More and more people are working from home these days. However, the transition to a hyper-connected digital community that allows this the work-from-home paradigm was fast, and many of us were unprepared for it. As such, the working environments that we’ve fallen into at home are often less than ideal. They may be short on space, lacking in supplies or poorly lit. 

These are issues that need to be dealt with; however, when you are working from home it is easy to push them to the back burner. You may have good intentions, but that’s not enough to guarantee that anything gets done. But make no mistake – if you’re serious about working from home, you must be equally serious about designing a dedicated work space. Your productivity – even your own sanity – depends on it. 

Introducing the Garden Office

Most people focus on how they can turn a nook or corner of their house into office space. This is fine enough if you have an extra room, a library or a study that doesn’t get much use. However, you also need to think about who is going to be sharing that space with you. 

Working from home creates a host of distractions. Family members, pets – even neighbours and delivery persons – can help but think that, if you’re home, then you’re probably not too busy. They don’t necessarily mean to interrupt, but that certainly doesn’t make the disruption any less real. 

This is why many life and work coaches are advising those who work from home to set up a dedicated work space that is separate from their house (i.e. in the garden). You can purchase affordable structures from companies like Simply Log Cabins, lay out all of the specifications that you require, and have the structure assembled right on your property. These structures are fully liveable, complete with insulation and all the trimmings. Pick out the right model, and you’ll have an ideal office, conveniently close to home but still detached from your house.  

For anyone who has tried working from home but still has a problem with overcoming distractions in the house, a garden office may well be the ideal solution. Consider some of the following advantages to this approach:

Actually ‘going to work’ still has its merits.

There is something to be said for actually leaving the place where you live and sleeping and heading out to the place where you work. It helps put you in the right frame of mind, and it also sends a clear message to those who are in the house that you are currently on the job. A person is going to be more likely to disturb or interrupt you if you are in the same building with them. However, the act of leaving the house, crossing the garden and knocking on your office door is seen as more of an intrusion. They’ll only do so when it’s important.

Natural light and plant life have been shown to boost productivity, creativity and a host of other qualities that you’d like to have professionally. 

There are a range of studies that have been carried out in this department. Some have found that letting more natural light into an office significantly boosts employee productivity. Similarly a study spearheaded by Texas A&M University demonstrated strong links between plant life in the office and increased creativity and innovation on behalf of staff. Garden cottages are designed to let the light in, and plant life is central to the atmosphere.  

Working from the garden keeps the peace back on the homestead.

It’s easy to get caught up in the importance of our work, and the benefits of conducting it from home – so much so that we forget about the needs of others that live in the house as well. Relegating work to the garden lets life in the house continue as normal.

Simply Log Cabins is a premier provider of quality garden buildings in the UK. Their products include wooden garages, cabins, and sheds.