand has excellent options. And we also advise you to clean up the wires and choose a convenient keyboard and mouse.

Having dealt with practical issues, you can move on to aesthetics. A beautiful mug with a convenient handle is something that you will probably have to interact with more than once during the day. And to prevent the desktop from becoming too businesslike and boring, add a couple of non-functional beauty accessories. Flowers, photo frames or vinyl figures of your favorite comic book characters are suitable.

4. Headset and webcam. Yes, it is important

In the consumer electronics market, the focus is on high-quality sound, but not always enough attention is paid to speech transmission. If work duties imply frequent calls with colleagues and clients, and even more so when the work is completely tied to communications, it is worth making a choice in favor of professional USB headset equipment and video conferencing solutions.

You can pay attention to the products of JPL Telecom. They do not scare off the inflated cost, but they offer the optimal location of the microphone, noise reduction during speech transmission, ease of setup, and reliability. And if you also think about environmental friendliness, then choosing a device that is suitable for both communication and listening to music can be an excellent solution. Just by reducing the number of gadgets used, we can help our planet.

Pay attention to the video camera that you are using. The quality in which your colleagues see you is an important question. However, it is much better if your skin is not green, and there will be no “curtains” around your profile? Yes, and in those moments when you are not communicating, privacy can be ensured with the help of a protective lens cap.

5. Smart light. The eyes will be grateful

To wake up and get to work effectively, you need a cold light that resembles a business and strict office environment. And in the afternoon, the eyes begin to beg for mercy and want a more democratic environment. No need to think about buying two table lamps for the morning and for the evening. Smart lighting can solve the problem.

You can buy a new lamp, for example, look at Xiaomi products, and if the base fits, take a smart Yandex light bulb or a more expensive Philips Hue. During the day, you can change the brightness of the lighting and the temperature, and after work — turn on the colored interior lighting and create a relaxed atmosphere.

6. The screen saver. Don’t underestimate her

Few people are serious about choosing a screensaver for a smartphone or computer. Any already installed picture seems familiar and has little effect on anything. However, for personal productivity and creating a suitable mood, this should be taken more seriously. Do you need a powerful jerk before your vacation? Put as a motivation the types of places where you are going to go. Nervous period for work? Try soothing types of water.

The list can be continued for a long time. And for pictures, go to Unsplash — their thousands of photographers publish their work daily for free and unlimited use. All photos are very high-quality and almost always in the highest resolution, so they will perfectly fit on the screens of inexpensive gadgets, and for flagship models of smartphones, laptops, monitors. The main thing is not to lose the working mood for choosing a new screensaver.

7. A blanket and a pillow. Seriously? Yes!

I bet you definitely didn’t expect to see such advice in an article that is mainly focused on productivity and optimal workplace organization. But let’s be honest: everyone always wants comfort. And the removal period is the perfect moment to try previously unavailable excesses during working hours.

Later, you will remember with a kind smile the moments when you could perform work tasks wrapped in a cozy blanket. And the pillow is not for sleeping at all. Try using it for the back and neck, if the “home-office” chair was not too comfortable for long-term use.

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