🧠 How to Be Productive at Home

Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋  You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: Whether you’re working, studying, or focusing from home, we’ve got a quick guide to help refresh your workspace and block out distractions to get more done. Let’s go!

🖥️ Step 1: Setting Up Your Workspace

Last week, we shared tips for decluttering. Today, we’re taking it a step further by discussing how to create a home or remote workspace that works for you.

Contrary to popular belief, a tidy, minimalist environment isn’t for everyone. If you thrive on a bit of sensory stimulation or need a more vibrant space, this one’s for you!

First, here are some ideas for curating a personalized workspace that energizes you and makes work more exciting:

• 🛸 "Transport yourself" to other places. Use Flocus backgrounds and sounds to create an inspiring, fresh environment!

• 🍱 Have a spot for essentials. Even if you’re messy, make sure your essentials are easy to find so you can settle in and get to work quicker.

• 🫵 Do what feels good to you. Traditional advice says bright blue or white light is best for working. But if you can’t tolerate it, dimming the lights is okay, too. Same applies to a lot of other “advice” out there. You know your brain and body best, after all!

Next, let’s talk about distractions: how to handle them productively.

🤺 Step 2: Limiting Distractions

We all know the obvious distractions — like mindlessly scrolling social feeds or binge-watching your favorite anime.

But if you’ve ever worked or studied from home while living with other humans (or pets!), you know that productive distractions can be just as tempting.

Ever caught yourself reorganizing your desk or vacuuming instead of working? These are classic “productive” distractions.

Here’s how to spot them:

• 🎐 They need to be done eventually, but aren’t urgent, important, or affecting you right now.

• 😼 They make you feel like you’re getting more work done than you actually are (for example, alphabetizing your bookshelf or cleaning up your emails).

• 👯‍♀️ They tend to create more distractions — while you’re vacuuming, you may as well mop after too!

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry. Let’s get into how to create structured work sessions that keep your focus strong and your mind energized!

⛩️ Step 3: Creating Structure

Now that you’ve set up a functional, distraction-free workspace, it’s time to get down to business.

Here are some tips to give yourself the mental and physical support you need to power through every work session:

🧠 Mental

Do these 3 things to boost your brainpower.

🎧 1. Set Boundaries

• Set clear boundaries with those you live with — let them know when you’ll be working, or signal that you’re starting a focus session.

• If boundaries are crossed, have a backup plan like noise-canceling headphones or relocating.

• Set boundaries with yourself, too. When you’re working solo, it’s up to you to stay accountable. Make your future self proud by resisting distractions.

🖊️ 2. Plan

• Overwhelmed or unsure where to start? Plan before you dive in.

• Create a quick to-do list before you start work. Or, jot down all those unfinished tasks taking up space in your brain to conserve your focus.

• Just be careful — planning can quickly snowball into procrastinating!

🏃 3. Maintain

With your boundaries set and a plan in place, it’s time to stay on task. Here are ways you can maximize your work sessions:

• ⏲️ Use Pomodoro timers, to-do lists, and other tools or techniques to keep momentum

• ☕ Take breaks every 2 hours to recharge

• 🥦 Fuel your body with healthy food and snacks — meal prepping is a great way to support yourself on low-energy days!

🩺 Physical

Technically, you’re always working from home — because your body is your home, in a sense.

And the better you care for your body, the more productive you’ll be.

To take good care of your physical “home” while working, we came up with SHEB — a simple way to remember: shoulders, hands, eyes, and back!

🤷 Shoulders

If you’re sitting in a chair, try to catch yourself whenever you slouch or slump.

A good way to keep your shoulders in ship shape is to pay attention to your head. If your chin is tucked toward your chest, straighten up, and your shoulders should follow into proper alignment.

🖐️ Hands

If you’re typing, try to avoid resting your hands or wrists on your computer or worktable. This can lead to wrist pain and carpal tunnel.

If you need extra hand and wrist support, consider investing in a cushioned rest. Place the base of your palms against the rest (instead of your wrists) for better support.

👁️ Eyes

Take a 20-second break from the screen every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away.

To “stretch” your eyes, look up as high as you can until you feel a small stretch. Repeat by looking down, left, and right.

🩻 Back

Pay attention to your posture while working. Stand up and do some light stretches once in a while to give your lower back a break. And don’t forget to choose a seat that provides proper back support.

🪅 Flocus Picks

A curated list of things worth sharing.

• My Cozy Desk Setup (Video) — Need some workspace inspo? Check out Maisy Leigh’s beautiful, cozy setup.

• my home office makeover (Video) — Want more setup content? Tour Linh Truong’s maximalist and colorful home office!

• How to Set Family Boundaries (Post) — Setting boundaries can be really tricky, but this expert guide provides some helpful tips for making it easier

🖥️ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard

Create your very own cozy, productive space with Flocus! No matter where you are.

Choose your favorite ambient world, focus sounds, and music to set the mood — then add your tasks and set a customizable timer to stay focused. Let’s get more done together 💪

Phew, this is almost certainly our longest newsletter yet — thanks for reading through to the end!

What do you think about the Remote Work Reset? Hit reply and share your thoughts.

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team