How to Save Time With An Effective Physical Workspace

As work from home jobs get more and more desirable, you need a way to perform work efficiently and quickly so you can have more time to work on your side interests or to simply give yourself some much needed self care. This will save you time and energy, as well as help you further prove yourself.

The Physical Workspace

Having an effective workspace greatly contributes to your productivity. These actions will help you fiddle around less, help you be more comfortable, and give you less you have to distract you, contributing to your long-term concentration.

1. Keep a jug of water by you - Going back and forth to the kitchen or water cooler is a bit of a time-sink, especially if you’re the type of person whose focus is broken by getting up to get water. It takes me only about 5 minutes per day to get water, but if it takes me 5 minutes to get back into focus, then that’s 25 precious minutes wasted. Minutes that could be used for relaxing, other tasks, chores, etc.

2. Use multiple monitors - According to Inc.com, they increase productivity by 35.5%. So if a task takes 60 minutes, it will save you 21 minutes. With multiple monitors you have less tabbing, clicking, and memorizing to do. Stack them from left to right, or from top to bottom depending on your desk setup. Depending on the size of your workspace and desk, you might need a desk or wall mount to help with your setup.

3. Use a mechanical keyboard - Choosing the correct type of keyboard is very important for ensuring that you save your fingers and wrists from fatigue. Usually, mechanical keyboards are recommended, as they provide a more responsive typing experience that reduces fatigue. Other factors, such as your hand size and desk elevation are also important. Overall, mechanical keyboards provide a more responsive typing experience. This discussion warrants an entire article eventually.

4. Get a keyboard or macropad with programmable keys - On the topic of keyboards, you should get a keyboard with extra keys you can program. For example, when you want to copy something on a desktop, you usually will use the CTRL+C key combination or right click to copy with your mouse. But with a programmable key, you can make that specific key on your keyboard or macropad do that instead. Programmable keys offer even more features, such as the ability to open up a specific application. A macropad is a keyboard that contains extra programmable keys by the way. This will save you significant amounts of window switching and navigation.

5. Have an effective mouse - Just like with the keyboard, you want one that reduces wrist strain and feels great to handle. Your hand size and desk elevation will factor into this. You also should try to get one that lets your programmable keys with its buttons, so you can save yourself quite a lot of time. Of course, you also have to keep in mind that you might accidentally click on these buttons, so make sure they're in a place you want them to be.

6. Use a power surge or nest in order to save you time from unplugging and plugging - I used to have a power surge with only one outlet. This caused me to have to plug and unplug my charging devices and other plugs. Save time by having a power surge or nest, or two.

7. Have your essential tools by you - This one is fairly obvious, but having physical tools you use the most for work, such as your headphones, pens, pencils, sticky notes, and more in one location saves you a significant amount of time from having to search for them. Depending on your space, you could use a cabinet, basket, fluns, etc. You can use a shelf, drawer, box, etc.

There are many more ways out there to save time. But those are just some tips and tricks you can use in order to save yourself time or others time.