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Five Ways to Optimize Your Workspace for Productivity
Task association
It's when your brain knows that when you’re in a certain place, you’re taking a certain action.
Take advantage of the way different locations affect you. Our brains love habits, and if we can associate certain qualities with different places, it can help us get into a better working flow.
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Key Ideas
Reduce the stress of clutter
- Apply constraints and stick to them: to tabs open in your browser, notebooks, magazines etc.
- Use small storage spaces: Less room means less room for clutter.
- Set time aside to clean, sort, and discard every single month.
- Clean your desktop at the end of every workday so to-do items don’t linger and you’ve got a clean slate to start with the next day.
Find places that inspire you
You might not be in a position to choose your workspace, but there are quick fixes: look for a spot with natural light from a window or skylight, take a walk outside when you feel stuck, or simply explore a new location.
A new environment can quite literally lead to new ideas.
Task association
It's when your brain knows that when you’re in a certain place, you’re taking a certain action.
Take advantage of the way different locations affect you. Our brains love habits, and if we can associate certain qualities with different places, it can help us get into a better working flow.
Designing for laziness
If you want to create a workspace that’s productive, focus on making it easier to do the things you want to do, and harder to do the tasks you don’t.
Our brains have been taught to conserve energy at all costs and make subconscious decisions for us based entirely on how hard or easy it is.
Noise and productivity
If you can’t find a spot that’s silent, noise cancelling headphones or music that drowns out speech can help regain that focus, especially if you work in shared spaces or offices.
The sounds around you and the music you listen to can have a huge impact on your productivity.
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Organize your office
- Start with a purge to create an office that is free of clutter.
- Create a catch-it space for incoming junk to sort through.
Keep your desktop clear of c...
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Key Ideas
Your workspace matters
Lighting
- The best kind of light you can have in your office is natural light. It helps our bodies maintain our internal "clocks" or circadian rhythms which affects our sleep and energy.
- Poor lighting, whether it's dim lighting or harsh lighting from overhead fluorescent lights, can cause eye strain, stress, and fatigue.
- Don't sit with your back to a window unless you can shade it.
- Don't sit facing a window because that will make reading a monitor difficult.
- If you use a task lamp at your desk, position it so the bottom of the lampshade is at about the height of your chin when it's on.
Plants
- Indoor plants prevent fatigue during attention-demanding work.
- Even just having a window view of live greenery can be restorative and keep us focused.
- A peace lily plant requires little sunlight to survive and you only have to water it when the soil is dried out and is also great for cleaning the air.
- Cacti and aloe plants are other low-maintenance plants to consider.
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Key Ideas
Organize your workspace
- Adopt a clean-desk policy (CDP).
- Create a dedicated space for the incoming things.
Keep personal items to a minimum.
Get yourself a si...
Colors influence productivity
- Red: Impart a boost of energy.
- Yellow: The sunny shade stimulates creativity.
- Purple: Stimulates problem solving abilities.
- Green: Calms the mind, causes zero strain to the eye and is ideal for those who spend long hours in the office.
- Orange: Boosts social interaction and collaboration.