You know Marie Kondo as the organization queen who launched a very popular book (“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”), a very popular Netflix series (“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”), and a new lifestyle brand to match. So, it only makes sense that everyone’s favorite organizer has a few nuggets of wisdom to share on the topic of a productive home workspace. Read on to discover Kondo’s advice for making your work-from-home set up the best and most productive it can be.
Create a “Zen zone.”
Not everyone has a dedicated home office space, and that’s okay. Whether you work from your dining table or your spare bedroom, it’s important that you create a “Zen zone” where you can focus. To assist with this, assign a spot to everything you need for work. Pull it out when you need it and put it back when complete. Then, add a few small, highly visible things that spark joy, like a photo of your family or a vase of fresh flowers.
Intentionally start your day.
If you’re still working away from the office, you might be missing the routines at the beginning and end of the day, which symbolize the start and finish of your work and help you get in the right mindset for each situation. Fortunately, this is easy to replicate at home. Whether you enjoy a hot cup of tea to kick off your shift, or listen to a calming song when winding down for the evening, find a small, simple routine to help you transition from “work mode” to “home mode,” day in and day out.
Give every item a home.
This is one of Kondo’s most famous bits of decluttering advice and for good reason. Instead of viewing clutter as owning too many things, think of it as simply failing to return your things to their “homes” when not in use. Having a home for everything means that you’ll be able to put your work supplies away after your shift, or eliminate kids’ toys from your home office when the workday begins. If it sounds simple, that’s because it is! But, it also goes a long way in restoring a sense of calm to your workspace.
Set boundaries and take breaks.
Have you ever noticed how the most important tasks seem to take up only half of our workdays, while the other half is spent answering calls and emails or fielding interruptions? Setting firm boundaries on what is and isn’t worth your time is key to getting everything done without draining your energy at work. Another thing that’s important to do is take breaks. Although it may be tempting to power through lunch, taking breaks replenishes your creativity and sharpens your brain.
The team at Oxford at Medical Center Apartments in San Antonio, Texas finds it important that our residents lead healthy, well-informed lives. By presenting new ideas in our resident blog, we make it easy to stay up-to-date with the latest information on health, wellness, finances, and more.