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How To Tackle The January Blues With An Organised And Motivating Working From Home Space

A combination of the post-Christmas blues, colder temperatures and shorter, darker days, makes January a rather depressing month.

With the UK Government’s guidance recommending that people should work from home where possible, Jasmine Higgins, Marketing Assistant for leading UK stationery brand, Pukka Pads, has collated her tips on how making small tweaks to your home office set up and routine can have a positive impact on your mindset, productivity, and organisation.

Who said Blue Monday has to be depressing?

Create a desk space you actually enjoy working from

To work effectively you need to create a workspace that is stress and clutter free. It can be tempting to slouch on the sofa or plonk yourself on the dining room table, but it is imperative that your working space is clear of any distractions to ensure it motivates and inspires.

We understand that not everyone will be able to dedicate a whole room to working from home, but it is important to have desk or a table that you can clear and allocate as your designated working area.

Now onto the fun part, spark creativity by filling your desk with eye-catching, quirky designed stationery. Pukka Pads designs its stationery products to be fun and bright in colour because stationery doesn’t need to be boring. Vibrant essentials such as pens, sticky notes and notebooks make for a motivating working space injected with personality without the need for space.

Comfort is key

Make sure your chair is comfy by adding a cushion and is the right height to prevent any strain injuries.

Comfy socks or slippers will help to keep you warm and having a water bottle within arm’s reach will keep you hydrated. Make sure you keep this regularly topped up.

Why not decorate your desk with a few houseplants and a snazzy pen pot? After all the nicer your setup, the more motivated you will be.

Take regular breaks

Working from home means that the lines are blurred when it comes to home and work life, often meaning is easy to overdo it and work late into the evening, or start a little earlier than usual. However, it is essential to give your brain a break and have time away from your desk.

Whether this is time spend making a cup of tea, moving your body or popping outside for some fresh air, all is a good way to clear the mind and give your motivation levels a boost to help combat the afternoon slump.

Don’t underestimate the power of the To Do list
Starting your day by kicking off with a to-do list is a great way to stay on top of your daily tasks and manage your time efficiently. Ticking off each task as it is completed also gives you a sense of accomplishment. Pukka’s ‘Things to do Today’ wire bound pad is perfect for this and allows you to keep on top of your workload and ensure no tasks slip through the net.

As well as work commitments, we all need to keep track of our personal appointments too. Pukka’s ‘Weekly Planner Pad’ is ideal for tracking both work and personal commitments. Additionally, this planner pad will give your friends some serious desk envy.

Stay connected

While working from home has its benefits, you may also feel isolated at times. Don’t forget that communicating with others matters, so don’t rely too heavily on email and pick up the phone.

Don’t forget to make time to socialise virtually – schedule in a digital coffee break or organise a Friday team call to discuss plans for the upcoming weekend. It’s important to keep this human interaction going and if you're struggling with working at home, speak to your colleagues or manager about your concerns.

Get dressed

Make sure you get up and change into ‘work clothes’ to help you mentally switch to a productive work mode in the morning. Now we don’t mean pop on your finest suit, an elasticated waistband is still an absolute must, but we recommend wearing something which helps you distinguish between ‘homeworking’ and ‘home life’.

Make sure you have all the equipment that you need
To ensure your working day goes as smoothly as possible, check you have a reliable and secure internet connection and can access your company network.

Have plenty of notebooks and accompanying stationery on hand to take notes during your virtual meetings.

Take your lunchbreak and get outside

Time away from the screen to stretch your legs and get some fresh air is vital.Try heading out to your local park and leave your phone behind so you can fully soak in some nature and unwind.

Even if you only have a spare 10 minutes to take a walk around the block, it can trigger the proven mental health benefits of getting outside and moving your body.

Naturally, a change of work environment will take some time to get used to and the key is finding a routine that works best for you.