Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
Creating Space for a Stress-Free Zone in your Home
The meaning of home has expanded over the years, adding new activities beyond eating and sleeping. For many this means home has more space to work and do hobbies. But as those things expanded, the feeling of relaxation may have dwindled, and for those struggling with the mental health implications of this, creating a space in your home that is dedicated to reducing stress could be the ticket to achieving a sense of peace and calm. Whether you use that space to meditate, exercise, or read, having a place in your home to focus on your mental health can change the way you show up for yourself and the important people in your life.
Image Source: Getty Images Lytvyn
Fitness Corner
If exercise is your chosen route to improved mental health, a small home gym could be right for you. How you set up your fitness space will depend on your preferred form of exercise, as well as your budget.
If your routine requires a treadmill or indoor bicycle, make that the focal point of your space. If yoga, Pilates, or barre is more your speed, you’ll need room to unroll a mat and move freely. Weightlifting or body-weight exercises might necessitate more space and equipment but are both feasible even in a corner of your office or a walk-in closet.
Regardless of how you plan to get your sweat on, use nearby wall space for shelving or hooks to store equipment. This could range from light hand weights and exercise bands to jump ropes and yoga mats. If you need more storage, find furniture that serves multiple purposes. For example, a cabinet that stores towels can also double as a surface for a small fan and your water bottle.
For extra motivation to spend time in your exercise area, add a little personalization. Wallpaper or bold paint colors not only add visual interest, but they also create a sense of separation from the rest of the room or area. Soothing art and living plants are particularly apt for spaces dedicated to yoga.
Meditation Space
Meditation is a great way to calm the mind, and you don’t need special equipment or a lot of room to do it. Creating your own meditation space can be simple, quick, and doesn’t require a large investment.
Start by finding a place in your house that is as free from distractions as possible. This could be a corner in your bedroom or a section of your backyard or terrace. Ideally the space would be near a window or natural light source.
Where and how you sit can make or break a meditation session. A chair, meditation cushion, or yoga mat that allows you to sit comfortably for several minutes while keeping you alert will do the trick.
If you plan to listen to guided meditations or music, a small Bluetooth speaker can be a good option if you want to avoid using headphones and will have better sound quality than listening from your phone’s speaker.
Though many people prefer to meditate with their eyes fully closed, visual elements can help set a serene scene. Plants, candles, statues, and art can also add a sense of your personality. If clutter stresses you out, keep your decor clean and minimalist. You can include your other senses in your meditations by adding a water feature and burning incense or essential oils.
Image Source: Getty Images JulieAlexK
Reading Nook
If getting lost in a good book is your favorite way to unwind, a reading nook will quickly become your favorite spot at home.
Whether you’ve got a corner or a closet to dedicate to the space, the key to hours of reading enjoyment is the right seating. It’s hard to beat the traditional wingback or club chair, but smaller spaces might call for more creative ideas. Floor cushions, padded benches, bean bag chairs, and hammocks are all options.
Once you’ve got your sitting area situated, lighting comes next. A location near a window that brings in natural light is ideal, but for those who love to read late into the night or who don’t have a window nearby, standing or table lamps and wall sconces will save you from eye strain.
If you’ve got the space, a side table for cocoa, coffee, or tea is a nice addition. It’s also a great area for that mile-high “to be read” pile book lovers are known for. Even better if it’s got a drawer for bookmarks, reading glasses, pens, and notebooks.
For extra coziness, add a throw blanket or shawl and some cushy pillows.
Make these ideas come to life, check out our Pinterest board for inspiration.
The Evolution of the Home Office
As the popularity of remote work has reached new heights in recent years, the needs of homeowners are changing. Home offices and workspaces have never been higher on buyers’ priority lists and sellers are finding ways to make their homes appeal to a remote working audience. So, what does this mean for the home office moving forward? How will it continue to evolve? Only time will tell. In the meantime, it’s more important than ever to curate a home office that fits your needs.
The Evolution of the Home Office
Whether you have a proper home office or work at a chair in your kitchen nook, what’s important is that you create a dedicated space for your work. This allows you to focus by limiting distractions that may arise from other areas of the house. It also brings a sense of work-life balance to your home by physically separating the spaces. Even if your space is limited, design your workspace to feel like its own designated spot by facing it away from an open room or pointing your workstation toward a window.
Continued Remote Work
For those who have worked remotely and will continue to do so, you’ve likely gotten a grasp of how your home workspace can best fit your unique needs. Perhaps you decided to ditch the desk chair for a yoga ball or switched out that old desk lamp for a therapy light. But now that remote work has become your long-term reality, it’s time to think about how the space will fit your long-term needs.
Gone are the days of your home workspace being an afterthought. Working from home long-term means that your home office is now one of the most-used spaces in the house, so it’s important to keep it organized. Declutter the space with efficiency and productivity in mind, prioritizing the items that are essential for your job. We work well when we feel well, and an organized space can help reduce anxiety and work-related stress.
As your remote work continues, it may be time to make investments that you were previously on the fence about making. Whether it’s a second monitor, a supportive floor mat under your chair, a new design on your wall for your Zoom background, or a standing desk, now that you’ll be working from home for the foreseeable future, it’s important that your home office provides you with all the tools you’ll need while inspiring you to do your best work.
Returning to In-Person Work
For those whose days of a fully remote work schedule are coming to an end, your home office needs will evolve, so it’s important that the space reflects those changes.
