It’s now been six months since I went freelance, and what a whirlwind it’s been! Going from working in an office with colleagues every day to going it alone and working from home can be quite an adjustment. It definitely came as a shock to start with, and I did start to question whether I would be able to succeed in working the freelance life, and mostly, spending a lot of time on my own! I felt anxious to begin with, and whilst I’ve always dreamt of being self-employed it suddenly felt a lot scarier. Fast forward, and things are actually going great. I feel more settled into a routine, and I’m working on some really exciting projects. One thing that I definitely feel is oh so important to establishing a productive working environment at home is a good set-up.

Don’t get me wrong there are some mornings where I’ll work from the comfort of my sofa with Friends on in the background (still Friends obsessed all these years later) but if I’ve got a busy day ahead then I find it much easier to focus when I’m sitting at my desk. Creating an inspiring home office definitely boosts productivity, and in my experience these pointers really helped…

Invest in a Comfy Chair

Have you ever looked at how much a decent office chair costs? Well, I did, and it’s a lot! I begrudged spending over £100 on an office chair, but considering the amount of time I spend at my desk it seemed like a worthy investment. I also suffer from back pain from time to time and wanted to opt for an ergonomic design that would offer plenty of support. Although it’s tempting to go for a style that looks aesthetically pleasing and Pinterest perfect, it’s simply not practical. I recently found a great selection of office chairs on the LionsHome website, the Flyn design particularly caught my eye thanks to its practical design but chic look.

Let in Natural Light

One of the things I’ve always found hard about working in an office is the unnatural light situation. I used to get quite bad headaches when sitting under fluorescent lights and it generally doesn’t make you feel great. If possible, try and setup your workspace in an area that’s spoiled with natural light. In my new house, the second bedroom will become an office, and it’s the lightest room in the house which makes it perfect. I always try to position my desk by the window to not only enjoy the light, but be able to glance outside and look at something that isn’t a wall! If you can get a garden office pod, then that would be way better, thanks to their large windows.

Improve Your Storage

I’m a little messy but nature, don’t get me wrong, I’m a real hygiene freak and cleanliness is important to me but I do have a habit of leaving pieces of paper, post and ASOS orders lying around the house. Investing in a few desk storage accessories can make a world of difference, and enable you to organise your invoices, bank statements and expenses easily. I used to be so bad at holding onto receipts and important documents (ooops) but picking up a few storage essentials has made the world of difference. John Lewis do some great desk accessories and tidies so I’d recommend checking those out.

Add Some Greenery

Did you know that plants reduce stress and enhance wellbeing? Not only that, they look great and create a relaxing environment that’s perfect for working. It’s a great excuse for a little garden centre excursion and to justify the need for six new house plants. Leafy plants in particular are said to boost your creative thinking, ideal if your job involves lots of creativity and new ideas! I love greenery, it always makes me feel calmer and inspired so I tend to have a few plants in each room anyway I just have to keep them out of the way of the bunnies as some can be poisonous to animals.

Pin Your Inspiration

Pinterest has been my best friend throughout our ongoing house renovation, it really is an unbeatable source of inspiration and the perfect way to organise your ideas. Create a board and pin all the dreamy work setups to inspire your own choices. There are also tonnes of DIY home office ideas if you’re on a tighter budget!

Do you work from home? How do you keep yourself motivated from day-to-day? I’d love to hear about your experiences…