The key to setting up a productive workspace is organisation. This means more than just making sure that your calendar and software are updated. It means that ergonomics are considered and that the space is efficient as it can be. But how do you do that? Let’s start with your chair.

Your desk chair is one of the most important parts of a productive Workspace. It’s where you will spend most of your day and getting a bad chair means fatigue, soreness, and a resulting loss of productivity. Now you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on an office chair, but you want to make sure you get one with good support and cushioning. Try out several models and choose the one that best conforms to your body type.

Another step to setting up your Workspace is clearing the clutter. Don’t use your desk or office space as a catch-all for everything in your house. The Workspace you have is purely for work. It doesn’t need to be spartan, but it should be cluttered either. Everything from pens and paper to your mouse and keyboard should have a convenient and consistent location. It’s also important to dust your area as computers are known for attracting dust. And nothing ruins the efficacy of a workspace more than dust and dirt that will eventually clog the fan in your computer and cause a myriad of problems.

Keeping items you use often within easy reach is also very important. Not only for the convenience of having everything where you need it but also to prevent injury. Your keyboard should be easy to reach and in a position where you don’t have to awkwardly type on it. Your arms should sit at about 90 degrees which will help to prevent repetitive injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Having a paper and pen handy is also a key to productivity. There’s nothing worse than scrambling for a pen and paper when you are on a conference call and need to jot down some notes. A notepad is ideal for this. You can of course take notes on your computer with a document or note program if that works better. The last thing to consider is the placement of your monitor or laptop screen. You want the monitor close enough to read, but not so close as to cause eyestrain. If the monitor is hard to see, rather than adjusting the distance, try to change the font settings to make it easier to read.

Any other tools you may use for your job should also be space accordingly. If you have a physical phone, put it in an area that easy to get access to. If you’re using a headset, put a hook in the wall or use a stand so it’s not just laying on your desk making it hard to reach when you get a call. Another nice item to have if you do any sort of transcribing or are looking at paper copies a lot is a paper stand. These can be elaborate or very simple. Some models attach to your monitor so you can look at the document and type in whatever you need at the same time. Others are small desktop models that sit on your desk and have a slit in which to hold the paper. Just look at your desk setup and decide which type would work best.

If you have any ancillary equipment like printers, extra monitors, or file folders there are several options to keep them organised and out of the way. You can get a printer stand or place the printer on top of a file cabinet to kill two birds with one stone. Just make sure it’s accessible and easy to get to when you need to retrieve a document. If you have more than one monitor a monitor stand is ideal. Some models attach to the backside of your desk and allow for multiple monitors to be displayed and used.