Being Successful From Home...
HumanOS Volume V
Hello, everyone! As students and professionals nationwide begin to prepare for the looming school year, instead of an App Spotlight, I want to spend the next few weeks on Thomas Frank's Working From Home series where he explains the best ways to boost productivity from home. This provides some great methods to boost productivity in preparation for the upcoming school year and some new tips if you are already working from home remotely! 🧠
Thomas Frank #1 - Working From Home: How to Set Up Your Workspace💰
Why should I watch this video? 🧠
Other than being a productivity guru, Thomas Frank has spent the majority of his career working from home. He is a great resource for those of us who just now are gearing up for the upcoming year.
What are the pro's and con's to working from home? 👩🏽⚕️
Pro's: Commute gets eliminated; more control over workspace; no pants
Con's: No bosses or coworkers; how to stay on task and avoiding temptations?; decisions are yours to make; used to having a schedule or someone to tell you what to do
How can I set up my environment for success? 🌎
There are no hard and fast rules- some use beanbags; some use couches
However, Frank does mention two core ideas for success: separation and isolation
Why do I need to separate for success? 💸
The places we put ourselves in have a certain amount of influence over our psychological states
It is necessary to have space with a singular purpose; one that is used for work, one that is used for relaxation
When space is limited, get creative; Put your desk under your lofted bed - easy for college students!
If you can't set up a permanent workspace, set up a temporary one!
Make this part of your morning routine
Set up a folding table in your kitchen; experiment with location
When you are finished, deconstruct! This builds a great habit of switching from work to fun. This is difficult to do in the same space.
You don't want your brain to have to work too hard to switch from fun to focus and vice versa
How do I isolate for success? 💰
Frank has a desk and a reading area that are separated; can close the door when he needs to focus
Make sure to not face a TV or anything that can distract you
Stay away from people who might annoy you- family, friends, etc.
How do I establish clear boundaries with my family?
Good communication, discuss the signals together so you both understand
Take tips from the broadcast industry! Make a visible working sign!
Some great examples:
Lightbulbs or lights with controllable colors
Close the door or put on headphones
What kind of digital environment should I set up for success? ♻️
Set up a secondary work account on your computer without access to game launchers or any apps that you find distracting
Don't have your phone nearby! You can use it during a break if absolutely necessary; use an app like Forest or Flora
Automatize things that may fall on your willpower like alarms and Pomodoro timers.
How can I upgrade my workspace? 🔨
Some tools and other physical items that can upgrade your workspace:
Whiteboard
Mounted to the wall right next to the desk
Go through your to-do list and calendar and write all your events/tasks chronologically the night before
Second monitor
Extra screen real estate is really helpful
This can be done with iPad or Android tablet using Sidecar
Plants
Snacks
Food: carrots, almonds
Drinks: sparkling water, coffee, tea
What kind of headphones are best for focusing? 🎧
Every good workspace should have a quality pair of headphones; they not only allow you to listen to what you want without disturbing others but more importantly allow for isolation and focus
If your environment is really noisy, look at active noise canceling
Sound waves with negative interference to ideally hear nothing
Some great options:
Bose NC 700 - $334
Bose QC35 - $280
Airpods Pro's - $234
Beats Studio 3 - $160
Anker Q20 - $40
Normal headphones with closed-back designs are good as well; they provide strong seals
Some great options:
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x - $149
Audio-Technica ATH-M30x - $69
What kind of sounds should I listen to while I work? 🎼
White noise
Ambient Noise
Music
Sunday Study playlist: Spotify & Apple Music
Don’t forget to check out my guide on Google Calendar and thanks for reading the fifth issue of HumanOS!
- Ariz, HumanOS Creator ⚡️
P.S. I added a few more fantastic Notion templates for you all to use, check them out!
👨🏽🎓 Struggling to stay productive during quarantine? Check out Study with me
💭 Thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Email me back!