It’s known that making effective use of your workspace can increase productivity and motivation. Whether you’re in need of a homework station, are working from home, or embarking on new business adventures, the team at Decor and Furnish have you covered!
1. Let’s Get Organized
It doesn’t matter if you’re sprucing up an old working space, or starting from scratch, your first priority is to ensure your workspace is accessible and tidy at all times. Ask yourself, do I need this? If what you’re looking at doesn’t serve a purpose then channel your inner and say good-bye! If you have too many important documents and minimal storage options, why not consider going paperless? Keeping a digital record on readily available resources will not only free up your physical space, but allow access across multiple devises anywhere, anytime.
After everything has been sorted through, it’s time to coordinate them by categories; subjects, tasks, products or classes. By doing this you’ll create a system that will be easily accessible with minimal upkeep.
2. The Set Up
Now that everything is sorted, let’s get you set up. Having a large workspace at home isn’t something everyone will have but maximizing what space you do have can make all the difference.
Start with the key pieces you need and work your space around that. Your items not only need to fit but add value to your productivity. Additions such as keyboard, mouse, screens and/or stands are equally as important to your computer. Finding multipurpose pieces, like laptop stand with storage, are vital for small spaces; things like your keyboard and mouse can be neatly stowed away to make way for new projects. The key thing to remember when filling your space is that your additional pieces aren’t adding clutter but enhancing it.
Depending how much space you have available work with, consider filing cabinets, storage units, or bookshelves that will free up valuable real estate on your desk.
For some people their workspace must be multi-functional: study by day, gamer by night or a make-up artist on weekends, there is always a storage solution. If there isn’t enough square footage to work with, consider going up! Shelves are a great way to maximize space and add your own personal flair.
3. Make It Ergonomic
A healthy and happy body is the key, not just for work purposes, but life in general! Ensuring your space is ergonomically sound, will save you a lot of time and money at your physician, allowing you to enjoy life outside of work. Studies have shown that effective ergonomic workspaces can lead to an increase in productivity, longer focus, and even completing tasks quicker with less mistakes. That doesn’t mean spending top dollar on all your equipment but finding the right one for you. Be sure to take the time to check and adjust your desk, chair, monitor and mouse where necessary and finding time to take a quick break and stretch between tasks. If you struggle to sit down for long periods of time, a sit-stand desk might be great the perfect solution for you!
4. The Perfect Environment
We’ve got you all set up, now we’ve got to keep you there! Eliminating unnecessary distractions; TV, apps, social media and anything that isn’t job related, will keep your concentration where it needs to be. It doesn’t mean lock it all in a safe until 5:30PM, but strong willpower will get you far and back to finding the newest life hack on TikTok.
Distractions aside, if your main hours of work are during the day, make sure your space sits in natural light with access to fresh air. Constant exposure to dark spaces can start to negatively impact not just your productivity, but mental health. For those who work primarily in the evening, having good artificial lighting can go a long way. Also, try setup your workspace close to a window. This will allow you to enjoy glancing at nature every now and again versus a blank wall. Research has found gazing at nature regularly can increase your creativity!
5. A Personal Touch
It’s important that this space is not only functional, but it has to be you. The average full-time employee in US is working for a minimum of 40+ hours a week, so it’s important to sprinkle your personal flair on it, otherwise how uninspiring is that?!
Surround yourself with things that inspire, motivate or just simply bring you joy. Add some personal photos, artwork, inspirational quotes or a good-looking plant. Corkboards can also be a creative outlet of personal materials, or a great way to layout agendas and goals. To get the full sensory experience consider essential oils or music, especially during those stressful periods, to help you focus in at the task at hand.