Are you looking for tips on how to set up your desk for maximum productivity?
Whether you’re doing online classes or just want to maximize productivity while doing schoolwork or studying at home, these tips will help you get organized.
In order to maximize productivity, there are a couple of things you can’t ignore. We all know how easy it is to get distracted within your own house, and especially within your own room.
Therefore, I’ve put together some basic essentials you need to keep in mind to help you stay productive and focused while studying at your desk.
Are you ready to crush your productivity game? Then follow along (at your desk!). Make sure to watch out for the extra productivity tips at the end!
Your Bed Is Not A Desk
Do I need to say it again? Your bed is not a desk. Nope. Not even if you have one of those lap desks or computer trays.
Unless you simply don’t have a physical desk, I suggest you stay off your bed while studying/working. It’s simply way too comfy for your body and it makes it much harder to get into a productive working mode.
It’s like running a marathon while wearing Crocs on relaxed mode. And that brings us to my next point!
Separate Leisure From Work
Bed = relax.
Desk = GRIND!
But this also applies to your desk area. You need to make sure your leisure activities are separated from your study materials. And I don’t just mean putting them in 2 piles on the side of your desk.
Keep everything distracting away from your desk! Putting them in one of your desk drawers isn’t quite enough. In my experience, throwing them in the farthest corner of the room helps! And keep them there!
As long as you have 2 distinct locations for working and playing, your body can establish the habit of getting into a focused mood for whatever you’re doing. This means studying like you mean it, and relaxing like you mean it.
If you have two desks, this will be even easier for you. Simply separate the 2 into a “work” desk and a “play” desk. Keep all your study materials at 1 desk and all the fun stuff at the other desk.
By having 2 different environments and practicing doing separate things at each one, your body will learn and built the habit of grinding at your “work” desk and relaxing at your “play” desk.
Related Post: How To Organize Your Entire School Semester
Things To Keep Away
Like I mentioned before, there are some things that are a complete no-no at your desk. They’re distracting and/or time-consuming, and will prevent you from being productive.
Here is a small list of things you should keep away:
- Gaming consoles
- Your phone
- Young siblings
- Messy food
Here are some things you want to turn off or block on your devices:
- Social media notifications
- YouTube, Netflix, etc
- Computer games
Supplies To Keep Near
Of course, you can’t have an empty desk! There are some things you need in order to study effectively and stay productive.
Here are some examples I highly recommend (I’ve linked some of my favorites from Amazon):
- Highlighters of various colors
- Colored pens
- Pencils & eraser
- Pen organizer
- Scratch paper
- Sticky notes
- Binder & paper clips
- Dry erase board
- School textbooks
- Calculator
- Blue light-blocking glasses
- Headphones
- A desk calendar
- A weekly planner pad
- Snacks (nuts, energy bars, fruit)
- Tissues
- Water
- Hand lotion
Extra Tips
Based on my own experience, I’ve gathered some extra tips for you on staying focused and maximizing your productivity while at your desk. Now that your desk is all set up, you need to use it to the best of its (and your) ability!
1. Make use of the walls around your desk.
You can hang a lot of things on your walls, such as a whiteboard, a calendar, a packet of homework, or more! You can also put sticky notes on the walls to remind yourself of tasks.
2. Make your room smell nice.
This is just personal preference, but I like to study in a decent-smelling room. Bonus points if it’s a nostalgic smell or something like that! You can get room sprays, or bring a cup of coffee to your desk.
3. Invest in good lighting.
Don’t study in a dark room or right in front of sunlight. Both are extremely bad for your eyes and will make you tired easily. Instead, place your desk in front of a window and get a quality desk lamp (for evenings).
4. Play good music.
Depending on your preferences, you can listen to soft music or ambience sounds. For example, I used to listen to classical and lofi music until I discovered hour-long videos on YouTube like Ancient Café During A Rainy Evening and switched to listening to those. And I love it!
I used to go to cafés after school and study with my friends until evening, which is why I instantly fell in love with the ambience noise videos on YouTube. They remind me of the café, and help me calm down and focus.
If you have a memory like that at a library or café (or anywhere else), see if you can find videos like this on YouTube!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this desk glow-up! You’re all set to crush whatever comes your way! Whether it’s online classes, remote meetings, or something else, I’m sure you will make it happen.
Being productive at your desk doesn’t have to be hard.
Following these simple steps will help you get organized and set up your desk for maximum productivity at home.
If you’re looking for more productivity tips, make sure to check out these related posts!