Top Tips for Creating the Best Study Space

Have you ever wondered what the secret to productivity is?

Do you sit down to complete your emails or help your child with their homework only to be distracted by something two minutes later? Or realise all that has been completed is 5% work and 95% procrastination?

Imagine if there was a magical space in your house that made anyone who enters it ultra-productive and eager to complete their work.

That place doesn’t exist, right? Or maybe, it doesn’t exist yet!

With everything that is happening in the world at the moment more and more of us are working from home or helping kids to complete schoolwork from home and that magical productivity space is needed more than ever.

Creating a space suited to the user that is comfortable, engaging and blocks out distractions will help to increase productivity and concentration. Leaving more time for free play and family fun!

AKA getting comfortable. It is important to set up the workspace to fit the user. You wouldn’t expect your child to play their Saturday sport in your five times too big shoes, and the same goes for their homework desk space. Try and match these quick set up rules if possible; sit your child in a chair which enables them to have feet flat on the ground while sitting comfortably. Screens should be moved to eye level where possible to prevent slouching. Frequently used items to be placed within arm’s reach and less frequently used items can be placed where your child can reach them at full stretch.

If you find your child is becoming distracted by the things around them, it is time to declutter! Creating a clear space for your child to work with only their work tools around them will help to limit visual distractions. As you can imagine, playing with their favourite toy they can see across the table can seem more appealing than homework! So, clear the space, clear the mind and bring their attention to the work that’s in front of them. Another handy tip is to place the work you want them to focus on, on a place mat or coloured piece of paper, this can be known as the ‘focus box’ or similar. This helps to teach them to concentrate on whatever is in the focus box.

Bright, natural sunlight is optimal for completing work, but bright, artificial light works too! Make sure the workspace is adequately lit without shadows casting onto your child’s work to help them see more clearly and to help them feel alert.

Some people work best in absolute silence and others with music blasting away! Find out what your child’s preferences is and help to create that noise level. They may like to wear noise cancelling headphones to help eliminate noises, or they may like to listen to calming nature noises or music with a regular beat and no lyrics, to help them maintain focus. The main thing when choosing music is to make sure your child likes it, otherwise it is not going to help with concentration.

Setting up a scheduled time to complete homework or school from home activities may help your child gain a sense of routine like they have at school. Knowing that this time is dedicated to learning, and other times are dedicated to free play or other tasks will help them to mentally prepare to focus on their learning. A helpful idea is to make a visual schedule with your child so they can see how their day will run.

Sometimes in order to sit still we need to move! If I don’t complete some form of physical exercise before sitting down for desk work, I feel fidgety and find it hard to concentrate. Adding in regular movement breaks (just like lunch, recess and change of lessons provided at school) will provide your child with an opportunity to burn some excess energy and aid concentration for their next task. Some good movement ideas include: five minutes on the trampoline or bike, some stretches or exercises such as star jumps, wall pushups or lunges or a game of Simon Says!

Another great concentration aid can be fidget tools (something to play with in their hands to provide movement – think stress ball, Playdoh or some Lego) or moveable seating options like an exercise ball or wobble cushion. You may also consider completing work in different positions such as standing and using a bench or walking around the room while competing verbal work such as spelling out loud. These options allow your child to get the movement input they are seeking and ultimately will help them to focus.

Sometimes no matter how well set up we are, we still need a little extra motivation to get through challenging tasks. If you need a little extra help to encourage homework time you might consider developing a rewards chart with your child, the reward needs to be something your child is eager to earn – think time to spend on their favourite toy/watching their favourite TV show or choosing what’s for dinner. Here are some examples:

So how are you going to reinvent your child’s workspace today? Follow these 7 tips and let the magic begin!

Borgers, M., 2018. What Is The Best Light For Studying? - Improve Study Habits. [online] Improve Study Habits. Available at: <https://www.improvestudyhabits.com/what-is-the-best-light-for-studying/> [Accessed 20 April 2020].

Mori F., Naghsh F. and Tezuka T. (2014). The Effect of Music on the Level of Mental Concentration and its Temporal Change . In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU, ISBN 978-989-758-020-8, pages 34-42. DOI: 10.5220/0004791100340042

Terada, Y., 2018. Research-Tested Benefits Of Breaks. [online] Edutopia. Available at: <https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks> [Accessed 20 April 2020].