Your focus and attention span can be significantly affected by your environment. Writing an article will be a considerable pain if you sit down and type away on the side of the street with all the city bustle going on around you. Furthermore, even in the silence of your room and the comfort of your bed, doing your work can also be impossible as the possibility leans closer to you fall asleep halfway.
There are just some places and environments in which channeling all your productivity to do the work would be hard. Whenever you step into an area, your gut feeling can almost immediately point out the energy of the place—whether it’s somewhere you feel like working or if the distractions would get the best out of you. So if it tells you something is wrong in your workplace, maybe it’s time for a makeover.
If you’re a bit lost in creating a productive workspace out of the one you already have, or if you’re starting from scratch, the list of ideas below will guide you.
Be Neat and Clean
A messy workspace is an eyesore. You might feel like it’s okay for you and you can get your work done, but in truth, it creates stress and affects your ability to focus. It also contributes to wasted time as you can spend minutes searching for something that can easily be found if organized.
According to Remax Gold, you can start by throwing all the trash and unnecessary things to improve home office productivity. It’s also a great way to see the contents of your space so you can plan what it’ll look like after the revisions.
Keep a trash can within the area to properly dispose of irrelevant items. You can also develop a daily or weekly schedule of tidying up your belongings and maybe even organizing to-do lists to help maximize work hours.
Have Organizers
A messy area is probably due to too many unorganized things scattered around. You can’t put them in the trash bin because they’re essential, so the only thing you can do is organize them. You can place them in dividers, crates, and plastic boxes.
Keep similar things or those you need for the same purpose in one organizer. Doing this will make them more accessible, and the scheme of your workplace will be more pleasing to the eye. Having boxes and other organizational materials stacked or arranged side by side is a better view than randomly placed papers and other items.
Install Productivity-Inducing Tools
A dozen items aren’t essential, but can make your workspace more work-friendly and help improve home office productivity. Putting your laptop on a stand can help reduce eye strain and improve posture as you can adjust the height to be just suitable for your eye level. A comfortable office chair can also be a great inclusion you can adjust it to fit your comfort, causing it to help reduce body pains.
Another trend nowadays is the use of ergonomic mouse and keyboard as you can position them how you deem comfortable, solving the aches you experience using a standard keyboard and mouse.
Keep it Spacious
Make sure that your workspace doesn’t limit your movements to the point that moving would cause books to fall or knees to be injured. Being cramped in your area could induce an uncomfortable feeling, giving rise to negative sentiments, which could battle your productivity. It can also be a reason for things to become all over the place as there isn’t enough space to keep them all in order.
Moreover, if you want to stretch and relax those sore joints, you need enough room. A practical workspace doesn’t mean that it’s solely just for work. You should also be able to enjoy some relaxation before grinding once again.
Personalize
Personalizing produces attachment, making your work area more exciting and meaningful. It also creates a sense of control, which is a good morale boost, especially when doing stressful tasks. Furthermore, you can place several essential items that keep you up and running with a smile on your face, such as photos, favorite quotes, and other inspirations.
A workspace doesn’t need to be dull and all official-like. You can keep things that would inspire you or directly help you with keeping track of your tasks. Sprinkling it with your ideas and preferences can make a difference, even regarding the quality of your work.
Adjust the Lighting
If employees can see their notes and papers, they’re more likely to finish than those who struggle to read properly. Little lighting can affect your reading, and it might even give a dull atmosphere, eventually leading you to sleep at some point. It’s a simple difference in situations, yet it can significantly affect productivity. That’s how the vital lighting in a workspace is.
According to Macs4u, the ideal efficient work setup has big windows that let in enough natural light during the day. Hang blinds instead of curtains so that you’ll have control over the amount of light and shade you need. With natural light, indoor plants can add life and calmness to your space.
Bring many artificial lights to create the same effect as natural light. However, be careful as too much light can be overwhelmingly bright and cause migraines and eye problems. If it’s impossible or you keep working during the night, install large overhead lights and floor lamps.
Work on Your Workspace
If your workspace doesn’t feel like one, or if you feel like it’s inhibiting you producing quality work, maybe it’s time to work on your workplace. Ramp up some things and adjust to your circumstance based on the guide. Remember that it should be clean, organized, spacious, and with proper lighting as a basic structure.
To make you feel more comfortable in your zone, you can get items that can help you be more efficient and add personal touches that would make the place feel like yours. A neat and comfortable workspace can set you in the right mood and headspace to become productive and get quality work done.
