Sometimes productivity and focus seem elusive, no matter how hard you try to obtain it or where you’re working from. Home comes with its own set of distractions, and though working from an office can help with focus, there are some days where it feels like (literally) everything is against you getting stuff done. The best thing you can do is recognize you’ll have days like these and set yourself up for maximum success on all those other days. You can start by making sure your home office or workspace is set up with the best gear possible. You’ll be in flow state before you know it!
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Ergonomic Back Support
When you know you’ll be sitting for long periods of time; you should invest in something that supports your back and helps you maintain good posture. While it can seem like a good idea to sit in bed all day hunched over your laptop, the reality is you’re doing your body and your overall health a huge disservice.
Our bodies are designed to move and stand and do more than just sit all day. A good ergonomic office chair that provides lumbar support can be helpful, or you can try sitting on a balance ball while working at your desk. Balance balls engage your core muscles and help you maintain proper posture, as well as build strength while you work. Double win!
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A Standing Desk Converter
Though it’s good to have options for sitting, you should also consider investing in a standing desk converter to spend part of your day upright instead of a sitting position. Staying seated all day reduces your range of motion, while standing helps to increase it and keeps blood flowing and pumping the way it should. Try mixing up your day, spending some time sitting and standing. Doing this isn’t just good for your health, it’s good for focus too because you don’t get too comfy in one position. While comfort is important, too much comfort can lead to sleepiness and distraction.
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Noise Canceling Headphones
We daresay these should be a requirement for everyone trying to transition into “work mode.” Not only do they cancel out distracting noises that might otherwise derail your productivity for the day, if you listen to things like white noise or binaural beats and tones that are designed for focusing, you can reach flow state faster and get more done. It’s virtually unavoidable that some kind of distraction will intrude eventually, but when you get more done in less time, well ahead of time, those inevitable distractions are much less frustrating.
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Blue Light Glasses
Blue light is everywhere these days. In the age of technology, it can be hard to escape it, especially if you spend hours at a time in front of a computer or screen. It’s easy to suffer from fatigue, eye strain, and headaches, and chalk it up to a long day. But in reality, it’s probably the effects of long-term exposure, which you can mitigate exceptionally well with a good pair of blue light blocking glasses. The nice thing is you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get a decent pair! It’s also incredibly helpful with increasing productivity. After all, no one can work efficiently when they are tired and headachy.
Though these are just a handful of tools that can help improve your experience working from home or at the office, there are many more you can try if you find you’re still feeling distracted or unproductive. Also, one final piece of gear we think is absolutely essential to all workspaces—an espresso machine! Or a good old-fashioned teapot, if that’s more your speed.
