{"id":10968,"date":"2017-07-07T05:50:46","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T21:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=10968"},"modified":"2022-07-01T04:07:37","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T20:07:37","slug":"maximising-productivity-home-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/maximising-productivity-home-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Sunday: 4 surprising ways to raise productivity in a home office"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home has suddenly gone from “you wanna chao geng<\/em> issit?” (“chao geng” means “slack off” in Hokkien) to the norm <\/em>for almost anyone previously based in an office.<\/p>\n

Even though it’s been been a few months since ‘wfh’ started, some of us, admittedly, haven’t quite got the hang of it yet.<\/strong> Perhaps, you’ll need to change things up to maximise your productivity with these tips:<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Change up your seat<\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes, an ergonomic chair might be expensive, but it\u2019s still much cheaper than having to pay for weekly chiropractic sessions to treat your sore neck and\/or back further down the road. In the short run, the added comfort will also help you to work with more focus, and increased productivity.<\/p>\n

And for once, you get safely have a better seat then your boss without ruining your promotion chances.<\/p>\n

If your pursestrings are tight (i.e. no Herman Miller Aeron chairs<\/a>), the Markus chair<\/a> by IKEA or chairs by Secretlab<\/a> are also popular choices at more affordable price points.<\/p>\n

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Bonus tip: Do NOT brag about your new chair in your Zoom meeting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Tip #2: Set the right temperature<\/b><\/h2>\n

According to a study by Cornell University<\/a>, people work optimally at a temperature of 25 degrees celsius. Makes sense; you\u2019re bound to be less distracted and more focused if the temperature is just right, and you\u2019re not freezing cold or sweating buckets.<\/p>\n

Keeping your air-con at 25 deg C also happens to be optimal for cost savings<\/a> for your electricity bill! Talk about a win-win.<\/p>\n

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Tip #3: Make some noise<\/b><\/h2>\n

No, we\u2019re not telling you to crank up the heavy metal or rock music whilst you\u2019re working, but studies say that working with a certain level of ambient noise can actually be more productive than working in a silent environment.<\/p>\n

For an easy fix, we love Coffitivity<\/a>, which is a web app that recreates the \u201cambient sounds of a cafe\u201d to help you boost creativity, and work better.<\/p>\n

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Mimicing the sounds of a cafe can improve your productivity working from home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Tip #4: Use pen and paper<\/b><\/h2>\n

We\u2019re used to doing everything on our laptops and phones these days, but according to experts, hand-writing your to-do list and goals will inspire you to greater action.<\/p>\n

The rationale behind this? Apparently the physical act of writing something down and seeing it on paper motivates to take the next step and complete the items we\u2019ve set out to do. We guess that’s why planners\/notebooks like Moleskins are an enduring trend.<\/p>\n

And here are some bonus tips from our partner Dezainn<\/a>!<\/p>\n