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Do you work from the couch or dining table? It’s time to set up a desk for working, and do it in another room if you can.
Have you set up a desk in your bedroom? Maybe it’s in the dining room. You may not even have a desk. When you work from home, you want a space that is all about work.
I highly recommend setting up a desk in a separate room if you can. If you really can’t set it up in a separate room, make sure you at least have a desk and consider getting a room divider. Not only does it look more professional when you’re on work calls, but you’ll also be able to separate your life.
Your brain will know when you’re working
When you’re sat at the desk*, your brain and body know it. There’s this psychological benefit, as your brain gets used to certain spots in the house for work. You end up more productive when you are working, and you’ll find it’s easier to relax when you’re not working.
Whenever I’m working at the desk, I know what mode I’m in. I find it much easier to concentrate on the tasks at hand. It’s easier to focus, and that makes me more productive. I also end up more creative when I need to be.
I actually don’t like working anywhere else now. If I’m sat on the couch with my laptop, I end up finding many other things to do.
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A desk for working helps you switch your mind off
Then it comes to the end of the working day. If you work at the dining table, you’ll likely find that you can’t get out of work mode. You are in the same spot for work and pleasure. This makes it much harder to switch your mind off at the end of the day.
You can end up working longer hours because of this. After all, what’s the problem with working while dinner is cooking? Why can’t you go back to work once the kids are in bed?
You even run the risk of your dining table no longer being used as that. Your work takes over, and suddenly, nobody in the house wants to spend time there. You end up losing a space in your house.
You can see your work when you try to relax
What about a desk* in the living room or bedroom? If you really need to, then opting for a desk for working in these rooms is better than working from the coffee table or dining table. However, you need to set up a room divider. It’s important to be able to close off from work at the end of the day.
When I used to work from a desk in the living room, I would be able to see the work over there. It would be much harder for me to stop work because I could tell what still needed to be done. I’d be tempted to do another five or 10 minutes. Sometimes, I’d work into the evening. It affected my work-life balance.
Now that I have a desk for working in another room, everything has changed. All my work is out of sight at the end of the day. That means it’s out of mind. I’m able to relax better, whether it’s on the couch or in my bed. I’m not constantly thinking about everything that needs to be done.
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How do you work? Do you have a separate desk? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
