With COVID-19 being a worldwide concern, working from home has been on the rise more than ever before. The sentiment of staying home may seem ideal to many people, but it comes with a set of distractions that takes a toll on productivity. In the same house as their families, people are falling victim to the distractions of everyday life. Even with an office separate it may feel as if nothing is helping. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple home office updates that can be used to combat this issue.

1. A Personalized Space with Tasteful Art

A personalized space is one way to stay grounded and concentrated on the job at hand. Adding a throw rug and some tasteful wall art allows distance from the rest of the house. Tasteful art, like this Louis Vuitton print, allows for a person to ground themselves enhancing the act of concentration and inspiration. Personalizing the space with throw pillows, rugs, or decorations is a small and effective way to ensure maximum productivity. In a room created for long periods of work it’s best to be surrounded by touches of creativity and personalization. This can help the mind focus or be as creative as it needs to be.

2. Comfortable and Useful Furniture

Personalizing an office space may be useful for aesthetic purposes. Aesthetics are an effective way to motivate and inspire but implementing comfort and usability in the furniture is a must. A cushioned office chair ensures better posture and less back pain throughout the day while a couch will provide an additional option for relaxing. Add other furniture like a bookshelf or a filing cabinet will allow for a better organization system. With better organization productivity has the potential to skyrocket. With a nice cabinet or shelf there will be no need to sift through stacks of papers or search for a book when everything is filed and organized. The increase in productivity when there’s no need to stretch and search for lost documents will be shocking.

3. Better Air Quality

Air quality in an office space isn’t something that is often taken into consideration, but studies show that higher CO2 levels in indoor workspaces can reduce productivity. Investing in an air purifier or doing something as simple as opening a window can reduce these effects, but for more beneficial and long-lasting results, consider populating a workspace with greenery. Some varieties of plants remove toxic gases from the air while adding aesthetics to the office area. The can be peace lilies, spider plants or the common monstera. Plants are a powerful way to enhance the air quality of a room while adding a satisfying aesthetic.

4. Natural Light

Working beneath artificial light for long periods can cause infuriating headaches and, as it turns out, difficulty sleeping at night. According to studies, natural light is a key contributor to increasing productivity in a workspace through better sleep and an improvement in mental health. Installing a window is a difficult and time-consuming project not suitable for a workday but opening the curtains to a preexisting window can make all the difference. A workspace lightened by natural light rather than artificial light may seem ineffective, but the long-term effects make it a worthwhile pursuit.

5. A Second Monitor

Sometimes, the biggest time drain on work isn’t the stretching or daily distractions but rather flipping from screen to screen. For this reason, installing a second screen in a home office can lessen the time it takes to complete tasks. Rather than changing windows or splitting a single screen, two screens allow a faster scan for information and more room for secondary tabs. This is among the more costly investments for improving a home office space, but it saves time. This investment has the potential to make more money than what was spent on the secondary screen.

6. High-Speed Internet

The worst part of working from home for many people is the slower internet speeds. Everybody knows the feeling of staring at a screen while the internet loads but this waiting time is something that can be avoided. Investing in high-speed internet for a home workspace is an essential update to increase productivity. It saves the time it takes for internet pages to load and allows for a faster turnaround time on projects, less frustration, and fewer opportunities for distraction.

By modifying a workspace, productivity and concentration can dramatically improve. These office updates are practical ways to ensure that your work reflects a level of sophistication. Lagging behind will no longer be a problem with these recommendations for a beautiful and efficient office space.