Written by Julie Morris

Image: Pexels.

One of the advantages of being able to work from home is that you can avoid many of the stresses that often come from working in an office alongside dozens of other people. However, one of the disadvantages is that you can bring a lot of your work stressors into your living space, giving yourself no escape from the anxieties that a stressful job can produce.

This is very relevant to many of us who run knitting and craft based businesses in our homes (actually and unsurprisingly the number of people working and running small business at home has increased massively since the lockdown).

With only a few minor adjustments to both work and living spaces, though, you can streamline your home office to be less stressful. The Knitting Times some tips to get you started.

This article contains affiliate links.

Your Home Workspace

• Make sure your workspace is separate from your living space. Hopefully, you’ll be in a separate room with a door. If that’s not possible, The Spruce suggests trying creative ways to isolate your work area with DIY room dividers. You can use things like a dressing screen, shelves, or even a curtain. That way, you won’t be tempted to spend family time when you ought to be working or vice versa. 

• If you can situate your desk in front of a window, it will keep you feeling less isolated and alone. Set some bird feeders outside your window and you can have something to look at while you’re thinking and pondering. Birds & Blooms shows that you can even find feeders that will adhere directly to your window if you happen to live and work in an apartment building.

• Your desk and chair should be as ergonomically constructed as possible. This is not a place to pinch pennies. Your health and long-term well-being depend on you having the right support while you work.  

• Keep extra supplies, paper, electronics, and other items you don’t need at hand put away in cabinets or boxes so that your office doesn’t become overwhelmed with clutter. Clutter makes a room feel claustrophobic. Take the trash out every day and don’t allow coffee cups and empty snack wrappers to accumulate on your desk. 

• Another at-home business consideration is the need for marketing your venture. Inexpensive and easy ways to promote your business and build your customer base are always a smart idea. Surveys are a great example, as are digital gift cards using this Amazon incentives API solution.

Your Living Space

Creating a living space that is completely stress-free is a goal everyone who works from home should strive to achieve. This is not just for your own well-being, but for that of the entire household. This doesn’t need to be a big overhaul, either. A few small steps can make your home environment as relaxing as you need it to be. 

• When you’re working from home, the temptation to put in extra work hours is all too easy. The last thing you want to do then is to clean. However, taking time to clean as you go means less time you’ll have to put in trying to do it all at once. Just like in your workspace, clutter in your home can be a big source of stress and anxiety. Not allowing “stuff” to accumulate in the first place means you’ll never get overwhelmed by it. 

• If you want to incorporate antique pieces into your space, you have lots of options. A popular approach nowadays is to decorate with a mix of contemporary and antique pieces. Experiment with different methods and find what works best for your design sensibilities.

• Bring some plants indoors. There are even some plants that do not require a lot of sunlight if you don’t have space near a window for them. Several studies have shown that exposure to nature improves mood and reduces stress. Paintings or reproductions of nature aren’t nearly as beneficial as being outdoors in it, but it still has a positive effect on the brain. 

• Break up your routine to ensure your homelife isn’t all work and no play. You can add fun and flavor to your social life, for instance, and get some fresh air by hosting the occasional backyard cookout. It can even be a great way to introduce people to your home studio space. An outdoor range hood adds some class – not to mention safety – to your setup, as well.

• Set aside a space for meditation, yoga, or tai-chi. Have candles, and a speaker for soft and relaxing music. If you want to take it up a notch or two, get an indoor waterfall or water wall. It combines your need for nature with the wellness of your exercise. 

Making your home and office both comfortable and stress-free doesn’t require a lot of effort, but it does require some thought. Using some or all of these tips can go a long way toward making your home a happier and healthier place to be.

The Knitting Times is your online magazine covering the world of knitting!