Too often we conflate being productive with quirky new apps designed to help us do a million things at once. Now don’t get me wrong…I love gadgets and apps as much as the next guy, but I have found that we often neglect some simple changes in our physical environment that can help up be productive – no gadgets or downloads required. Here are my top six changes that can boost your office productivity.
1. A “Do Not Disturb” sign. When you’re up against a deadline or facing a task that requires extraordinary focus, closing your office door and keeping folks out can be your very best move. Forcing yourself to buckle down and removing the distractions that keep you from staying focused can yield great results. It’s important to save the sign for times when it really matters. If the sign’s always up, people will start to ignore it.
2. Two screens. Using dual monitors will improve your productivity more than you’d think. You’ll find it easier to copy and paste between the screens, rather than having to switch from one window to another. The interesting thing here is that two screens are ideal. Any more, and you’ll find that you waste time trying to locate pieces of data or that one of the screens ends up being a distraction in the form of social media or a news feed. Moving from one screen to two, though, will astonish you.
3. Use both standing and sitting desks (or a convertible desk.) Taking the simple step of changing your posture will keep you fresh and give you a sharper focus. Your body fares best – both in terms of health and attention span – if you change your position frequently. If you can possibly fit two desks in your workspace, give yourself a couple of options. If you’re working with a small office, you can find convertible desks that raise or lower as you need to change position.
4. Paint your office. We’ve known for decades that colors affect our moods, so why not put the power of color to work for you? Blues tend to have a calming effect and actually lower blood pressure – that’s why NYC police cars were light blue for many years. Orange and red can stimulate your energy, but can also stimulate your emotions, making them questionable choices for the office. Yellow is cheerful and sunny, but your best choice is probably green. Green invokes balance and concentration, and is the least likely to alienate or rile up visitors to your space. Even if you’re in a rented space and can’t paint your walls, try employing splashes of color to brighten your space and boost your productivity.
5. Natural light. No matter how much we evolve, our bodies are designed to respond to – and even crave – natural light. Just think about how grouchy we all get in the depths of winter when we haven’t seen the sun for days…or even weeks! Situate your desk near a window if possible, or add a window to your office if you can. Natural light brightens your outlook and stimulates you, keeping you fresh and focused for your workday.
6. Get a plant. Even if you don’t have the option of installing a window, you can still bring a little of the outdoors into your workspace. You might not be able to paint your walls green, but you can green up your office with a living plant. It may sound like a small thing, but a 2013 study showed that living plants in a workspace may improve both productivity and focus. Another study showed that during computer tests designed to simulate stressful working conditions, the presence of live plants decreased stress, improved reaction times, and lowered blood pressure among participants.
Sure, you can find apps to help you manage your time better, or you can buy a wristband to monitor your sleep and exercise. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking your physical space, though, when it comes to maximizing your productivity. A fresh coat of paint, new lighting, and physically reducing distractions are all effective ways to get the most out of your workday.
