Stress-free strategies for your home office

Create a balance between work and play

By Cheryl Embrett

While working from home has its benefits — flexible hours and an escape from office politics for starters — it’s no guarantee against stress. In fact, it can be more stressful to work at home than to work in a structured environment because you have so many competing demands and responsibilities, says Jane Bal, a stress management counsellor at Don Mills Counselling and Consulting Centre in Don Mills, Ont.

Balance work and health

While a certain amount of stress can make you more productive, too much can have a negative effect on your work — and your health. “You want to create that balance in your home office of productivity and calm,” says Estelle Gee, the owner of Orderly Lives, a professional organizing service for the home and office, based in Toronto.

Microsoft Home Magazine asked design, organizational and stress experts, as well as women who work at home, for their best stress-free strategies.

Reduce the clutter

De-stressing has a lot to do with simplifying your space, says Gee. “Before you do anything else, get rid of the clutter. You’ll be amazed at how much less stress you’ll feel when things are in order.”

Choose calming colours

Different colours evoke different emotions. Bright red, for example, is stimulating, while light tones of blue-green and turquoise are more refreshing. For a stress-free work environment, Toronto-based prop stylist Jane Hardin recommends choosing softer or neutral colours in sand and taupe instead of choosing bright colours.

Listen to music

When Toronto freelance art director Giselle Sabatini is feeling stressed, she listens to classical music. “I find it very relaxing,” she says. Numerous studies have shown that background music can help melt away stress and even boost performance. Play music you enjoy, but keep in mind that instrumental music is more stress-relieving than music with lyrics (you don’t have to think about the words).

Try soothing scents

Aromatic scents such as lemon, valerian, sandalwood and lavender can help you feel less stressed and anxious. Try burning scented incense or fragrance-infused candles. Add a few drops of distilled oils to an atomizer filled with water and spray it around the room.

Use the right lighting

Studies have found that the less natural light there is in a room, the more stressed and depressed many people feel. Gee recommends positioning your desk to benefit from as much natural light as possible. But make sure the light is not reflecting off your monitor as the glare can make you tired and cranky. If you don’t have natural light in your workspace, replicate it by using full-spectrum light bulbs in desk lamps. Avoid fluorescent lighting, which can contribute to a tiring and stressful environment.

Add natural elements

Nature is a great de-stressor. “I have a view of leafy trees that are so close to the windows they’re almost touching, so I feel like I’m working in a tree house,” says Halifax editor and writer Jane Doucet. “Being that close to nature is very calming.”

Bring natural elements into your workspace with plants and fresh flowers. If you find the sound of gently gurgling water soothing, add a small table fountain.

Set boundaries

If you don’t have a separate office, use a partition to define your workspace, says Bal. It sends the message that “this is my space and I’m working when I’m in it.” It may also help reduce the number of stress-inducing interruptions.

Practice feng shui

To attain stress-free harmony in your workspace, strive for a balance of yin and yang when decorating, says Lina Visconti in Feng Shui: Going with the Flow (Hushion House, 2000). “Balance light and dark colours, soft and hard surfaces, and smooth and rough textures in your choice of window treatments, furniture and flooring.”

Take five

Build in regular breaks/rewards throughout the day such as doing a few yoga stretches, taking a brisk walk around the block or making a cup of chai tea.

Toronto consultant Mary Louise Wittig takes an e-break a couple of times a day. “I correspond on a purely chatty basis with other friends who also work at home,” she says. “We all enjoy this sort of virtual community who take coffee breaks together. It’s good for loneliness and stress.”