For a lot of people living in the city, finding a "workspace" in their homes may be quite a challenge. Without the additional space to allocate to a home office (especially when you're living in a 400 sqft studio), how are you meant to be productive and stay motivated?
If you're feeling a little stuck (mentally and physically), here are some tips to help you get productive again.
Carve Out a Space, No Matter How Small
The best tip we can give you is definitely to actually create a space where you can be productive. Don't overlook the little nooks or corners of your home. There are great solutions like shelf desks that can make even the smallest amount of space a decent workspace.
If you can't create a dedicated space, convert a space you already have into a temporary workspace. The key is to make sure that you dedicate THAT space (whether it's your dining space, sofa space, or coffee table space) to your work during work hours. Meaning if you're working on your sofa, your sofa is no longer a place to relax during work hours—it's time to get to work.
Give Yourself Boundaries
That segues into our next tip—give yourself boundaries! Clear away anything that could be distracting. Unplug your TV if you have to! Do whatever it takes to create a product space for you. We typically like to make sure we put away anything that is unrelated to work, and to actually physically convert the space we're using into a workspace.
When working on the dining table, this means putting away anything that might be distracting, and actually bringing out our laptop stand, laptop, work notebook, and a pen.
If you live with somebody, make sure you inform them of your new boundaries as well! Making sure that everyone in the household respects your "work time" will only help to ensure that you are able to stay productive for longer!
Use the Right Tools
Our favourite part about creating a functional workspace is by using the right tools. Tools that add to the productivity of your space and workflow without giving it any additional clutter. We love using our Birch Monitor Stand when we have to use the sofa as a workspace because it sits over your lap to help regulate proper ventilation for your laptop. It also works great as a space saving monitor raiser because it allows for additional storage underneath.
Our Birch Laptop stand works similarly in helping create a more ergonomic workspace no matter what surface you're working off it. Having the laptop stand even when you're just working on the dining table, helps to keep your posture upright throughout the work day which can save you a ton of neck and back pain in the long run!
Having noise-cancellation headphones can also be a game changer when it comes to improving your productivity. Especially when you live in an apartment in a busy city, sometimes the city noises can really impact the quality of your virtual meetings. We love the Bose Noise Cancellation headphones for both calls as well as listening to music while we work.
With the right tactics and tools, you can make a small space a functional one when it comes to designing your new WFH workspace. Following these three simple rules of carving out a space no matter how small, setting boundaries, and using the right tools, you can make your 400sqft studio work for you and still be able to produce the best work in the most efficient manner.
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