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If your lifestyle is like mine, chances are you spend a great deal of time in your home office. In fact, it’s probably the most used room in your house, next to the kitchen. So why then, does your workspace look like more of a dungeon than a sanctuary? Wouldn’t work be more enjoyable if your office was a place you liked to be, rather than a place associated with achy muscles, squinty eyes, and stress? Changing the way your home office looks and functions can have a direct effect on your personal productivity. Here are a few simple tips to help you transform your workspace:

1) Your desk chair
An ergonomically positioned desk chair can do wonders for a sore back, achy knees, and tense neck muscles. For optimum comfort, adjust the seat height so that your feet are flat on the floor. With your hips pushed to the back of the seat, adjust the back rest so that the rounded portion fits comfortably in the lower section of your back. Lastly, adjust the height of your armrests to avoid contact with your desk. If you’d like, you can even remove them entirely.

2) Your lighting
Most home offices are located in basements or back bedrooms, areas that aren’t normally known for their natural light. Having proper lighting installed is therefore a definite must. Plus, who doesn’t want a stylish desk lamp next to their monitor? It will give you something to stare at the next time you’re daydreaming… I mean brainstorming.

3) Your wall colour
Colour plays an important role in any room in your house, and your office is no exception. If your job involves a stressful workload, try tinting your walls with cool greens and blues for a calming effect. Does your job require you to be creative and inquisitive? Then try something bold like red or orange. Remember: it’s your office, so do what makes you feel comfortable and inspired.

4) Your desk position
Don’t stare at the wall. You’ll go mad, I promise. Instead, turn your desk so that you can see the door of your office. This will help open up your workspace, making you feel more relaxed. Plus, it will save you from being startled (and badly burnt) when a loved one decides to bring you a fresh cup of steaming hot coffee. Trust me on this. Also try and sit with a solid wall behind you. This will give you an added sense of support.

5) Your keyboard
After working on a laptop for the last six years, I strongly believe that these nifty little machines have been designed to torture innocent individuals. Hence, I have abandoned my miniscule laptop keypad in favour of a luxurious wireless keyboard. Ahhhhhhh. There are a few ergonomic benefits in doing this. First, you’ll be able to position your screen properly (your eyes should line up with the top of your monitor). Second, you’ll be able to sync the position of your chair with your keyboard tray, which will help reduce back pain and relieve shoulder strain.

Transforming your home office into a comfortable and functional space is well worth the time, effort and expense. Just think how much more productive you’ll be with less back pain, a lower stress level, and the absence of first-degree burns.

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