Create incoming information managing systems, whether electronic or paper-based. Piles of paper scattered all over your office, a full voice mailbox and never-ending e-mails requiring to be answered – all this not only bring stress, it waste your time. Begin with setting up your home office with room to store supplies, equipment and papers. Your desk must have as a minimum one file drawer (preferably two) and extra drawers to store supplies. The right-hand desk, credence table, file cabinet and hutch can make wonders in enabling you to reach what you need at the time you need it and in keeping you on the track.
Information classifying
The main difficulty with incoming information (besides from the excess of it) is remembering what to keep and what to toss, and figuring out where everything goes. Newspapers and magazines do not suit well on your desk. Temporarily gather them in a big wicker basket, or as an alternative use stacking bins tagged "to file" or "to read" to keep reading background. You might add one more bin tagged "to do." Baskets or bins are places of temporary papers storage, which necessitate moving forward. Sorting out papers that require your concentration is better than shuffling between piles on your desk
Breaks
See the light. Are you suffering from the two factors that can lead to stress - increased fatigue of eyestrain? Working many hours with no breaks can destroy your eyes, and insufficient lighting can cause fatigue. Maybe that fine-looking lamp you purchased at the antique shop looks ideal in your office, but how practical is it? Luckily, you have a number of alternatives for lighting your office. There are Task lighting intended for your workspace; Ambient or General light to give more harmonized illumination in your home office; Accent lighting for decorations or something else you may wish to lighten. Remember that you can utilize a combination of those sources of light to attain the proper light amount. Despite a new lamp is a small expense, the payoff is great. If your desk is equipped with shelves above, ensure you mount under counter lights or acquire a desk and hutch equipped with lighting.
Investing in upgrade
Replace old-fashioned technology with time - saving equipment. Your aged computer may perform well now, but what amount energy and time are you killing on an obsolete machine and older software versions? Do yourself a favor and upgrade your equipment. Prices for technology continue to decrease together with their size, this makes outmoded equipment needless. If you have changed a desktop to a laptop computer, slim down your desk and think about using a writing desk together with a file cabinet.
The importance of ergonomics
Spend some funds for ergonomically right furniture. The standard office chair and desk regularly are overlooked as stress reasons. Subject to on the amount of your working hours, a stiff chair (particularly a dining room chair or a wooden one from kitchen) and a desk at the incorrect level can worsen the wear and tear on your shoulders, neck and back. In case you are using a chair from dining room in the role of your office chair, you have to replace it with an ergonomically right chair that holds up your back while distributing and absorbing your weight. Additional factors to take into account when acquiring a new chair are adjustments of back and seat height, lumbar support to lessen lower back tension, tilt lock and tilt mechanisms to lessen fatigue and leg muscle tension.
Planning system
Practice a worthy planning system. Whether you choose a handheld which you can synchronize with your computer every day or a paper planner, ensure that the system suits your comfort level and needs. If you do not control your schedule, your stress level will go beyond the limit and crash your effectiveness. It is simple to take the charge of your daily activities if you refer to a list.
Summary
Whether you adjust your scheduling system, substitute your awkward desk chair, or upgrade equipment in your home office, making a decision to de-stress you home office will have positive effect on your productivity, energy level and eventually your bottom line.