Staying Productive at Home

Staying Productive in Quarantine: Products and Suggestions

Words cannot describe the number of times I have wanted to study and do my work in a coffee shop or in my university's library just for a change of scenery. Working from home in my room at my desk for the last year has been far from ideal, and I have tried my best to make it comfortable and designated for work so that my room that once was only meant for relaxation and sleep. Because I miss the comradery of working with other students and around other people, I have made some more changes to encourage myself to feel motivated and productive while working from home.

What Have I Done to Boost Productivity?

I have struggled to stay motivated working from home. My at-home workspace was far from ideal, so I often would go to a local coffee shop or go to my university's library before the pandemic hit. When I was in those environments, I felt like I had a designated work area and very little distraction, which is what I did not have at home. 

So, in order to remedy my at-home workspace problems, I made some adjustments that I will lay out for you. Then I will tell you how each of these products and suggestions helped to boost my productivity. 

Changes and Suggestions

Many of the things I have done to change my environment have helped me to feel more motivated to work and helped me become more productive working from home. Here they are:

Ambient noise (Ambient-Mixer.com) 

I missed the sounds of cafes and the library of my university, and I began having trouble just listening to music when I was working, so I found different ambient sounds from this website and even designed my own that distracted me from outside noise and also felt very calming. 

Noise-canceling headphones (Beats Studio 3 or AirPods or anything with noise cancellation) 

I have the first generation AirPods that I bought for myself as a birthday present in 2018, and they have aged okay, except their charge does not last very long. I enjoy their sound quality and how comfortable they are, but I wish they were noise canceling. So, I have begun using my dad's Beats Studio 3s. I love these and I know they are a bit pricey, but they were free for me to use. I suggest any over-ear earphones that have noise canceling if you are in a noisy environment at home. 

Watch "study with me" YouTube videos (I like StudyToSuccess) 

I missed working with friends in study rooms at my university's library, even if we were not working on the same things. Having others that were focused and working encouraged me to stay productive, so I have found and used Pomodoro session YouTube videos to supplement that feeling. 

Zoom or FaceTime study sessions

like the YouTube videos, I have begun implementing Zoom or FaceTime study sessions to bring some of my friends together

Do work outside (when the weather is nice) 

I like opening my windows in my room and letting in the air and sun.

Calming coffeeshop or classical music (I miss Peet's Coffee playlist in their cafés) 

self-explanatory, but it is important to find things that can help you stay focused. Sometimes certain types of music, especially instrumentals, help me to focus on being productive in school work. 

Invest in your space

I have made some purchases that have helped my workspace become more user-friendly and comfortable. Here are some of the things I have purchased and changed to make my desk and workspace better for me:

• laptop stand and Bluetooth keyboard for comfort on my desk (made for a desktop computer)
• good chair (mine was broken for most of the year, but I bought a used one and it is much better)
• Clean area
• desk lamp
• anything to help you feel better in that space! (candles, art, etc)

I hope some of these suggestions are helpful to you and that you have found another way to stay motivated while working and studying from home!