One question, if you’re not keeping your table organized when doing your work, then how do you expect to stay focused through those piles of pending assignments? For starters, student life isn’t easy with tons of homework being assigned everyday. You deserve a workspace that allows you to maximize your productivity so that you can be the best (student) version of yourself all year round. We sure know that pile of books and papers strewn over your desk isn’t helping you at all!
First things first though: don’t be deterred by the term ‘productive’. Productivity manifests in so many different shapes and forms, but we’re just here to ensure that you get the maximum possible work done in the least amount of time. There’s endless ways to do it, and we’ve gathered the guide to organizing your workspace to make sure everything is functional and accessible when you’re in focus mode. Ahead are the best possible steps you can take to ensure you’re winning with your work this year!
Minimalism for the Win
Would you rather: have piles of books and papers strewn across the table that could easily distract you or a classy design with minimal items on the desk? You’ll have more room to spread just the items you need for your study session and stay more focused on the task at hand. Sure sounds like a win-win to me! Stick to all the essentials you need for one specific task – the subject book, notes, your computer, a daily planner, a few stationery items and anything else you may need! Keeping unnecessary distractions out of your way only allows you to complete your assignments much more efficiently.
Good Lighting
Having ambient lighting at workspaces has more perks than you can imagine – it increases your attention span, illuminates your workspace as the sun goes down, enhances your focus for a longer span of time and ensures you don’t fall asleep at your study table. Investing in a durable lamp or tube light offers you a great chance to get ahead with your work and concentrate so much better.
Keep Essentials Accessible
We’re all victims of getting up to look for a stationery item, but that eventually turns into a fifteen-minute scroll on Instagram. Keeping items accessible that you may require during your focus windows is one of the most vital steps to maximizing your productivity, and will help you more than you’ll understand right now. Instead of having to search all your desks and cupboards for a simple item like a notepad, keep your chargers, stationery, books, etc in a pull-out compartment or desk close to you, if not right in front of you. This helps you not deviate from your task, and complete it right on time!
buuut that also Means Food & Water
When your mind is engaged in continuous tasks, it’s only natural that you’ll feel tired and hungry. Keeping nutritious snacks like granola bars, carrot sticks, fruits, nuts, fresh juices, coffee, and other snacks you like nearby allows you to stay fuelled up and energized. Also, keep drinking water, water, water! Staying hydrated improves your ability to stay alert through the long hours of homework, and we all know how important that is. Having your mind at work can make you forget to drink water, but keeping a water bottle nearby could serve as a reminder to drink water!
Personalise your Study Table Board
Your study table board (if you have one) plays a more influential role on your subconscious than you might realize. It can be so tempting to give in to an aesthetic board that features pictures of things you love; however, this can be the prettiest source of distraction to a flow of thought that’s completely unrelated to what you’re working on. Instead, you could consider switching it to things that inspire you – it could be filled with the goals and dreams of the person you’re trying to become, and this offers a great source of motivation to get through those tedious last hours of homework! Personalize it to suit your taste and create a board that allows you to stay on track with your work – you could pin up timetables, pending assignments, submission dates and really anything else that keeps you focused and motivated.
Remove & Replace!
It’s the most normal thing to get messy at times, trust us. When you’re in a work rut, removing old and outdated papers, timetables, calendars etc., and replacing them with new goals allows you to refresh your mindset and accustom your brain to the replaced tasks at hand. This allows you to stay fresh and organized, and on top of your work. Following the ‘remove and replace’ method every three weeks ensures piles of unnecessary things don’t accumulate on your desk. How could you say no?!
Stay Organized Yourself
Last but not least, achieving your peak levels of productivity can only happen when you are organized, yes you! After all, it begins with you. Before beginning any particular task, it’s important to know that your mind is refreshed and ready to start working on a particular subject. An extra tip is to dress up in something cute but cosy – it’ll help you channel your main character energy and keep you on track to get that academic validation. Ahem, it’s giving Rory from Gilmore Girls. Say no more.