- Full-Time: Returning to in-person work full-time means your home office will be vacant for extended periods of the day. Because you won’t be using it nearly as much, you have the freedom to either keep it as is or convert the room into something else. If you’ve dreamt of having a game room, a home gym, a playroom for the kids, or creating your version of a home theater, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
- Part-Time / Hybrid / Flex: A hybrid or flex work schedule allows for flexibility with your home office. Paring down your workspace and transferring some equipment to your desk at work will help you declutter. Outfit both workspaces to fit your needs to avoid lugging equipment back and forth. For example, if one location is primarily meant for attending meetings and the other is for working on projects, you can curate each space accordingly.
For more information on how remote work can change your needs as a homeowner, read our blog on The Remote Worker’s Home Buying Process.
Upgrading Your Work From Home Space
We don’t need to tell you that COVID-19 drastically changed the way we live and work. An estimated 58% of Americans are now working remotely, and it has had an impact on how we use the space in our homes. Home offices, once a luxury, are now in high demand as working from home became the new normal over the past year. That being said, is your home office operating at its highest potential? Let’s look at some ways to upgrade your home office and turn it into the workspace of your dreams.
The New Normal
It’s been almost a year since millions of employees started working remotely, so we are all familiar with the concept of a home office and working from home. While some have space to spare, not everyone has a dedicated room in their home or apartment to turn into an office. Whether you have a setup that would make Google HQ jealous or you’re currently borrowing your teenager’s closet to conduct Zoom meetings, it is important to prioritize the functionality of your space. Take advantage of every inch you have to give yourself a comfortable working environment.
With functionality top of mind, here are some crucial things to consider when revamping or creating your home office.
Create a Dedicated Space
It can be difficult living and working within the same couple hundred square feet. For the sake of maintaining some semblance of work-life balance, create a space dedicated to work and only work. Set all of your work equipment in a singular area and keep it there. Use dividers, doors, or your desk to mark off the area you’ve made.
Those who have been working from home for years have said that creating a designated workspace is one of the best things you can do for your mental health and overall wellbeing. A separation of work and home communicates to your brain that one area of your home is a place to work, and the other is a place to live – which can reduce work-related anxiety.
Make Your Windows Count
Setting up your desk under or near a window can do wonders for your creativity and productivity. If you can avoid it, don’t position your desk toward a wall. If you don’t have windows available, be sure to turn your desk outward, toward your room. This position will give your eyes the ability to bounce around the room instead of staring at a blank wall, which can be just as draining as it is boring.
Even if your desk is set up near a window, remember to head outside every so often. It’s all too easy to sit at your computer for hours at a time without standing up and enjoying some sunshine. Give yourself set breaks to soak in some vitamin D, whether you take your lunch outside or simply sneak some fresh air between meetings.
Some WFH Must-Haves
Enough of the basics. Here are some must-haves that will brighten your office space and make you excited to “go to work”.
- A therapy light can have a positive impact on your mood and energy by simulating natural light. Set one up on your desk to increase alertness and improve your sleep.
- Save your back with an ergonomic chair made for longer periods of sitting. This will help reduce back pain and improve your posture.
- Standing desks are another back-saver that will save you from sitting for eight hours a day. Seen to increase activity and overall health, standing desks can change how you work for the better.
- A full-size keyboard provides all the keys necessary to get the job done, including a number pad and function keys. Tenkeyless keyboards (keyboards without a number pad) are gaining popularity, but full-size keyboards remain on top due to their ease of use and practicality.
- Mini humidifiers are an effective way to combat dry air, giving you happy lungs, sinuses, and skin. Put one on your desk to increase the humidity in your space.
- Working on screens all day exposes you to blue light, which can negatively impact your sleep and overall mood. Get a pair of blue light glasses to combat these rays.
With many of us still working from home for the foreseeable future, it’s more important than ever that your workspace serves your unique needs. Make your area work for you to improve your productivity and personal wellbeing. At the end of the day, we’re all human, and we work best when we’re feeling our best.
Disclaimer: This is a guest post written by the real estate experts at The CE Shop. The CE Shop is the leading provider of online real estate education with convenient courses available in all 50 states and D.C. To find out more about The CE Shop and the resources they provide, visit www.TheCEShop.com.
The Remote Worker’s Home Buying Process
Remote work has created a paradigm shift in the wants and needs of homebuyers. Here’s what the remote worker should keep in mind when looking to buy.
5 Small Things You Can Do to Improve Your Home Office
Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, many of us now find ourselves working from home. Here are five tips to improve your workflow and stay productive at home.
Designing Your Home Office
Working from home is an aspiration for many of us, but to do so effectively takes effort. A disorganized space at home can be just as troublesome as a hectic office. The most disciplined telecommuters will tell you that you need a structured routine and organization in order to be successful.
Designing the Perfect Office to Work From Home In Style
Working from home is an aspiration for many of us, but to do so effectively takes work. A disorganized space at home can be just as troublesome as a hectic office. The most disciplined telecommuters will tell you that you need a structured routine and organization to rise…
Designing the Perfect Home Office to Work From Home In Style
Working from home is an aspiration for many of us, but to do so effectively takes work. A disorganized space at home can be just as troublesome as a hectic office. The most disciplined telecommuters will tell you that you need a structured routine and organization to rise and grind and get into work mode.
Having a designated workspace is quite possibly the most important piece…
Five Essentials for Your Home Office
Most people dream of working from home, but ask anyone who does it on a regular basis, and they’ll tell you how hard it can be to stay productive when you work where you live. The most disciplined telecommuters will tell you that you need a structured routine and organization to rise and grind and get into work mode.
He Shed She Shed
Everyone needs a little “me” space and we believe they both can be rocked by boys and girls alike. Get some peace and quiet amongst all the hectic and crazy that life can be with these personal shed ideas.
