When it comes to home offices and, generally, being a freelancer, one of the most difficult things to do is to find focus. If you think about it, the ability to work from home is good in terms of time management and reduction of stress, but it can also cause completely opposite effects.
Zen philosophy can help you in that. This way of life, or even a religion as some like to call it, is actually about finding peace in oneself and expanding it to your entire life. Here is how to apply Zen principles in your home office and achieve the most productive effects at work.
Declutter
One of the basic principles of Zen philosophy is to clear out the space around you so that you can work on the inner peace. When we are surrounded by mess and things that distract our attention, we cannot focus on the things that are important and that we have to do. This type of minimalism is important especially in home offices, when we are surrounded by all the comfort of a home, which we somehow forget that we are supposed to be working in the first place.
Make a cleaning system and select all the things around you that are not useful for the job you are supposed to be doing. You can even use the Pareto Principle that says that we use only 20% of our belongings 80% of the time. Therefore, clear out everything you do not use 80% of the time and be ruthless. Just make sure that you maintain your surroundings and not allow it to clutter again.
Add some life
Zen is also about living in balance with nature, so you can bring some life to your home office by adding some life to it. For example, you can make your office greener by putting a pot of flowers or some other plant next to your table, or on top of it.
Alternatively, you can tie computer cables with practical little leaf-ties, which are a great way to align nature and technology. Surround yourself with bamboo stationery, such as a bamboo desktop organiser for your pencils and notes, or use leaf-like page markers that resemble grass growing out of your books.
Make a comfy YOU corner
Comfort is another thing you should pay attention to. In order to work and be productive, you need to feel relaxed and make the most of the space you have at your disposal. Your back, neck and shoulders need to be upright and maintain a proper posture, so make sure to purchase top-quality comfortable office chairs that will help you maintain working atmosphere for hours.
Even though many personal things that can distract you should not surround you, it is perfectly fine to add a personal item or two, and turn your working corner into a truly relaxing place. Use something interesting, yet motivating, such as your family photos, so that you remind yourself of why you are doing it all.
Once you set your home office into a ‘Zen mood’, you can expand this philosophy to your entire life. Gradually, of course. In addition, be free to inform us about how it is working out for you.