As a remote worker, creating your ideal home office setup is essential for maximum productivity. The best desk setup for productivity should be a nice-looking setup that provides the focus, motivation, and creativity you need to deliver on your tasks and collaborate with teammates. Working from home can be difficult, so having the best desk setup for productivity is key.
According to Statista, many people struggle with working remotely, especially when balancing remote work and personal life. Part of this struggle can be attributed to working in a disorganized workspace. However, knowing what the best productivity setup looks like and how you can create a productivity desk setup is a huge step to boosting your efficiency at work.
What Makes a Productivity Desk Setup Effective?
An effective productivity desk setup depends on the state of your workspace, which is something you have a lot of control over. Most workers prefer the autonomy and flexibility that comes with working remotely but not everyone knows how to be productive in a remote space. Fortunately, you can reduce your stress levels whilst boosting your productivity level if these factors are present.
A Serene Environment
If you’re looking to set up an ideal workspace, the serenity of your environment is a critical consideration. Any workspace distractions can lead to low productivity and stress. You’ll suffer through poor communication, low concentration, and low energy levels. Yet, that’s not all a noisy workplace can lead to. Health issues such as hearing problems, behavioral issues, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease are associated with working in a noisy workplace.
Good Lighting
Your perfect desk setup is not complete without good lighting. As a remote worker, you should design your workspace with natural light if you want to boost your attitude, work efficiency, and productivity. While designing your workplace with artificial light can boost the interior decorations of your workspace and aid your work tasks, it has more negative effects than positive effects. Artificial lighting can increase the risks of physical discomfort and eye strain.
Ergonomic Work Tools
Creating an ergonomic workspace should be considered a huge priority for remote work, especially since you may have to work several hours per day. With ergonomic pieces of equipment, you can boost your productivity and overall job satisfaction. An ergonomic setup has several health benefits. For example, an ergonomic office chair and desk layout reduces neck strain, backache, and musculoskeletal problems, whilst creating ample space for mobility.
How to Create a Productivity Desk Setup: 5 Top Tips
Consider Your Standard Work Pattern
Before designing your desk space, understand your work pattern. A workspace planner would enable you to align your daily tasks to the right work equipment and accessories. If you’re new to the freelancing industry or your company recently went remote, you need to spend some time analyzing your new work pattern. If your job involves sitting for long hours, you should include an adjustable standing desk in your workspace to reduce strains on your legs and back.
Choose the Right Office Location
The right office location depends on the space in your living area. If your room has ample space, you could set up a desk there. However, it must be convenient for work. Eliminate factors that could cause distractions. If you live in a boisterous neighborhood, consider noise-canceling headphones to control the noise levels. Find a space with natural lighting and good air quality. If you can’t purchase good indoor lighting, use white LED or incandescent light bulbs.
Make a Budget
Creating the ideal setup for your office space requires some luxury spending. You may need to purchase both functional and fashion items to create your ideal workspace. So before purchase, decide how much you’re willing to spend, create a budget, and stick to it. Basic knowledge of financial planning can get you through this stage. However, if you’re low on cash, space out your purchases. Start with the essential items and the rest can come later.
Implement an Ergonomic Desk Design
The best way to create a productive workspace is to implement an ergonomic design. Ensure the equipment purchased is designed to suit your work habits and health needs. Your dedicated space should contain a table with the proper height and desk frame components, your office chair should be well-padded to relieve stress on your back and legs, and your desktop and laptop should be raised to meet your eye level so you don’t have to bend.
Practice a Healthy Work Schedule
Creating an ergonomic workspace makes it easier to attain efficiency but you shouldn’t rely on your workspace design alone. You need to complement it with a healthy work schedule. Take breaks in intervals to stretch your legs and boost your blood circulation. Drink adequate cups of water and juice to stay hydrated and alert. Ensure you don’t have a cluttered desk and try not to work late so you don’t have to rely on your desk lamp.
5 Things You Should Invest in When Designing Your Productivity Workspace
With the right budget, you can purchase the right desk accessories and equipment. You don’t need to hire a designer before designing the perfect productive workspace for your specific career path. Our list contains all the technical and non-technical considerations you need.
