Some of us are now returning to the office. To be able to maintain the productivity level of the home office time, here are a few tips for the office.
Reduce the noise level
Without the typical noises of an office, we were able to work undisturbed and concentrated (at least those of us without small children or roommates). If you are called back to the office now, the typical office noises such as phone calls or conversations between work colleagues can easily become a distraction. Here are a few suggestions to keep the noise level as low as possible:
- Work colleagues who have something longer to discuss go to a place where nobody is disturbed (meeting or lunchroom).
- For to set up a planned phone call at another location.
- If an unplanned phone call lasts longer, ask the person you are talking to wait a moment and find a free Office or meeting room.
- Install partition walls if you share an office with several work colleagues and you often have to take calls
- Inquire whether you may still do part of the working time in the home office. Then you can do the tasks that require a lot of concentration and calm at home.
- Listening to music (with headphones of course) can help. Alternatively, try playlists with sounds like rain or waves, or music with no singing. Personally, I even use over-ear headphones with the noise canceling function, with which I can simply «switch off» the outside world.
Make the office greener
Plants in the office are a must for plant lovers like me to feel good. However, they generally offer certain advantages. For example the following:
If there are no plants in your office yet, talk to your supervisor about the possibility of making the office a little greener. If your superiors don’t want to know about it, you can get your own plant for your desk or look for a more tolerant employer.
Decorate the workplace
At home, we can design our workspace the way we want and feel comfortable. Even in the office, we don’t necessarily have to forego individuality. A photo of the family, a glass figure, a small painting certainly has space and doesn’t bother anyone.
Tidy up the workplace
A tidy workplace promotes productivity. I don’t mean that you have to do without your «creative chaos». Some are very productive when a few items are lying around in a mess. But have you tried to find your notes from the day before yesterday when you collect all the documents in one pile? That eats up time and causes stress. Try to keep documents, e-mails, and to-do lists in a certain order.
And for those who love tidiness: tidy up your desk at the end of your day so that you can get off to a good start the next day.
Provide the right light source
To wake up in the morning and generally be productive at work, we need a lot of light. The best light sources are artificial light with a high proportion of blue or natural light, especially the midday sun.
The light source should come from above, so it looks most natural. It is best to place the desk at a right angle to the window.
Avoid distractions
There are many types of distractions in the office: social media, cell phones, calls, work colleagues, etc. If work colleagues keep knocking and want something from you, then define, for example, certain periods of time during which You want to work undisturbed.
Keep going on social media, define breaks when you can do this, and keep the phone in your pocket. Find out what distracts you the most and try to minimize distractions.
Plan breaks and interruptions
We don’t just need breaks to be able to work more focused and productive. Sometimes we also need a break to be able to view a task from a new angle.
With these tips, I wish you a good return to the office!