THE PERFECT HOME TRADING SETUP
The Perfect Home Trading Setup: Our Top Tips
No doubt one of the most appealing aspects of pursuing a career as a forex trader is the fact that it can be done anywhere, at any time. All you really need is a laptop and an internet connection and away you go!
However, if you do really want to reach the dizzying heights of true success on the forex markets, paying close attention to your setup is definitely a wise idea, as your choice of working environment can make or break you where productivity is concerned.
In fact, if you’ve been plateauing a bit of late, you may want to cast a critical eye around your surroundings to see if they could be having an impact on your mood and general outlook, something that we all know can have a significant knock-on effect where trading success is concerned.
Assuming that you do most of your work from home, it makes sense to design an at-home office that promotes productivity and clear-headed thinking so that you can help ensure strong decision-making, no matter what happens day in, day out.
To get it right, you’ll need to know who you are as a person and what sort of environments you like to work in. Do you, for example, thrive and perform at your best in total silence? If so, you might want to prioritise soundproofing of your space to ensure that there are no distractions from outside or elsewhere in the house.
Alternatively, if you know you need some background noise going on, installing a top-notch sound system that allows you to play your favourite music or stick on some white noise could help you concentrate and see the results you’re looking for far quicker.
Other people, meanwhile, do well when there’s digital wallpaper playing in the background, so if this sounds like you, making sure that there’s a TV or some other kind of screen setup in place could help you perform better on the trading floor.
These are some of the more obvious suggestions, of course, but if you’re looking to go a bit deeper with your home office interior design ideas, here are just a few top tips from us to help you ensure you get it right from the outset. Which of these will you try first?
Lighting
One of the most important aspects of any interior design scheme is your lighting system and it’s something that you should factor in at the very beginning of your plans. Leaving it till last or as an afterthought inevitably means that it may well miss the mark and you might find it hard to see what you’re doing… and this can really have an impact on your performance.
If the lighting in your home office is poor, you run the risk of headaches and eye strain, neck, back and muscle strain, a dip in productivity, an increased risk of slips, trips and falls, and it can even have an impact on your mental health if you’re not careful.
A recent study by City University London found that while lighting on its own is unlikely to have a big impact on performance, it’s one of several factors that come together to create a healthy work environment, which can promote engagement, wellbeing and productivity.
What’s more, even the colour of light you decide to go for can have an impact on your mood and work performance, so it’s certainly worth taking the time to experiment with different options to see what effect they can have.
A truth universally accepted, however, is that natural light is one of the best sources of light you can go for, having positive effects on your wellbeing… so putting your desk near a window could make a big difference to how well you trade over time.
Once you’ve worked out how to maximise the amount of daylight you can flood your space with, you’ll then need to think about general and task lighting. Think about what time of day you prefer to trade in, as this will affect what lighting would be most appropriate. If you’re a night-time trader, for example, you’ll need high-quality task lighting to help keep you alert.
Ergonomics
Spending long working hours sat at a desk in front of a computer screen can really take its toll on you physically, mentally and emotionally, so it’s essential that you factor ergonomics into your home office design scheme.
You might not think it but sitting incorrectly and not having the right setup can actually put you at risk of developing all sorts of musculoskeletal disorders, everything from chronic low back pain to repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel syndrome, to name just three.
Conditions like these can take a long time to resolve themselves, so it makes sense to focus on prevention rather than cure if you can.
There are lots of little ergonomic tricks of the trade you can employ that will help you keep chronic pain at bay, however, such as by making sure that the top of your computer screen is at or just below eye level so you don’t risk putting your neck in stressful positions.
When seated (on a comfortable chair that offers you proper lower back support), make sure that your elbows are close to your body and properly supported, with your wrists and hands in line with your forearms.
In terms of chair height, you need to make sure that you are able to keep your feet flat on the floor at all times, so make the necessary adjustments to help you achieve this.
Another option, of course, is a standing desk if you really don’t want to be sitting down for hours at a time. It seems that there are actually all sorts of health benefits associated with these desk options, everything from reducing your risk of weight gain to potentially reducing blood sugar levels, reduced risk of heart disease and a reduction in back pain.
Interior niceties
Injecting some of your personality into your at-home office is easily achievable, since you don’t have any managers to pander to and don’t have to worry about work-related branding. The design world is your oyster, so to speak!
Even if you’re not particularly confident in your design skills, you can easily put together a lovely scheme that helps you enjoy your working environment and gives your productivity a serious boost.
And, failing that, you could always consider bringing in some professional help to ensure that you create a beautiful room that speaks to who you are while ensuring that you’re able to get the trading job done successfully.
Before you make any shopping decisions, however, it’s important to take the time to think about what you actually need in order to work effectively. If storage is an essential, for example, make sure that your choice of desk has lots of drawers, or that you’ve picked a part of the house that allows you to install tall shelving units.
Also consider how you can create a happy and healthy workspace through interior design choices. It’s long been known that proximity to nature has a big impact on our overall mood and this is something you can easily tap into for your home office.
The good news is that it isn’t at all difficult to bring nature into the house… all you need is some plants here and there, an incredibly easy and quick decorating win.
Low-maintenance plants are perhaps a good idea, especially if you’re new to the wonderful world of growing, so you don’t have to worry that you won’t have the time to look after them.
Picking plants that can look after themselves is a good place to begin – although you may well surprise yourself and find that you actually enjoy looking after the greenery, taking full advantage of the meditative effects of the practice.
But what plants to choose? Peace lilies are a great option for first-time plant owners as they don’t need lots of light and can come back relatively successfully if you accidentally overwater them.
It’s also thought that they can help filter and purify the air (so great for your office and your health)… and they look beautiful to boot, with their stunning broad deep green leaves.
Something else that’s very easy to go and very attractive into the bargain is the dracaena. These mini trees are very popular and a truly striking addition to any part of the home. Pop your new plant somewhere with some bright but indirect light and give it some water when the top two inches of soil are dry. And that’s it! Job done!
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