Technical Items to Consider
- Desktop. A desktop is ideal for complex computations and multitasking. The spacious monitors on desktops support ergonomics so you don’t have to strain your eyes or crane your neck to use your monitor. It also supports detachable accessories making it easy to optimize your productivity. Before purchasing a desktop, review the specs and align the price range to your budget.
- Ergonomic mouse. If you’re in mouse-intensive careers like graphic design, engineering, or architecture, you need the right branded ergonomic mouse. An ergonomic mouse fits your palm and protects your wrists. It reduces the discomfort and constraints associated with using a wired handheld device, as well as protects you from musculoskeletal problems.
- Ergonomic keyboard. External keyboards are excellent options for desktop users as they facilitate ease in typing. If you type for long hours, you should consider buying an ergonomic keyboard to boost your productivity and reduce muscle strain and physical injuries associated with poor hand posture. There is a wide range of ergonomic keyboards, including split and concave keyboards.
- Laptop. Having a laptop is essential if you do a lot of multitasking or you want to move around with your work. A laptop offers you convenience and can be used for serious computations and designs. Today, there are laptops for different types of careers. If you’re a data scientist, go for brands that specialize in data science laptops.
- Technical accessories. Technical accessories can add more functionality to your workspace. Depending on your budget and job tasks, you could include accessories like a wireless charger, a microphone for broadcasting, headphones to reduce noise or take calls, a keyboard tray, a laptop riser, and an air diffuser machine to boost air quality.
Non-Technical Items to Consider
- Compartment desk. To boost your productivity levels, you need a desk that was designed for office use. Your desk should be fitted to your height and come with a desk pad for device support. Finding the right fit may be difficult, but you can customize it. The desk should accommodate compartments and storage space underneath it.
- Ergonomic chair. An ergonomic chair saves you from health complications. Your chair should come with a neck pad, armrests, and backrest, adjustable lumbar support, and rollers so you can glide through smooth surfaces. Your chair should also have a seat pad with adjustable depth.
- Desk lamp. Instead of bright, natural light, you can opt for a desk lamp. A desk lamp reduces the strain on the eyes, as it directs focus to the task at hand without offering direct illumination. If you work for long hours or you’re interested in creating a minimalist desk setup, you should opt for a desk lamp.
- Shelving units. An overhead shelf is essential in a productive workspace. Aside from helping to prevent a messy desk, it adds a professional appeal to your workspace. You’ll need an overhead shelf to hold books, plants, camera equipment, stationary, and personal items.
- Plants. Adding plants to your workspace can help you boost your mood, focus, and productivity. The composition of plants also provides stress relief. Plants have a wide range of health benefits, some of which includes improving air quality, elevating humidity, and adding fragrance. They can also contribute to the visual appeal of the room.
Creating the Best Productivity Workspace
Whether you’re in a shared workspace or you work alone, creating a productive workspace is essential to work performance. Implementing a productive desk setup can boost your remote experience substantially. You’ll find it easier to generate ideas, communicate and collaborate with your colleagues, and maximize your output within your allotted time frame.
A productivity workspace can help you prevent or reduce the risks of physical ailments such as headaches, eye strain, visual and hearing problems, and fatigue, which are common in unproductive workspaces. Whether you work from home or are attending online college or university, a productive workspace is key.
Best Desk Setup for Productivity FAQ
Functional tools are what make a good desk setup. Designing your work desk with functional items helps you boost your productivity. Ideally, you need an adjustable standing table, an ergonomic chair, a monitor positioned at a 90-degree angle, an external keyboard, and a wireless mouse. You can include a headphone and a charger.
You can make your home office productive by customizing it to suit your work pattern whilst considering your health needs. Your home office should be sparsely designed for mobility, with ample space, and have good lighting. Each piece of equipment purchased should be designed for ergonomics and you should have a balanced work schedule.
Regardless of your profession and workflow, your desk should contain functional equipment and accessories such as a desktop or a laptop, a keyboard, mouse, headphones, charger, document holder, stationery holder, organizer, and notepad. You can include a space for snacks and water, and even small speakers and a microphone if your job includes broadcasting.
Most desk equipment is usually designed for both functionality and aesthetics. However, you can still make your office desk look aesthetically pleasing by personalizing it with a few colorful items. You can include a crafted or colorful vase to hold your desk plants and few picture frames and a snack bowl to spice up your table.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
