Setting up your desk space for ADHD
With ADHD afoot, setting yourself up for success at work is essential to consistent productivity. It can be hard to stay focused while withstanding office distractions and even more difficult if you're a remote worker. Whether you do your job from home or in the office, having a specific area conducive to focus will help you combat everyday ADHD distractions. Here are five tips to make your workspace work for you.
Prioritize your seating.
There's nothing more distracting than feeling uncomfortable. Fidgeting all day because you have back pain or discomfort is detrimental to staying in your workflow. This tip is especially directed at you, fellow remote workers! We know that hunkering down over your laptop on the couch can seem appealing, but it can cause significant body and posture issues over time. Find a seat that is ergonomically suited to you, and who knows? Over time you might even be more drawn to it than the couch!
2. Minimize environmental distractions.
Whether it's co-workers chatting or TV in the other room, noises can be a massive roadblock to staying focused. Combat these potential diversions with noise-canceling headphones, earplugs, or music, but pick your poison right! Some music can double the distraction. Stick to tunes without voices and with a mellow vibe. If you can't find the right playlist, try the app Focus@will, which streams specially engineered audio in which frequencies similar to the human voice are removed to drive focus.
3. Reduce Clutter
Lessening the amount of visual mess on your desk will prevent sensory overload. The more you have in front of you, the more likely you'll become overwhelmed and distracted. Try to keep only the things on your desk that you use every day to cut down on clutter. Have an excessive amount of daily use items? Focus on organization. The neater and more tucked away you can store those tools, the better.
4. Have an actual alarm or timer.
Utilizing alarms to remind yourself to do tasks or keep your time management on track is essential to checking off your to-do list. A phone may seem like the obvious choice to keep tabs on your time, but it also could lead to more distraction than it's worth in convenience. Having a specified timer on your desk will prevent you from trying with good intentions to set up a timer and accidentally getting distracted for an hour on Instagram.
5. Separate your space.
If you work from home, make sure there is a clear divide between where you go to work and where you go to relax. If possible, putting your desk in an area specified for work will not only cue your brain that it's time to get down to business but will help you avoid getting lost in household distractions like chores or TV.
