How to create a Productive Work Space at Home

Hello, my name is Beatriz, and I am a final year Dietetics student. I have just finished my placement and started my final semester. I’m a student dietitian so that must mean I’ve been eating great since lockdown… well, let’s just say cakes have been very present in my house lately! But besides becoming a professional baker, I have also had to get creative with studying at home. It has been challenging to adapt, but with little tricks and sticking to some rules, I have managed and wanted to share these with you.

1. Shower and get dressed for the day - Don’t worry this doesn’t mean you have to get all dressed up, do your hair and makeup. What I mean is that showering and getting out of your PJs can help shift your mindset and start the day. I just put on workout clothes, which then makes it easier to work out later in my day.

2. Have set working hours. I find this makes it easier to stick to a routine. I have been doing my uni work from 10am - 12pm, and then I start back up again in the afternoon from 1:30pm - 4pm roughly. Some days I do a little more, and some days I do a little less depending on the work I have. Everyone is different so find what hours work for you.

3. Make sure to have breaks - This is so important to keep you motivated. I always make time for lunch and then I take regular breaks throughout my study periods. If your study/work requires you to be sat down all day, get up every 25mins and have a quick break. Make yourself a tea or a snack, do some stretches etc. Anything to get you standing and moving.

4. Exercise - I have found that for me, being sat all day studying is not productive and I get bored. So, I have been exercising most days. It sounds like a lot, but something like a walk around your street or a yoga flow counts too! It doesn’t have to hard and sweaty to count as exercise. I used to have a goal of 10,000 steps a day but being at home makes that difficult. So, I like to go for a daily walk to try and get moving.

5. Create a dedicated space for your work. For me, I have found that working in a space that’s different from where I relax works for me, but that may not always be possible. I use my dining table downstairs for work and leave my room as my sanctuary, far from university work.

6. Keep yourself hydrated- I find that when I don’t drink water, I get sluggish, anyone else feel the same? I have a bottle that I have next to me, and make sure to fill it up various times in the day. This makes you get up too, which links to tip 4 above 😊.

7. Meditation - I know it can be hard to stay productive with everything going on in the world right now. I find that doing 10 minutes of meditation or yoga a day can help clear my thoughts a little, and you don’t need any specific tools either. You can find a free guide or video online and use some floor space in your house or garden.

Working from home isn’t ideal and we were all looking forward to the end of year celebration I know. Whilst we are at home, I find that appreciating the positive changes helps. I am grateful I no longer need to commute every morning and get to sleep an extra hour in the mornings. Goodbye rush hour! Working from home is temporary, so it’s good to look at the positive side of things to help us get through.

So, these are my tips and tricks that work for me, but maybe if you give them a try, you might find them useful too. Stay safe everyone. 😊