Despite the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in many areas, more and more of us are choosing to work from home instead of at the office.
Working at home has its perks, but it can also be a challenge to stay productive.
However, with a little creativity and some smart changes to your environment, it's possible to hack your apartment for productivity without having to give up on your cushy remote working arrangement.
Decorating an apartment with your productivity in mind can be a fun, new challenge. It can also save you time and money later on when you can check your tasks off the list quickly!
Here are five ideas of ways to hack your apartment for maximum productivity:
Keep Strict Habits
It's tricky to impose one set of productivity habits for everyone. Some people work best when they multitask, while others find singular focus allows them to complete their work more efficiently.
Naturally, the best habits are those that work specifically for you.
The key here is to understand the factors that make you productive. Do you need a calm atmosphere to focus? Or do you work better when there's background noise in the room?
Once you are clear on the things that keep you productive, develop a set of habits to reduce the friction of achieving them.
Some ideas:
If you cannot resist checking your phone every time it dings, look into apps that prevent you from having access to social media accounts during your work hours.
If you like background noise when working, create or download Spotify playlists that you can play on shuffle as soon as you sit down to work.
If you find yourself distracted by your TV, try to work in an area where it isn’t visible.
Personalize these tips for yourself and keep them in mind every time you sit down to work—one day, they will all be second nature to you!
Designate Specific Spaces for Certain Times or Tasks
If your apartment is small, you probably do most of your work sitting in just one place.
While this makes sense from an efficiency standpoint, some people find the restrictions stifling their creativity.
Designating specific spaces in your apartment for certain times or tasks helps keep things fresh—helping you avoid boredom.
For instance, you can set up camp for the morning hours in your living room, move to another area for lunch, and then work from a different space during the afternoon to keep you from getting too restless while working.
You can also designate specific spaces for certain tasks to make getting into the groove that much easier.
For instance, you might put all your writing materials in one area, or designate a specific corner for surfing the web.
When it comes time to write a blog entry, for example, just grab your laptop and sit in your designated space. Stick to your designated areas and, in time, your transition to work mode will be seamless.
Get Rid of Clutter
There's no doubt about it: clutter is distracting.
Even if you're not the type to become distracted by every little thing, clutter always finds a way to gnaw at your attention. It’s hard to focus on what needs to get done when there are dishes in the sink or laundry spilling out of the hamper.
This is especially true for your home office setup. Clutter can make it difficult to find anything and keep your mind focused on the task at hand.
Avoid this by taking 20 minutes every day to organize your apartment and clean up any messes you've made so far that day.
This small habit makes a big difference when it comes down to productivity, allowing you to stay in flow longer without distractions.
Seek Out Natural Light
Research has consistently shown that natural light helps boost productivity.
Not only does sunlight provide you with vitamin D it also helps regulate your body clock, helping you maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
This means that when you get more natural light, especially sunlight in the morning, your body will naturally feel like it's time to be productive and work on important tasks first thing in the day.
Of course, not everyone has a window or balcony they can sit by every single day while working at home. But that doesn't mean you can't seek out natural light in other ways.
Try to schedule daily walks to get your dose of natural sunlight without disrupting your work rhythms.
Take Frequent Breaks
Admit it: when you spend hours at work or school with no breaks insight, you find yourself zoning out and not really focused on the task at hand.
Well, this is exactly what happens to most of us when we work from home without taking breaks throughout the day!
It might seem counterintuitive if you’re new to remote work, but taking frequent breaks helps boost productivity because it allows you to recharge your batteries and remain sharp for important tasks that demand your full attention.
If you don't trust yourself enough to take breaks willy-nilly, try setting an alarm for your breaks.
You can also use this time to get up and stretch a little, drink a cup of coffee or tea, do some laundry in the room you're working from—whatever it is, make sure that when your break ends, you feel refreshed and ready to get back to work.
About The Author:
Katreena is a scientist and a life hack specialist. She's authored scientific journals on biotechnology and molecular biology. To take a break from scientific journals, she puts her mind into writing about lifestyle, health, and sustainability. She strongly believes that kindness makes the world go round.