Your workspace is a place where ideas get started, emails get sent, coffee gets drunk, and sometimes, it’s where the entire mood of your day can change just because something felt off or you weren’t as comfortable as you want to be. And when things don’t feel quite right, that usually means your setup needs a bit of attention, so with that in mind, keep reading to find out more about how to create a workspace that works for you.

Think About Comfort First

If your chair’s too stiff, your desk’s the wrong height, or your screen leaves you squinting, your body’s going to let you know, usually in the form of an aching neck or stiff shoulders by mid-afternoon. And the longer that goes on, the worse the physical problems are going to get. 

That’s why it’s a good idea to start by adjusting what you’ve already got. You could stack some books to raise your monitor, move your keyboard to a better position, or maybe even borrow a cushion from the sofa and see what works. Once you’ve adjusted things properly, you should find pain and discomfort get a lot better. 

Keep It Clear 

You don’t have to be a minimalist, but it does help to clear your workspace every now and then because the fact is that a tidy space makes it easier to focus, and sometimes just moving a few things out of the way can help you get back on track.

As you create a workspace, find homes for the things you use often, and get rid of anything that’s just taking up space. You’ll be amazed at how much calmer the space, and your brain, can feel with just a little less clutter. On top of that, it just makes work so much easier because you’ll be able to find things (and store things) a lot more easily. 

Fix The Small Annoyances 

We all put up with things we shouldn’t, and that means things like a wobbly desk leg, a drawer that sticks, a cable that never reaches quite far enough, and so on. And those little things might not seem like a big deal until you’re having a stressful day and suddenly it’s all too much – it could be the very thing that tips you over the edge.

So that’s why you need to fix what you can, and replace those missing deck screws, add a longer charging cable, and use tape, glue, brackets – whatever you’ve got, really – to make small repairs to put things right. Over time you can invest in new stuff, but making things good for now is a great place to start. 

Add Something Just For You

When you create a workspace it doesn’t have to be all business, and a plant, a photo, a bit of art, a lamp with softer light, and various similar items, are all things that make it yours. You don’t need much, but having something that’s not about work at all can give you a sense of balance, especially when your home and job share the same four walls and it can be hard to put up boundaries.