19th August 2020 / Prue Fletcher: Namaste in my Home Office All Day

The idea of remote working seemed so ZEN in the Summer of 2019…

Dreaming of a day when we could just roll out of bed, swan around in lounge wear, lead a Zoom call while watching our kids run around in the short-cut grasses as their days broke from school.

Insert 2020: A Global Pandemic (and our not-so-zen-like new found reality).

For many Melburnians, working from home looks a lot like sharing our home offices between members of our household and creating make-shift workspaces to adequately attend to our work and study needs.

Although it can be frustrating at times, this doesn't need to be a drab on your day. Fortunately, there is a better way!

In the words of Marie Kondo, your space should spark 'JOY' and inspire you when you are in it. let's face it, whether it's the kitchen bench, second bedroom or third toilet (what we all do for 5 minutes of peace), everyone can benefit from a little 'zen-spo' at the moment!

Here are 10 ways to bring some ZEN into your home office:

1. Spend Some Time Redesigning Your Space

   Consider who is using it. Parents, kids, the cat? All three? Can we create separate workable spaces or how best can we make it work for everyone?

   For parents home-schooling their children, there are some great temporary home schooling set-ups, which are not only affordable, but they come flat-packed, easy to assemble and when you are finished, you can pack it away or put it straight into recycling. Feeling creative? Choose a graphic desktop to decorate yourself or use it as an activity for the kids!

   With prices starting from $45, it's the perfect solution for both practicality and creativity!

   Click Here to explore their range.

2. Physical & Virtual Clutter

   Working remotely means not only ensuring your in-home office is tidy, but you maintain a sense of order within your virtual space as well. Operating with 'too many tabs open' will not only drain your battery life, but research suggests that 'keeping too many tabs open may actually be altering our brains'.

   Ending the day with quick tidy up of both coffee cups and lunch plates, our minds will also benefit from a quick email overhaul as well.

   To help optimize peak performance, a recent article on MentalFloss suggests keeping only nine tabs open – at most – at one time.

   "With nine or fewer tabs, you're able to see everything that's open at a glance, and you can use keyboard shortcuts to navigate between them. (On a Mac, you can press Command + No. 1 through No. 9 to switch between tabs; on a PC, it's Control + the number.)

   Great Advice!
   
   

3. Natural Light

   We've found that there is strong evidence to suggest that as our lives become more heavily reliant on the use of technology, the human experience is craving a more natural environment, whether that be a break in the outdoors from our workspace during the day or positioning your desk where there is optimal levels of a natural vantage point.

   A Harvard Business Review study, Future Workplace, found that the No. 1 Office Perk was deemed to be natural light, outperforming it's previous front runners: cafeterias, fitness centres and onsite childcare.

   Click Here for some handy tips on how to bring the outdoors in!

4. Scents

   When we heard about this Melbourne-based candle business who has created a unique Flame to Flora Collection, we had to have them involved in creating the ultimate ZEN office space.

   Scents are only the beginning of the MOVINKA journey. Designed to keep on giving, their jars are a home for more than just a flame.

   Their candles make the perfect addition for any home office space and come with an exclusive FLAME TO FLORA seed kit, so you have everything you need to grow new life once the flame burns out.

   Click Here to ENTER our competition and go into the draw to WIN 2 x MOVINKA candles from their Flame to Flora collection.

5. Water & Nourishment

   Our brains are made up of 73% water so how much we consume during the day will directly affect our mood. Drinking enough water and ensuring we are fuelled with the right foods will allow us to focus better, have great awareness and become more productive with our time.

   Research also suggests that we are more likely to reach our recommended daily water intake if we have a larger source available.

   Click Here for some aesthetically pleasing water bottles which will instantly add a drop of Zen to any home office space!

6. Life

   When we think ZEN, the first thing that comes to mind is indoor greenery. Science has proven that in the presence of indoor plants, your feelings of wellbeing are enhanced, improving not only your air quality but reducing the risk of illness.

   Click Here for a great selection of plants to introduce into your office space.
   
   

7. Colour & Artwork

   The right colour scheme or piece of artwork can inspire creativity. Research published in the Journal of Business Research found that 'individuals exposed to more aesthetically pleasing experiences felt more inspired in their daily lives and in turn performed better on creativity tasks'.

   A great Melbourne creative we love to follow is the talented, Antionette Ferwerda. Her small, unframed originals are the perfect addition for any home office space!

   Click Here to view her current collection.

8. Prioritization

   Working from home allows us the privilege of designing our ideal life, however, that freedom is born out of discipline, which almost feels impossible when juggling the demands of home-schooling and stage 4 restrictions.

   A famous quote from the Zig Ziglar suggests that, "If you do the things you need to do, when you need to do them, someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them." Yes, please to that!

   Why not personalize your to-do list with some branded stationary? Check out VISKAPAPER.

9. Respect

   Remote working, and learning, requires great discipline around prioritisation and scheduling, so it pays to remind ourselves that each individual will have their own agenda they need to stick to.

   At the end of each day, allow yourself some space and time to plan for the next, and just like you would with your co-workers each morning, make it a part of your daily routine to check in with your family and/or house mates remembering, communication is key.

Namaste.