Creating a Productive Study Space

Productive studying can be a difficult task for anyone, especially when working from home. While getting to complete assignments from your room, just a few steps away from the kitchen or your TV is pretty fun, too many distractions tank productivity. I'm sure we've all been there before: You open up your planner to find that you have several assignments to do today, so you sit down at your desk to begin work. But, initiating a study set doesn't mean you really start studying. You down the Netflix or YouTube wormhole, only to return in the late hours of the night when it feels almost impossible to utilize any linear thought. Your day of productivity has now turned into a night of struggle. Maybe even two or three. It can feel impossible to escape this cycle of procrastination and regret. But, Let me assure you, there are a few methods that could be your saving grace when it comes to finally learning how to be productive, not regretful.

It all begins with a study space that encourages advantageousness. Creating ta productive workspace is only five steps away!

Organization and Tidiness
The Right Conditions
Getting Comfortable
Removing Distractions
Work-Life Separation

Organization and Tidiness

Take action towards building a more productive space by having supplies on-hand. Having readily available study tools will speed up the start of a study session. The less time in-between the inciting moment of your study session and actually studying, the better!

Pictured above is how my school supplies cart looks.

I have all of the writing utensils, notebooks, and materials I could ever need right next to my desk! Availability allows me to hit the books the second I decide to work. But, while having a designated school supplies space is nice, you don't need a huge cart full of different supplies to be productive. If you're carrying supplies from one location to another, like from a locker to a dorm room, make sure you have a well-organized bag full of the things you need to carry.

Tidying up your study space is simple too! Before you sit down to work, make sure you have a cleared-off flat surface to set your supplies. If it's possible, try to clean up the rest of the room you're in as well. It doesn't need to be anything serious. Picking up the floor should do the trick. Having a clear and clean study space makes it easier to focus, and cleaning before you study can help to put you in a productive mood as well!

The Right Conditions

Having the right lighting and temperature for my study space is something I had never really considered. I found out a few months ago just how much of a difference conditions make. 

A quick graphic

A study on a group of high school students in Portland, Oregon focused on determining if the temperature of a room had any effect on how well the students were able to perform academically. The study yielded that students who studied in settings with a temperature of seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit performed the best. So, if you have access to a controlled thermostat, make sure to set it to the recommended temperature! If you live in a dorm or with roommates, it's almost impossible to get a thermostat all for yourself. In cases like these, it's most important to note how you feel. While the temperature doesn't need to be perfect, if you are boiling while studying, that's a distraction and a cause to move. If a room is too cold, the same logic applies. If any temperature causes you to feel noticeably uncomfortable, you know it's time to move.

Lighting also affects productivity. Incorporating natural light into your study space bolsters productivity. Try to work next to a window or even outside when possible. Studying while the sun is still up is helpful as well. If natural light isn't available, opt for a bulb that mimics natural brightness. When choosing a study lamp, make sure to pay attention to lumens. Lumens tell you how much your light source will illuminate your study space. A good study lamp has a lightbulb with at least five hundred lumens. Finally, try to minimize shadows in your study space, especially if you're reading. 

Getting Comfortable

Being comfortable is an important part of being productive, but when does a study space become too comfortable, and how does that harm your productivity?

Comfortable or Detrimental?

A study space shouldn't be uncomfortable, that could be distracting and decrease your motivation, but some students take being comfortable too far. Your bed is not a productive place to study. I used to curl up under my comforter to complete my homework. But, almost every time I got too settled in, I found that I was much more likely to fall asleep or spend time relaxing instead of working. Working on a bed can also be horrible for your posture, which will cause many problems in the long run.

Several elements go into creating a comfortable study space. First, make sure you have a hard and flat surface with which to work. You should keep the surface of your desk free of things like pillows or blankets. Also, choosing a good chair is vital. Choose one that has a straight, tall back for support. Make sure you like the chair you're using as well. A seat shouldn't be too cushioned, but if it feels like you're sitting on a block of concrete every time you sit down, you should revamp your desk accessory. 

Removing Distractions

Removing distractions was a large struggle for me when I first started school from home. My desk was right across from my bed, my instruments, and the television and kitchen were right downstairs! Some parts of it were amazing, but it put a damper on my motivation and productivity. So, how can you remove all of the distractions available to you when you're working from home?

Distractions are Prevalent

The first step to eliminating distractions is to find out what catches your eye. Do you easily get distracted by screens? Family? Food? If you label what prevents you from working, you can eliminate it. The best way to avoid a distraction is to remove yourself from it. Keep large screens out of your room and download apps onto your smaller screen to keep you focused. My favorite mobile focus app is Forest, but find which one works for you and stick with it. Make sure your family or roommates know when you are planning to be productive and that they can't bother you for a specified amount of time. Sometimes a simple conversation works, and sometimes you need to remind them several times before they heed your study time. In the worst-case scenario, you may have to move to a different location to get some peace. Finally, set boundaries for yourself. If you're prone to getting up and taking long breaks in the middle of your study time, you'll have to start applying willpower. Create rewards for yourself. If you don't get up to get a snack for a decent chunk of study time, allow yourself to have a super tasty treat later! This method can be applied to any distraction that you create for yourself. 

Work-Life Separation

An important trick you can use to bolster your productivity is creating a separation between what you do for work and what you do for leisure. 

The Importance of a Study Desk

A mistake that a lot of people who work from home make is letting their home life infiltrate their work life. Just like how studying in your bed remind you of sleep, if you play games at the same desk with which you work, you will start to correlate the two as well. To combat this, create a space in your home that is dedicated to only studying or work. Make a point to only do leisure activities away from your desk. If you can create separation between spaces for study and leisure, you will train yourself to associate your desk with work, not games. This will bolster your productivity. 

The separation of work and life is also integral in regards to time. You should have a schedule of what times you work and what time you take for yourself. If you're a morning person, then spend a decent chunk of time getting all of your work done in the mornings, and take the rest of the day for yourself. If you know you work better after a cup of coffee and a quiet morning, then set up a time to work in the afternoon. It doesn't really matter when you work as long as you continue to use that set time for productivity. This will help to train your brain to associate a specific time with being productive. After you get used to your routine, being productive when you want to be will become effortless.