Are you dissatisfied with your recent office productivity and you are looking for how to create a productive workspace for increased productivity? Decreasing productivity is an all too common problem in office settings all over the world.
This article will guide you on how to increase productivity in your workspace.
There are studies showing that many entrepreneurs are getting frustrated by the way their work output is going down the drain.
The fact that you are reading this article means that you are probably tackling the same problem.
You are not happy with your office productivity and you are looking for solutions to the problem.
Fortunately for you, learning how to create a productive workspace for increased productivity is not rocket science.
How to Create a Productive Workspace for Increased Productivity
With the right productivity strategies coupled with a good attitude, you can significantly do more things in less time.
First of all, we need to address a very common misconception about productivity.
Many people think that productivity is all about getting from point A to point B in the fastest amount of time.
Although this is slightly true.
It, however, doesn’t paint an accurate picture of the concept of productivity.
It’s more accurate to say that productivity is about getting the task done in the most efficient manner while maintaining a healthy level of happiness and satisfaction.
Truth be told, you are not being productive if you are getting things done, and are always stressed out or tired out of your wits.
Productivity is also not just about improving efficiency, it’s also about optimizing your office space.
What does this mean?
The organization of your office and its contents have a significant effect on how much work you are able to complete.
This is why decluttering is now a major item in discussions about office productivity.
Apparently, where your table is located and what kind of items are on your table play a role in your productivity.
In other words, creating a productive workspace for increased productivity also requires particular attention to detail.
The things you take for granted may be the same exact things that are pulling your productivity down.
Practical Tips On Creating A Productive Workspace For Increased Productivity
Learn How To Put Away Your Gadgets
Everyone is guilty of spending too much time on their electronic gadgets.
The moment you enter your workspace, one of the first things you do is check your phone for messages.
You log into Facebook and scroll through an unending newsfeed.
You turn on a laptop and get lost reading emails or stories that don’t have any relevance to the kind of work you do.
All these can take away precious hours from a regular workday.
Do you want to learn how to be productive at work?
If yes, then it’s time you put away your gadgets to minimize the distractions they cause.
Clear out an empty drawer and use it as a storage for your smartphone and other gadgets.
There’s less urge to get your hands on your phone if it’s out of sight.
Take A Few Minutes Every Day To Tidy Up Your Workspace
Creating a productive workspace for increased productivity also means you have to keep a clean environment.
Staying tidy is one of the keys to staying productive.
Don’t believe in the misguided myth that having a messy desk is a sign of creativity.
Numerous studies have shown that messy workspaces are more likely to create problems.
To keep your workspace clean and clutter-free, you should do some cleaning every time you report for work.
The moment you enter your office, scan the space for items or areas that need cleaning.
You can also do a little cleaning just before you call it a day.
This is a major step in creating a productive workspace for increased productivity.
Make Sure That Your Workspace Has Proper Lighting
Learning how to create a productive workspace for increased productivity isn’t just about using the right furniture and organizing the setup of the space.
It’s also about ensuring that you are working under proper lighting.
Keep in mind that you will be in your workspace for hours at a time.
If the light is too dim, your eyes can suffer.
Also, if the light is too bright, your eyes can get irritated.
Ideally, your workspace should have a natural light source like a window.
If your workspace doesn’t have a natural light source, then you should consider installing lighting fixtures that imitate natural light.
Get Comfortable Furniture
When it comes to creating a productive workspace for increased productivity, your office furniture has a lot to do with that.
For instance, A rickety chair, an uneven desk, or a drawer that keeps on jamming can have substantial negative effects on your productivity.
Bad furniture can endanger your posture and your health.
This causes you to be less effective in performing your workspace duties.
Bad furniture doesn’t just cause unnecessary distractions, they can also cause physical pain.
For example, a bad chair can cause back problems.
You don’t want this happening to you or your employees.
Look for chairs that have armrests, sufficient back support, adjustable heights, adjustable back angles.
