It’s been a few weeks since circuit breaker started, which means you’ve been working from home for quite some time now. But if you find yourself getting easily distracted or not as productive as you usually are, don’t blame yourself. Between managing kids’ home-based learning needs, having to prepare meals for everyone and sharing a workspace with your spouse who’s also WFH, there are many things that demand your attention.
A cluttered space can induce a cluttered mind. That’s why designating and organising your workspace is important if you want to maintain productivity. To create a conducive home work space, we’ve rounded up some clever organising ideas and nifty tips and tricks to help you stay focused and motivated, so you can finish your tasks quickly without burning out.
You’d be surprised at how easy some of these methods are, and they don’t all involve spending money. Keep scrolling:
Greenery has a knack of bringing life to any space, so don’t belittle those indoor potted greens. They can promote healthier indoor air, reduce fatigue and boost morale and productivity. In fact, psychologists at Exeter University claim a desk plant can boost your productivity by up to 15 per cent.
Alternatively, if you find having to take care of plants very troublesome, you can place your desk next to a window that has a view of greenery outside. It can help keep you more focused, according to a 2011 study, and convenient for frequent vision breaks.
Start with these low-maintenance desk plants!
No hard, plastic chairs that make your bum numb. No stools that give you a stiff back.
It is important to invest in a good, ergonomic chair such as a Secret Lab chair that supports your posture and wouldn’t have you slouching over your desk. Often, we learn the hard way that some chairs are not meant for sitting all day in and does nothing good for your back, especially when you work at your desk for at least eight hours a day.
Different colours have different effects on our mind and body.
For example, red is used as a productivity boost. Calming blue facilitates communication and improves focus. Orange is good if you need more inspiration. Yellow energises and stimulates creativity. Whereas green is comforting and can diffuse anxiety and helps us stay calm and refreshed.
While you can’t exactly paint the walls around your work desk as and when you like, you can bring in a splash of colour to your work desk through objects. Get a desk mat in your favourite colour, place your potted plants in bright-coloured planters or choose a colourful mug that energises you just the way you need. Those colourful Post-Its that you already have work well too.
Working from home doesn’t mean you are spared from ambient noise, especially if you’re sharing your work space with other family members. Aural distractions abound, whether it’s your spouse’s video call with his boss, the kids having virtual class discussions or the noise of traffic outside. If you need maximum concentration, a pair of headphones or earphones such as these JBL noise-cancelling headphones can help shut out all the distracting background noises and signal that you are currently working on something and don’t wish to be distracted.
A messy desk does nothing for your productivity levels. It is difficult to be your most productive self if you waste 15 minutes every day looking for your stapler.
Designate a spot for stationery, post-it notes, folders or even your mug. Invest in stationery holders and file organisers, and make use of labeling to sort your documents.
It is also important to make sure that at the end of the day, you put everything back in place so that you can wake up to a neat and organised desk the next morning.
We spend eight hours a day working at our desk, so it is important that we keep our working area clean and sanitised. Try not to eat at your desk as food remnants can slip into the gaps of your keyboard or dirty your work equipment, and become a breeding ground of bacteria and germs. You don’t want to be inviting pests to roam on your desk (and your home!).
If you do eat where you work, make sure that you give the desk, keyboard, mouse and other high-touch areas a wipe-down at the end of the day to get the grease and dirt off them. Be sure to wash your mug often too.
Studies have found that personalising our work desks can motivate us to work harder because it lends an identity to the space and creates a greater sense of ownership and control over our space.
Photo frames with smiling faces can help brighten our mood, inspirational quotes can uplift our motivational levels or knick-knacks can make us feel calmer. You can also make use of a simple mood board to pin ideas and inspiration for your work.
Staying hydrated is very important for your productivity levels as lack of water can cause fatigue and reduced focus. This may make you more likely to turn to coffee to perk yourself up but that sets off a vicious cycle of perpetual fatigue and headaches.
Designate a small corner on your desk as your “water station”. Place a mug and an eco-friendly water bottle there so that you can use to refill your mug with water, without having to go back and forth the kitchen. It also serves as a reminder that you need to stay hydrated regardless of how busy you are.
This is a no-brainer but it is important to ensure you have a working area with sufficient room to place your work equipment. The desk table should be wide enough, its design should be minimal and the structure sturdy.
It would be even better if there is storage space for you to keep away items that you don’t need as often as your laptop or folders. An L-shaped desk may be good as it offers ample room for work and storage. If you’re working with limited space or sharing a table, be sure to demarcate your space clearly.
If you are spending at least eight hours at your desk every day, you should be investing in items that make you more comfortable.
An ergonomic laptop stand can adjust the angle of your laptop so you can reduce screen glare, eye strain and headaches.
A good mouse pad with a wrist rest helps to reduce wrist stress and provides support and comfort.
If it makes you more comfortable, place a floor mat underneath your feet for comfort.
Remember to clear your desk of clutter at the end of each day. Put pens back in their holder, arrange the items neatly, clean away any dishes or coffee mugs and wipe down your desk of grease and dirt.
Returning to a clean, neat and tidy work station the next morning will put you in a more productive mood and give you a better head start to the day.
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Text: Sheila Chiang
