In order to live a more peaceful life, add meaningful art pieces into your space.
You've probably given careful thought to your home's decor. Have you brought that same care to your work-at-home environment? While many of us thought our home office would be temporary, 40% of employees now work entirely from home. In the past 4 years, that percentage has increased significantly. Flexible or remote working arrangements are predicted to continue after the pandemic—and for some workers, it may be permanent. Adding artwork to your space can help you feel better and be more productive as a remote worker.
ART CAN INSPIRE CREATIVITY IN YOU
The first step to balancing your remote work life with your off-hours is to make it feel welcoming; you can't relax when the place feels sterile or like a passageway. One of the best ways you can think outside the box in ensuring this is by introducing art into your space, even if it's temporary. Whether it's bringing your art pieces to work with you or purchasing one that will spruce up your desk, adding some color and definition can make a huge difference in how much time you spend thinking of this as the place where you get stuff done. When we feel inspired or confident, our minds are more capable of exploring and innovating. The more you work from home, the easier it can be to slip into a routine habit of working all day without breaks, even if you're taking your lunch break. A little change in scenery—even just one piece of artwork—can make a big difference in inspiring creativity or encouraging you to take that long-promised break.
COMMUNICATE THE MEANINGFULNESS OF YOUR WORK
One key quality of a positive workplace is the emphasis on the meaningfulness of each person's work. In your home office, you have an opportunity to demonstrate the meaningfulness of your work in a way that you might not otherwise be able to. For example, when hanging art on your walls, try showing off a few photographs from your childhood or college years—they'll make it clear why you do what you do. In addition to photos and paintings, you can hang up a map of your neighborhood, or even a collage of inspirational quotes.
What if I don't know what art to get? Art is subjective! You don't have to be an artist in order to create art at home, as long as the piece makes you feel good and inspires creativity. If you're looking for ideas, check out Pinterest for the best home office artwork.
ART CAN HELP YOU GET MORE WORK DONE
The key to increasing your productivity at home is to put yourself in a position that's welcoming and motivating—not an environment that only reminds you of what needs to be done. Imagine coming into an office every day and seeing a towering stack of papers waiting for you to process, or sitting down at your workspace with only a dim lamp and an old computer that never feels like it's working. Put yourself in the best possible scenario for success, whether it's through a change of scenery or by adding some personality to the space.
ART CAN GIVE YOU IDEAS—OR HELP YOU COME UP WITH NEW ONES
Another way art can improve your productivity while working remotely is by helping you come up with, or remember ideas that will increase your work performance. In some cases this means hanging artwork on the walls for inspiration, in others, it might mean using an inspirational quote as a desktop background image. By adding something visually appealing to the space around you, your mind may be more willing to relax and let those ideas flow.
SOME TYPES OF ART CAN ACTUALLY HELP YOU CONCENTRATE BETTER
There's a lot of conflicting information on whether certain types of music or artwork will help or hurt your concentration while working. This is true even for artwork that you find particularly beautiful—the key is finding something that's truly meaningful to you. Many people find that nature artwork or photography is the best type of art for increasing concentration, and it's not hard to see why: surrounded by the sights we see every day, we're more capable of relaxing and letting our minds wander, picking up on those stray thoughts that come out while working in a new environment.
The above image shows one way you can create an inspiring environment in your home office, no matter what type of work you do. Whether it's the photographs on the wall or simply having a space with a view, this workspace is uniquely its own and gives the resident the motivation they need to get their work done.
ART CAN HELP YOU RE-ENERGIZE AND REFOCUS
When our minds are scattered, we tend to become distracted more easily, regardless of whether we're at home or in an office environment. If you work from your own home office, it's even easier than usual for your mind to wander. And when that happens, it's easy to lose your work focus—especially if you're on a deadline! So how can you keep yourself from getting distracted when working at home?
Art is part of many people's natural re-energizing process. Some need the sound of running water, others need complete silence. But some simply need to be in a peaceful space, surrounded by beautiful images. Even if you already have the most creative space possible, adding new art to the wall can help change your mood and get your creativity flowing again—and give you a chance to finish that project before your client calls back with another deadline.
REDUCE EYE STRAIN
While it's not uncommon in an office environment to have computer monitors or projectors right next to you, that's not always the case with a home office. It isn't only the brightness of your screen but also how close it is to where you're sitting. When you're working at home, make sure your screen isn't too bright for your eyes and that you aren't sitting too close to it.
Just the same as prolonged exposure to bright light can damage your eyes, staring at a computer screen will also wear out your vision over time. Spending all day looking at multiple screens in an office environment is hard enough on the eyes—and makes working from home even more difficult! That's why you should always make sure your eyes don't strain too much while working at home.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the focal point of your screen about 40-50cm away from your face. And make sure that when you're sitting at work, the light in the room isn't too bright either. A lot of people make the mistake of turning on every light in the house while working at home, thinking they need more light to work with. But bright lights and dark rooms are actually distracting—they can really limit your vision even if you don't realize it! Keep the lights dim and use artwork or another type of décor to create a peaceful atmosphere.
ART IS A STRESS RELIEF
One thing many people don't realize about artwork is that it can be used as a stress reliever. It's true: just looking at the color blue can help lower your blood pressure, and they say you should feel safe in white rooms to relax. Well, it turns out the same goes for your home office!
Research shows that decorating with art can help lower your stress levels. And it doesn't even matter if you think the art is beautiful. Simply viewing something artistic lowers your heart rate and gives you that calm feeling—no matter how ugly the picture may be!
Something as simple as a photograph of flowers, for example, can instantly lift your spirits when looking at it. And if you're feeling stressed, simply grabbing a cup of coffee and taking a short break can be very beneficial. Either way, art is your home office's best friend—and now you have the perfect excuse to make it look as creative as possible!
You've probably given careful thought to the decor of your home. Flexible or remote working arrangements are predicted to continue after the pandemic—and for some workers, it may be permanent. Adding artwork to your space will help you feel better and be more productive as a remote worker.