A Refreshment Station Within Or Near Your Workspace Would Be Nice
Many business management experts recommend creating a refreshment station as a strategy on how to improve productivity in the workspace.
Working can be very difficult if you have a parched throat or a growling stomach.
It would be great if there’s a refreshment stand where you can quickly grab a cup of coffee and a couple of tasty donuts.
You need snacks to keep yourself on track for the whole day.
Working with a hungry stomach is always a recipe for disaster.
For best results, you should stock your refreshment station with a variety of snacks and drinks so that you and your employees have options.
For example, for drinks, you can provide coffee, cold water, soda, or tea.
Inject A Sense Of Life Into Your Workspace By Placing Some Potted Plants In It
A study was carried out by researchers at the University of Exeter.
And they found out that having a few plants inside an office can increase the worker’s productivity by up to 15%.
That’s a huge increase in productivity by simply putting a potted plant in your office.
You should try it sometime.
Encourage your employees to do the same.
Employee productivity is just as important.
As strange as it might sound, having potted plants in the office is a great way to increase productivity in your workspace.
Choose plants that can thrive indoors with very little sunlight.
Succulents are great because they are widely available and they require low maintenance.
Good alternatives include peace lilies and snake plants.
You can also consider bonsai plants, although these are often a lot more expensive.
Try Wearing Noise-Canceling Headphones
This is an important self-productivity tip if you are easily distracted by external sounds and noises.
If you work in a setting wherein your neighbors are constantly chatting and you can’t fully concentrate, then you need something to help drown out the voices and sounds.
A good noise-canceling headphone should do the trick.
There’s a lot of these headphones online.
Just go to Amazon or eBay and search for “noise-canceling headphones”.
You should get hundreds of listings.
This can help you minimize distractions and increase your concentration level.
Hence, ensuring that you have a productive workspace and an increased productivity level.
Always Keep A Pen And A Notebook On Your Desk
You will be surprised by how much a pen and notebook can accomplish in improving productivity.
Do you ever plan on doing something but you completely forget about it because there’s nothing to remind you of it?
This happens to all of us.
But if you wrote that thing down in your notebook, then there’s a chance you will get it done.
Scribbling things on your notebook helps in reminding you of tasks and projects that you must address.
Don’t Use Your Workspace As A Storage Room
This is a nasty habit that a lot of us are guilty of.
All too often, we use the available spaces in our offices or desks as storage spaces.
The desk becomes a storage space for stacks of documents and paper supplies.
You convert the sofa into a bookshelf.
You also convert the empty corner of the room into a storage space with stacks of boxes and all sorts of packages.
Not only will these items turn the room into a huge eyesore, but it will also affect your productivity level.
A good workspace is one that is open, free from clutter, and offers enough room for the occupant to feel undisturbed.
Consider Adding Some Live Creatures Into Your Workstation
Who would have thought that putting a fishbowl in your office is a great piece of advice on how to improve productivity?
But the research studies do not lie.
Live creatures have the same effect as potted plants in improving employee productivity.
Having a small fish aquarium can help you with thinking more creatively.
Placing a few breathing creatures near you has been directly linked to improved productivity.
Creatures offer a sense of calm that can help you in improving your ability to focus and stay stress-free.
Bigger Is Not Always Better
Many people wrongly assume that you will be more productive if you have a bigger and shinier desk.
That you can do more things if you have bigger drawers or if you have a taller chair.
In fact, you can actually accomplish more if you are moderate.
Choose smaller desks, smaller drawers, and smaller chairs.
Of course, the size of your desk will depend on the nature of your job.
But the general rule here is that you should get a desk that is just enough to accommodate the documents and gadgets that you are going to use in a given workday.
Again, learning how to optimize your office space is about getting the furniture that your job requires.
Don’t get a huge desk just because you think it will look impressive in your workspace.
Make Use Of Connected Technology
Technology has contributed greatly to businesses.
