Whether you work from home or at an office, it is essential to have a physical space that gives you the best tools in order to get your work done. Let’s be honest, your workspace is the probably where you spend the majority of your time, so it is important that everything inside and around you is comfortable, creativity-inducing, and productive. Your workspace is your exclusive place to set tasks, goals, and finish assignments. And since you’re probably working for a paycheck that you want and need, it is important that that workspace has all the bells and whistles inside to ensure you do a wonderful job.
Have All Of Your Necessities Within Reach
Take a second to sit down and think about all the things that you may need while you’re at work. Write them down. Now, look at your workspace. Do you have all the items you need? If not, get them! If you’re constantly asking every other person to borrow their stapler, maybe it’s time you rise to the occasion and splurge on one for yourself? If you can’t concentrate without a morning cup of coffee, keep a coffee maker within reach. In addition to necessary supplies, inspirational items are important, too. Whatever inspires you to do the work that you do – keep that close. It could be a photo of your daughter, a playlist of your favorite songs, or an inspirational book or sign.
Keep It Clean
Some people do thrive in chaos, but if you’re not one of those lucky people, then try to keep your space organized. A little dust on the top of your computer that you get to once a month is fine, but make sure that important paperwork and necessary supplies are easy to find. It is easy to get distracted by a cluttered workspace. A lot of time is wasted when you spend several minutes looking for something that should be right in your desk drawer. You’ll feel better about yourself, your work, and your workspace if its clean. So tidy up the place once in a while.
Silence Is Deadly
Working in an eerily quiet or overly noisy office or home space can be distracting. Like the co-worker who can’t stop clearing their throat every five minutes? Drown out the background noise with a playlist of your favorite inspirational songs. This playlist probably isn’t the same one you’ll use to pump you up at the gym, or maybe it is? Classical music is always a great choice for studying, but maybe your work isn’t all that academic. Some people derive great amounts of creativity from the songs that they listen to while working. It is very dependent on the individual when considering which music will be helpful and not distracting while working. If you would describe yourself as more high-energy then you’ll probably opt for hip-hop, rock, or even some heavy metal. Introverts or more mainstream types may get more work done with some nice background ambiance, like the tunes found on ambient-mixer.com. They will also be the ones mellowing out to soundscapes like thunderstorms, and instrumental music without lyrics.
If you are looking to find music that you can listen to while still being able to get the most work done in the shortest amount of time, you should consider opting for mellow music like instrumental, classical, and chill-hop. It is much less disruptive than scream core. However, if you want to amp yourself up before you work, then something with a faster beat and loud lyrics can certainly do that.
Everyone is different and not every job is the same. A disheveled office is not going to be the best workspace for a Type A business person. A writer may want to enjoy the sounds of a rainforest and have a stash of healthy snacks next to him/ her while penning the next great American novel. Meanwhile, an artist may only be able to create their masterpieces while listening to punk rock and surrounded by empty boxes of Chinese takeout. Once you’ve created the perfect workspace in your mind, take it to the next level and build your workspace into the perfect physical space conducive to productivity and you will soon be getting the most out of your work.