There are thousands of tools and applications which can be coupled with your computer to boost your productivity. From simple tools which make it easier to copy and paste, to pieces of software which can change the way you work entirely, it’s easier than ever to streamline your digital experience at work. Of course, though, there isn’t much point in going through this sort of effort if your workspace isn’t good enough. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring productivity, and how you can build your desk with it in mind.
The Colours/Light: Keeping a room well lit is about more than simply being able to see. When the light is dim around you, your body will start to produce a hormone called melatonin which is responsible for making you drowsy. A good workspace will be have plenty of light, and most of it will be natural to preserve your natural energy. Along with light, it can also be worth thinking about colours, as bright options will be distracting, while darker ones might make it hard to keep your mood up while you’re working.
The Sound: Sound is one of the hardest things to deal with when you’re trying to work. If you can hear people talking, cars driving, or anything else which could distract you, it will be worth finding ways to cut the sounds out. If the noise is outside your building, using double glazed windows and sound cancelling materials can help you a lot. For sounds inside, though, you may have to look at moving somewhere else or getting some beefy headphones to keep all of the attention stealing disturbances at bay.
The Ergonomics: With the above areas ironed out, it will be time to move onto the biggest of them all when it comes to workplace productivity; the ergonomics. It takes a lot more than a nice building to make sure that your desk is perfect. Of course, though, it can often be hard to know exactly what you should be looking for. Below, you can find some examples of the areas you will have to cover, along with the tools which can be used along the way to make it a little bit easier.
- The Desk: The desk itself will be the very first thing to consider in this. This part of your workspace needs to be big enough for all of your equipment, to begin with, and this will mean doing some measuring. To make this part of your space as easy as possible to use, standing desks are becoming very popular, and you can find examples which can raise and lower to give you access to both a standing and sitting surface. This is great for anyone with poor circulation.
- The Chair/Mat: Along with the desk, you also have to spend some time choosing your chair, as this will have a big impact on the usability of your space. 24 hour chairs can be found across loads of sites. Designed to be used for an entire work day, this sort of option will be much more supportive than a cheaper option. For when you’re upright, a standing desk mat can provide you with a good platform to stand on. With both of these products covered, it will be nice and easy to stay comfortable during long days.
- The Peripherals: Mice, keyboards, and the other peripherals you use for your work can also make a difference here. To find a good mouse, the only real option is to try and find somewhere with some for you to try, as this will help you to find one which you really like. As for the keyboard, most enthusiast users and productivity junkies will prefer to use a mechanical option. While these are more expensive, they will often last much longer than a membrane keyboard, and provide a much better typing experience. It’s worth thinking about wrist and arm stain when you’re choosing these parts.
- The Computer: There is truly nothing worse than sitting down to work and having to use a slow computer. Cutting your productivity down to nothing, using an old machine for work is a bad plan, and you should be looking to keep this part of the space up to date as much as possible. To make this easier, there are loads of companies out there which offer computers on leases. Giving you access to regular upgrades and free repairs, services like this are perfect for people starting their own company.
- The Monitor: You won’t be able to get very far into a day at work without a way to see what you’re doing on the machine. Monitors come in loads of different shapes and sizes, nowadays, and some are much better for working than others. Ultrawide options are some of the best for completing a range of work, from basic administration to video editing and graphic design. This is slowly replacing the common trend of having two smaller monitors to use for work.
Keeping It Productive: Over time, it will only take a couple of little slips for your productivity to go back to how it used to be. If you want to keep working at your peak, you will have to be active in finding ways to do it, and this might mean regularly altering your processes until you have the best ones. Of course, throughout this time, you will also have to work on other aspects of your business or career, and this is something to consider, as well. In the long run, most people will see the benefits of this sort of work almost immediately.
Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder on the time you put into your productivity at work. A lot of people assume that everything they need to achieve these goals can be found in the form of software. In reality, though, your space can make a much bigger difference, especially if you’re not working hard to improve it.
