5 tips to create a productive home workspace

One of the big topics of conversation I have been having lately amongst fellow entrepreneurs is a discussion around workspaces. We have spoken at length about the various locations where people go to work and be productive. Some love the comfort of their homes and others like to work in coffee shops, co-working spaces, outside in nature, and more.

What I thought was interesting was that those who love to work from home have spoken about how they have curated their home spaces for maximum productivity and relaxation. Those who don’t like working from home often cite that they are least productive at home, owing to the lack of workspace or other reasons to do with the environment.

When I was putting together my home office/studio, I remember going through hours of videos on YouTube on how to create the best home office space, and what always amazed me was the attention to detail.

My space is a work in progress, but no place allows my creativity to flow and get things done like my space at home.

I am not an expert at creating a beautiful and productive space, which is why this week I decided to reach out to someone who specialises in this exact area. Meet Maya-Marie Taitt.

Better Spaces by Maya-Marie aims to create functional and aesthetically beautiful spaces, working with people from all walks of life and bringing a home-organisation business to TT.

I asked Maya to give us five tips to create a productive home space and she delivered. Here are her tips.

1. Designate a home space: This is going to allow you to be able to focus and maximise your productivity.

When we work from home, we kind of just work from our bed, from the kitchen, from the living room, and we don't have a designated spot to work in. This affects us being able to set a routine and get into work mode.

This also allows you to set boundaries so that people know when you are in this space working, don't disturb you.

Designating your space allows you to create separation at home and lock in what you need to get done.

2. Storage: You need to have a designated space for all your work files, and also, separating your work files from your personal files is important.

If you have a large space, you're able to do a desk, maybe a filing cabinet, and some extra organisers. That could add to the organisation of the space.

But if you're working in a tight, cramped space or a corner in a room, you can use containers, file organisers and folders.

Having an understanding of the space you are working with is key.

3. Invest in proper equipment: Think about it. This is a space that you work from five times a week. Even if you don't work there five days a week, you work there three days a week. You spend a lot of hours at this desk, and you want to have equipment that makes you feel comfortable, so you could be productive working, and that ultimately helps you to get work done.

Think of ergonomic chairs, headrests, dual monitors, keyboard stands – and there are many more gadgets to help.

4. Cable management: You have your monitor, your computer, your iPad, your laptop, your phone, your USB, your keyboard and all these things that have cables.

The cables end up falling on the ground, they're tangled up, they're all over the desk, and it just looks unsightly.

Ultimately, I always say a clean space equals a clear mind. You want a space that you could focus on, where you are not seeing visual clutter that can confuse your mind.

5. Set a routine and have fun: You want to create that clear delineation between work and home, and you want to designate a time that you could focus and get work done.

So set work hours: for example, from 9-11, you're going to get to work, 11-12, you're breaking for lunch.

Setting a routine to use your space is going to get you into the habit of being productive and also being able to focus and understand that. This is the time that things need to get done.

Lastly, have fun with your workspace. Outfit your space with things like stationery and play with it. Have fun. Invite colour in, get colourful Post-Its, colourful pens and pencils if you want to put up a corkboard where you stick little notes to remind yourself of whatever daily tasks you need, or just fun as reminders.

Maya-Marie dives in deeper with these insights on Ep 127 of The Digipreneur FM podcast. You can find her online at betterspacebymm.com or check her out on IG @betterspacesbymm or FB @Better Spaces by Maya-Marie.

Keron Rose is a digital strategist who works with Caribbean entrepreneurs to build their digital presence. Learn more at KeronRose.com or listen to the Digipreneur FM podcast at Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast.