8 ways to be super-productive in your home office

A garden office offers the ultimate escape from the consoles, chores (and children) that can distract in a conventional at-home work space – but here’s eight ways to supercharge your outdoor office for maximum efficiency…

Furnish yourself with success

While it might be tempting to deck your new home office with a comfy sofa and armchair, your back will thank you for an ergonomic desk and chair that allows for movement around your work station. Get the largest desk that will fit your space and make sure your desk and chair are configured for you. To get the right posture, your feet should be flat on the floor and your thighs parallel, with your arms at right angles and your eyes level with the top of the computer screen. You could even check out a standing desk, as used by Norwegian Log’s very own Nick Forrester!

Get dressed for work

It’s not just your room that needs dressing, studies have shown that office attire signals to your brain that it’s time for work, and helps you feel more authoritative and alert. If you want to feel super-powered in your home office, why not try a Superman t-shirt on for size. According to the University of Hertfordshire, people believed they were more confident, and stronger, when they donned the superhero uniform!

Set your working hours

Tucked away in the comfort and quiet of one of our log cabins, it could be easy to work through lunch and dinner, so set yourself a realistic time frame for work – depending on your internal body clock – and stick to it. Psychologists suggest working as soon as you get out of bed is counterproductive and, instead, you should add in a ‘fake commute’ (in this case a little walk around your garden) to help wake you up for the day. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), risk factors for home working come from repetitive work and awkward postures for long periods, so add in some timers to remind you to take a break. There are lots of downloadable apps for this, or try the Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of work, with a break of five minutes, then after four 25-minute sessions a break of 20 minutes.

Declutter your workspace

When your desk is a mess so is your mind. According to scientific research, overflowing in-trays and cluttered office spaces can reduce our ability to focus and process information. In a spacious log cabin, there’s no need to scrimp on storage because we can design internal walls for extra shelving. Add a filing cabinet, desk tidy and something as simple as a pen holder, and everything is within easy reach. Diarise spring-cleaning days so you can regularly organise.

Show your true colours

Colour has been shown to have a big effect on work mood and productivity, with strong, bright colours thought to be most useful in work spaces. With our comprehensive range of garden office building customisation options, we can offer a wide choice of external and even internal colour finishes. Go for a blue tone for productivity, and orange and yellow for creativity. Green is also thought to improve concentration, so add in some plants and foliage to create natural calm.

Light up your work life

Studies have shown that access to natural light when you are working promotes positive feelings and heightened efficiency. With a choice of double glazed central French doors, versatile bi-fold doors or a full glass front, your garden office will feel bright and natural – but we can also fit integrated glass blinds for privacy and glare reduction on sunny days. Add a cool light (white bulb) desktop lamp rather than a warm light (yellow bulb) for improved concentration, and brighten your screen in a bright room to reduce eye strain.

Keep your cool

It’s thought around 2% of office hours in the UK are wasted by battles over the climate control, costing the economy around £13 billion each year! Work in one of our insulated garden offices and you get comfort all year round – warm in the winter and cool in the summer – with minimal energy costs. Overall, studies suggest that warmer environments are better for creative thinking and cooler workplaces keep you more alert during repetitive tasks.

Sense success

Smell can play a big part in our mood, and in the summer the wafting aromas of the garden through your cabin’s bi-fold doors are sure to inspire! And in an office constructed in solid log, you can be treated all-year round to the natural scent of wood – something our customers list highly on why they love our buildings. Did you know scientists at Kyoto University found the popular Japanese pastime of Shinrin-yoku, or forest-air bathing, significantly lowered people’s stress levels, so much so they recommended forests should be viewed as therapeutic landscapes? Check out our blog on this topic here.