I find it all too easy to get into a slump with work and I've found the first step to tackle this is tidying up my desk space for optimal productivity. I've found a few things that really help to get me focussed and to minimise any distractions which I thought I'd share them with you today.
Don't sleep where you work.
This is something that I think I've done quite well and have really benefitted from. While there is the temptation to work from my bed every morning, I now realise how unproductive this makes me. Whether it's at a desk in my room or the dining room table, I know I'll be much more productive there than in my bed. Also, I feel like not working from my bed keeps it a more relaxed area and having it associated with that and not the stress of work helps me get to sleep a little better at night as I know I can now relax in bed.
Plenty of Empty Desk Space
I've always been one to have little trinkets, drawers, picture frames etc. on my desk but I've realised that this just isn't the most practical. While a few items isn't bad by any means, having a less cluttered desk allows me to easily see my work and spread out a more if I need to without having to take stuff off my next or move things around in order to work.
Have the essentials to hand...
Like I say, having a few items on your next is helpful. I also think having drawers under or by the side of my desk is also handy as it means I don't have to go searching when I need a pen or a ruler; I know they're close by so I won't be distracted by trying to route around to find what I need. If you don't have any drawers to hand, in the past just a pencil pot has been good enough for me or shallow box just on the corner of my desk is big enough to hold the essentials.
...and your phone out of reach.
I'd say that this is probably the biggest cause of unproductive work both for me and I'd guess many others; always tempted to just have a quick scroll through Instagram or being instantly distracted when you see your phone light up. Putting your phone on "Do Not Disturb" is a good option but I still don't find it stops me from checking it frequently. I find it's best to place it on the other side of my room, face down and I tend not to really think about it. I also turn off notifications on my laptop for messages and emails off quite often especially if it's related to what I'm doing. It's just an extra way to minimise distractions.
A list pad is a good place to start.
If you've got the space, I always find this a helpful addition.Having somewhere to write down what you want to get done and be able to tick it off when a job is complete makes me feel motivated to tick everything off. If you would rather not have a list pad taking up the room or wasting paper, I'm an avid lover of the Chrome extension "Momentum" which, along with giving you a beautiful chrome background everyday, has a great feature that allows you to write a To-Do list and even have the satisfaction of ticking the task off when finished.
Lots of water.
Whenever I'm starting to flag I always make the excuse to go and get a(nother) glass of water. While, yes, breaks are good and I always try to have them regularly throughout a long time sat at my desk, I do find sometimes I'm using it as just an excuse. I find now that if I fill up a big liter bottle of water, it's more than enough to see me through to my next break and beyond. It also makes sure that I am keeping hydrated through out the day which is something I'm quite poor at remembering to do.
Have a cracking playlist.
I know that some people find it distracting to have music playing while they're working and, if it's something I need to really concentrate on, I'm exactly the same. However, I find when I'm needing something to get me focused, a good playlist always works wonders. I have a few playlists I think are good for this that I have created myself; my GREEN playlist is on my Spotify so if you're looking some more guitar vibes, it's a good one. Alternatively I also have a STUDY and REVISION playlists that I created during different exam periods in the past that always helped me feel calm and still motivated to work.
So there's just some ways I try to create a good productive environment for me. These apply especially when I'm at home but these can definitely be applied if you're in the library or anywhere where you are trying to study.
Do you have any tips yourself for staying productive? I'd love to know!
Hope you're doing great,
Sarah x
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