We are living through interesting times. Cities are shut down; businesses are closed. And more people than ever are working from home -- often for the first time. People are spending more time at home than they have in years. But it can be hard to focus when you're working from home. If you're not used to working amid distractions, it can be hard to be productive. Fortunately, there are smart home solutions that can help you stay focused and get your work done. Here are our top tips.
1. Adjust your lights
If you're like most people who are suddenly working at home, you may find yourself sitting in your home office staring at your laptop screen, and lights off. A window shade may be open, but otherwise, not much light. But inadequate lighting (especially indoors) can hurt your mood. We generally feel happier when we are outside in the sun (which is considered full-spectrum), than we do when we are inside under fluorescent lights. You can adjust the temperature of your lights with your smart home system, especially if you're using Savant. Savant pairs luxury lighting features with advanced, intuitive control systems that can transform the way you live -- and (during this pandemic) the way you work. Balance the lights around your workspace so you are surrounded by warm and cool tones.
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2. Adjust your climate
Like most smart home owners, your system is probably set to conserve energy when you're not home. Perhaps the temperature in your home is 5-10 degrees cooler when you're at work, and your home warms up to your preferred temperature by the time you walk in the door after work. Now that you're working from home, it's time to adjust your climate settings to maximize productivity. First, adjust the climate in your bedroom so it no longer feels inviting. It's too easy to get out of your schedule and sleep in an extra 4 hours. Next, adjust the climate for your home office so you don't even notice if it's cool or warm. (Aim for your personal Goldilocks zone.) Being too warm or too cool can distract you while you're working, and there are enough distractions already; you don't need to add to them. If you live alone, adjust the climate for your home office separately than the rest of your home, especially your media room. Your media room is going to be tempting enough, but you can make it feel less inviting by keeping it cooler while you're supposed to be working.
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3. Invest in a smart coffee maker
While we certainly need breaks in order to be productive, we don't need coffee breaks that turn into 2-hour social media scroll fests. One of the easiest ways to avoid this is by investing in a smart coffee maker for your home office. A smart coffee maker is one that can integrate with your smart home system. You can control it along with the rest of your home. If your smart home has any Alexa components, you can control this smart coffee maker with voice commands through Alexa. If you're in a meeting or working on a report, you can ask Alexa to brew a pot of coffee, and by the time you're ready for a break, your coffee will be all set. Add your grinds and water before you sit down for work, and whenever you're ready, just ask Alexa to turn on your coffee maker. You can even use Alexa commands to set the brew strength, in case you find yourself in need of something a little bit bolder than normal.
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4. Disconnect in the evening
Your iPad, iPhone, TV, and even your computer monitor emit blue light. Unfortunately, studies show that blue light interferes with your circadian rhythm, which in turn interferes with your sleep schedule. It's all too easy at home to fall into the pattern of working all night. You expose yourself to blue light until the wee hours, which makes it difficult to fall asleep -- and stay asleep. Use smart timers to automatically reduce your blue light exposure in the evening. Activate evening mode on your iDevices, and get alerts to disconnect from technology at least 1 hour before bed.
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