Due to technology, as a business owner, you can easily connect and communicate with other people with just a click of a button.
The person you are communicating with can be a customer, a colleague, or a business partner.
That same person can also be located on the other side of the world.
But that doesn’t matter because distance has no say in today’s communication lines.
You can talk or exchange messages with a person who is thousands of miles away from you.
What does this have to do with productivity?
Well, if you can talk with someone without having to travel to where he is located, you are going to save a lot of time and resources.
This is especially important in a business setting.
For example, instead of gathering people in a conference room for a meeting, you can just do a video conference call with them.
Create An Efficient Layout For Your Workspace
One of the best ways to increase productivity in an office is to come up with a workspace layout that caters to the type of tasks and projects you are working on.
If you work alone in your workspace, try to focus the layout on making things as accessible as possible.
It’s all about rearranging everything to make the space more efficient.
The furniture, drawers, machines, gadgets, and files that you use often should be nearest to your desk.
You should be able to access them with ease.
For the things that you don’t use that often, you can situate them in the far-flung areas of your office.
Make Available Only Practical Office Accessories
A single accessory can save you a lot of precious hours.
A very good example of a necessary office accessory is a document holder that you can attach to a computer monitor.
Take this scenario of copying and typing something from a paper document as an example.
It’s often very difficult to keep looking down on the document then looking up to the computer screen to see if you are typing the right words.
In this case, using a document holder would enhance your productivity level.
A document holder is an accessory that holds the document in front of your face and in line with the computer screen.
This way, you don’t have to keep moving your head down to look at the document.
With the document and the computer screen at the same eye-level, all you need to move is your eyes.
A document holder is just one of many time-saving accessories that you can use in your workspace.
Purchase Office Supplies In Bulk
There are three good reasons why this is good for your productivity.
Firstly, you save a lot of time by not going to the supply store too many times.
If you purchase in bulk, you may have to visit the store just once in a month.
Secondly, you save a good amount of money from the bulk orders.
Lastly, it will greatly minimize the risk of stopping what you are doing because you’ve run out of supplies.
Invest In High-Quality Workspace Furniture And Supplies
Your self-productivity will surely go down if the furniture and supplies in your workspace are not allowing you to perform to the best of your abilities.
You can’t concentrate if the chair you are sitting on is very uncomfortable.
Furthermore, if the printer you are using breaks down frequently, you won’t be able to finish a project on time.
You can’t work well if it’s too hot inside the room.
These problems would be non-existent if you invest in high-quality furniture and supplies.
Leave Some Spaces Open
Research shows that it’s easier for you to focus if there’s enough space to move around in your workspace.
Too little wiggle room can make you feel like you are being squeezed.
The general rule is that if a piece of furniture doesn’t help with your tasks and projects, don’t bring them into your workspace.
It’s often tempting to cram as much furniture in your office, but this can be very overwhelming.
So don’t do it.
Create A Space Just For Relaxing
Learning how to be productive at work also means making sure that you set aside time for you to relax.
Now, if the place where you work doesn’t have its own relaxation station, then you should create one inside your workspace or office.
It could be as simple as a comfy couch where you can get a quick nap or read a book.
Having a relaxation space allows you to get away even for just a while if the task you’re doing is stressing you out that much.
It’s always good to step away for a while and take a bit of time to relax and get your wits and focus back on.
Keep Healthy Snacks At Your Desk
Of course, this is not for everyone, especially those who are keeping a close watch over their weight.
But for a lot of people, this is one of their bests ways of creating a productive workspace for their increased productivity.
It’s also a major step in keeping their energy levels up.
If you are hit by a wave of hunger before lunch or before leaving the workplace, you can have a quick bite of the snacks to get you back on track.
The above strategies are very simple and practical productivity strategies that anyone can follow.
If you regularly implement these tips, you should expect to see a considerable increase in your productivity in the upcoming weeks.
Have our tips been helpful?
Do leave us your comments!
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