Our workspace is the place where most of us spend the majority of our day. It’s where we are our most productive selves. We work, we brainstorm, and we also take in most of the information that helps us progress in our lives. But more often than not, we tend to ignore how our workspace is set up. Instead of optimizing it so that we can get more work done, we slack off and make our workspace look just like another random part of the house.
In this blog post, I will share ‘how to make your workspace more productive’ in order to achieve your goals without getting stressed out. Remember – Your workspace is a place where you are at peak creativity and the best ideas can come out from this space. So, let’s not take any shortcuts and actually become strategic with our approach.
Workspace Design and Productivity
Let’s start with the most important part first – Ergonomics and Comfort. For those of you who are thinking to yourself – “What the heck is Ergonomic”? – Don’t worry! I’ll explain myself right away.
Simply put, Ergonomics refers to the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. To clarify even further, an ergonomic workspace is designed for comfort and efficiency.
What does this look like in real life? For starters, the workspace should be designed in a way that promotes good posture and minimizes strain on the body. The chair, desk, and computer monitor should be adjusted to the right height and distance to prevent eye strain, back pain, and neck pain. Ideally, you should be looking at the monitor at a height where you don’t have to turn your neck up or down. Going one step further, your eyeballs should be aligned straight with the monitor screen.
A study by the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics found that ergonomic interventions can increase productivity by up to 25%. By maximizing our comfort, an ergonomic workspace basically wires our brains to think productively and efficiently. Instead of feeling sleepy and lazy, we tend to be more alert and our happy chemicals kick in as an added benefit.
I’m reiterating this fact again but comfort is crucial for maximum productivity. There’s no bigger turn-off than a rigid chair and a desk that doesn’t align with your body. In addition, you should ensure that your workspace is well-lit, well-ventilated, and at a comfortable temperature. And comfort is apparently a very big subject in research centered around productivity in workplaces.
In fact, a study by the American Society of Interior Designers found that improving workplace comfort can increase productivity by up to 24%. So, if your workspace is the opposite of what we talked about here, it’s time to get to work.
Now, I will go one step further and clarify how to optimize for people who don’t align with most of this information:
- If you don’t like a lot of bright lights, keep a small yellow-light lamp right next to you – This is my personal favorite. In fact, I prefer dimly lit lamps over white lights as they’re just too bright for me.
- Don’t stress about temperature if you have a resources constraint
- Ventilation is the most important part – You need to make sure that you’re getting air in and breathing properly – Remember, you won’t be productive if you’re unable to breathe.
Organization and Distractions
Let’s get into the next crucial step which is making sure your desktop only includes items that actually serve a purpose. Now, I’m going to deflect a bit from the traditional advice which is all about a clean and tidy workspace. I personally believe there are two kinds of people and both kinds work best in their respective environments. The productivity and efficiency factor is also different for both of them.
First off, you have organized people who like to keep their workspaces as tidy as possible. These kinds of people would go crazy if their workspace had even a speck of dust on it. Distractions are their worst enemy and they prefer to work alone without external noise. And this is where their creativity also blooms. Now, it’s been documented that cluttered and disorganized workspaces can lead to distractions and decrease productivity.
However, there’s another breed of uber-perfectionists who actually excel in cluttered environments. These are what some would refer to as ‘mad’ or ‘maniacs’. However, these are simply people whose mental wavelengths are unique from the rest of us. While we get distracted by outside noise and mess, these people thrive in these environments. When they brainstorm, they think of random thoughts and then filter out the crap keeping only relevant information in.
Productivity and especially workspace optimization should be different for both kinds of people. So, ignore the traditional advice of – “Oh your workspace is so messed up, you need to get your act together” – And first think to yourself, what kind of environment do you feel most productive in?
Once you find the answer to that question, build your workspace according to what works. If you don’t mind having a hundred different pages, diaries, a coffee cup, and some stationary scattered across the desk, then that’s completely find. And if you feel stressed out about it, then you know that you have things that need to be taken care of.
Modern Productivity is all about how our spiritual and mental habits align with day-to-day tasks. If you’re able to balance both things out, you’re set up for success.
Time Management and Mindset
Next up, we’re going to be taking a look at the time management and mindset aspects of workspace optimization. For starters, you don’t want to be spending too much time confined to your workspace. It’s important to manage time critically and take breaks whenever you start phasing out. Trust me, no matter how perfect your workspace is, you’ll eventually lose focus and that’s totally fine.
Second. your workspace should be designed in a way that helps you manage your time effectively. This includes having a to-do list, prioritizing tasks, and using time management tools. An ideal workflow would be focused work for 25-45 minutes and breaks of 15 minutes in between. Repeat that cycle throughout your day and you will be the most productive. In the same way, you’ll save time as you’ll have more energy to devote to tasks as they come through.
There’s a popular ‘Eat the Frog‘ quote that many attribute to Mark Twain and it states:
“Eat a live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
This strategy implies that in essence there are some mundane, nail-biting tasks on your to-do lists that you should actually put off for later when you’re free from other, more important stuff. However, Brian Tracy in his book ‘Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time’ reckons that we should actually complete these tasks when we start our day. And the argument here is that when you get rid of the difficult stuff first, your brain automatically relaxes and gives you a boost in fulfilling easier tasks much quicker and with more efficiency.
Now I don’t want you to be strict with yourself and go on a mile-long run right when you wake up. All of us have a different temperament. If you feel like that difficult task is going to nag you later on in the day, prioritize that first. Conversely, if you prefer taking it easy by tackling straightforward to-dos first, go for that.
Pro Tip – For 30 Days, take both approaches and do a life audit after the 30 days are over. You should have a better idea of what works for yourself so that you can take a more informed decision going forward.
Conclusion
To conclude, optimizing your workspace for maximum productivity is crucial for achieving your goals and streamlining your projects without getting stressed out. However, for all of us, there is a right and a wrong way to set up your workplace. Being mindful of your limits and how your mind perceives a certain approach is the best approach before you implement any drastic changes to a space that could potentially result in the next big innovation.
Let me know, in the comments below, what’s your favorite way to set up your desk or workspace!
Zane James is a Digital Marketer who runs a freelance marketing practice alongside growing ProductivePreneur; a free newsletter for Entrepreneurs, Marketers & Designers helping them to reach peak productivity in a realistic and mindful way.