How to be Productive in a Coworking Environment
There is a common myth around coworking and that is… too much distraction! This is a fair presumption - but luckily most coworking spaces like Republic of Work, are designed to minimise distraction and maximise productivity. With this in mind, we wanted to share some tips and tricks that you can use to help increase your productivity if you are easily led astray.
While researching for this blog, we came across a recent survey. This survey showed that 84% of people who have started working in a coworking space say it has made them more motivated. Along with this, 82% of coworkers have expanded their professional network, and 89% admitted to being much happier. Great news for the coworking community!
Tips and Tricks to be more Productive in a Coworking Environment :
1- Personalise Your Workstation;
More often than not, Coworking Spaces have pre-furnished desk spaces that you can use. Think of this as a blank canvas for you to create your own masterpiece. This allows you to add your own personal touch to your workspace.
You can add pictures of your family, friends or pets, inspirational quotes, pieces of art, and personal memories. This will help you feel like your desk is your own little place, and can maybe help you remember who you are working for and keep you focused on your work.
2- Create a Daily Schedule;
When you arrive at work, the first thing you should do is look at what needs to be done for the day and set out a list of tasks. Make sure you give yourself enough time to yourself as well e.g breaks, lunch and most importantly some well deserved ME time. When setting out the tasks, if there are any difficult ones that need to be completed make sure you get these done first and reward yourself!
This could be having a small piece of chocolate, going to grab a coffee from your favourite coffee shop or grabbing lunch from your favourite restaurant. When you manage to finally cross off the last task and finish off your day, it gives you the sense of accomplishment and motivates you to do it all again tomorrow.
3- Tap Into the Benefits of a Coworking Space;
One of the key features of a coworking space is that it gives you lots of room for flexibility, which you can then use to help boost your productivity. For example, if you feel like you are most productive in the morning, you could come into ROW from 8am and get your work done before the place gets too crowded.
If you are a night owl and get most of your work done in the evening, you could come in later and stay until 8pm. Get your work done and also miss the morning traffic rush, winner! Most coworking spaces come with a long list of perks. Here in ROW that includes free Nespresso coffee, high speed WiFi, city centre location, partner discounts & more.
4- Choose a Desk Plan that Best Suits You;
A shared office will usually feature both flexible and dedicated desks memberships. Consider whether working at the same desk every day or having the freedom to choose a different spot each day will help you stay focused. If having a fixed workstation helps you be more productive, consider investing a little more for a dedicated desk.
Flexi memberships, on the other hand, are perfect for staying productive by providing the option to relocate to vacant workstations with less noise or distractions. In RoW, if you have a flexible membership, you can choose to work in the Business Lounge or in the hot desk area.
5-Use Noise-Cancelling Headphones;
Like any working office, there will always be fellow workers entering the space, leaving the space, taking calls, having some chats and discussing future projects. Luckily here in ROW, we have Persey Booths that allow members to take their calls in a booth that is fully soundproof.
Sometimes people prefer to take calls at their desks or in the ROW Business Lounge. That is why we would recommend investing in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones so that you can focus on your work without any distracting noises. You can also use the headphones as a sign to show people you’re busy and don’t want to be interrupted (or even use them to dodge people you don’t want to see!). You can listen to some tunes or podcasts while you're at it.
6- Fight Your Procrastination;
Every person you’ll talk to, whether it be students or professionals, will all tell you that they’ve suffered with a dose of procrastination at some point. If you find yourself procrastinating with a task, you can follow the 3 steps we recommend in this instance:
Break your task down into a few subtasks and work on them one at a time.
Set deadlines for each subtask for you to complete.
After completing a subtask, reward yourself with a break or a snack/coffee.
These are some of the ways in which we recommend staying productive when working in a coworking space. If you feel we missed anything, please let us know through our social media channels, @republicofwork.
