Despite having numerous advantages, working in a coworking space can be a challenge in terms of productivity. The coworking environment often leads to distractions or takes away concentration, which translates into missed deadlines. In this article we suggest some tips that will help make you more productive when working in a coworking space.
Tips for being productive in Coworking
Set daily goals
Before you start working, set clear goals for what you want to achieve during the day. This way you will know exactly what you should do during the time you spend in coworking.
To make things easier, use apps linked to time planning and task definition, such as those listed below:
- Todoist: This app lets you create to-do lists with deadlines and reminders. It also allows organization by projects and team collaboration.
- Trello: This project management app allows you to create boards with task lists. You can add details, attachments, and deadlines to each task, and collaborate with other team members.
- Asana: This task management app allows you to create projects with tasks assigned to team members. It also has features like comments, deadlines, reminders, and attachments.
- Notion
Choose coworking space
Find a space that works for you. This could be a quiet table in a corner, an open space with lots of natural light, or a private meeting room. Experiment with different spaces until you find what works best for you.
A very bright environment, with lots of natural or artificial light, can help maintain a state of alertness and energy during work, which is great for jobs that require high concentration or are very creative.
When work requires even more concentration, choose to reserve the coworking meeting room, if there is one.
Take regular breaks
Taking a short break helps increase productivity. Get up and go for a quick walk, have a coffee, or chat with other people in the coworking space. You will see how this will help recharge your batteries and keep your mind focused. But don't overdo the pause. 🙂
The amount of time you should work before taking a break can vary depending on the person, type of work, and environment. However, here are some general suggestions for taking breaks throughout the day:
- Take a break every 90 minutes: Research shows that our bodies go through 90-minute cycles of activity and rest, so taking a break every 90 minutes can help maintain performance and productivity.
- Get up and move around every hour: Sitting for long periods can be harmful to your health, so getting up and moving every hour can help prevent back pain and improve blood circulation.
- Take screen breaks: As you work on a computer, take a break every 20-30 minutes to rest your eyes and prevent eye strain. Look away from the screen and focus on objects in the distance to relax your eye muscles.
- Stop for a while to eat: Taking a break to eat can help maintain energy and concentration throughout the work period.
- Take creative breaks: If you're feeling stuck on a task, taking a creative break can help renew your energy and focus. Try doing something you enjoy, like accessing social media, listening to music, or taking a walk around the coworking space.
One suggestion is to use the method Pomodoro, 25 minutes of concentration, followed by 5 minutes of rest. The Pomodoro method, invented in the 90s, is a cyclical system, focused on productivity. You work in short bursts (25 minutes), without distractions. Then relax for 5 minutes. This way, you are always productive.
Don't be distracted
The coworking environment can be social and busy. Try to minimize distractions by turning off cell phone notifications and avoiding long conversations during work hours.
One tip: use headphones. If you work best in a quiet environment, consider using noise-cancelling headphones to block out external sounds and focus better.
Another tip: the Focus@Will music app helps improve focus and concentration, using a combination of relaxing music and background sounds. It is designed to increase productivity and reduce stress.
Establish work schedules
In addition to establishing what tasks will be done while you are working in the coworking space, set specific times to perform these tasks. This will help you stay focused on what needs to be done.
Of course, depending on the task, it is difficult to set a time for it to be done. For example, if it's something you've never done before. In this case, divide the task into smaller tasks to make it easier to control them.
Toggl Track is a simple time tracking app that lets you record time spent on different tasks and projects. It can be used on mobile devices and the web, and offers detailed reports to help you understand how you are using your time.
Prioritize the most important tasks
Once you've determined the tasks you'll do in coworking, determine which tasks are the most important and focus on those first. This way, even if you get distracted or lose focus (which usually happens after a while), the most important tasks will have already been done.
Keep your workspace organized
Keep your work area clean and tidy to avoid distractions.
Although coworking is a shared space, it is common when we start working to remove objects from our backpack and spread them across the table. Little by little, the table around her computer is surrounded by snacks, a bottle of water, a hair tie, a cell phone, and gum wrappers. Avoid this trap. An organized workspace can help you stay focused and increase productivity.
Respect other people’s space in coworking
Remember that you are sharing the space with other people. Respect other people's space by avoiding leaving objects next to your computer, listening to loud music or talking on your cell phone. This way you won't be interrupted by complaints from other coworking members!
Maintain a healthy routine
Maintaining a healthy routine is important to be productive in coworking.
For example, a lack of certain vitamins causes tiredness and drowsiness. That's why it's important to have a balanced diet, with grains, fruits and vegetables. If this is not possible, you can use vitamin supplements.
Another important issue for productivity is the sleep quality. A bad night's sleep also has an impact on work the next day, as our concentration is reduced when we sleep poorly. Make sure you get the required number of hours of sleep so this doesn't happen.
Exercising regularly is important because research has proven that exercise stimulates the brain, making us more focused, which increases productivity.
Use the amenities of the coworking space
Many coworking spaces offer amenities such as coffee, tea, and snacks. Use these amenities to save time, as you won't need to leave the coworking space to have a coffee or a snack. This leaves more useful time for work.
Take advantage of this break to interact with other coworking members, which can help expand your professional network and bring new perspectives to your projects. Be open to learning from other members of the space. Ask them for feedback on your project. This interaction is energizing, and this stimulus ends up translating into more focus and productivity.
Take your snack
Bringing healthy snacks to your coworking space can help you stay energized and focused throughout the day. Check out some healthy options:
- Fruit: Try bringing apples, bananas, oranges, grapes or any other fruit you like.
- Dried fruits: Apricots, prunes, dates, raisins are an easy and convenient option to take to coworking. They are also rich in fiber and nutrients.
- Nuts and seeds: Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts and seeds such as chia, flaxseed, sunflower are rich in nutrients and offer a source of protein to keep you full for longer.
- Cereal bars: Cereal bars can be a practical and easy option to take to coworking. Opt for bars that contain natural ingredients and less sugar.
- Yogurt: Yogurt is a great source of protein and can be a healthy snack option. Take Greek yogurt, which is rich in protein, and add fruit or granola for a complete and balanced snack.
- Vegetables: Carrots, cucumbers, celery and other crunchy vegetables are great healthy snack options.
Don't forget to check if the coworking space allows you to bring food into the space and if there is a designated area for eating.
Ready to be productive in coworking?
Despite being a shared workplace, with many opportunities for distraction, it is possible with some planning to be focused and productive in coworking.
This way, you take advantage of the advantages of coworking (such as the low cost compared to renting your own space and networking) while being able to maintain the deadlines set for your projects.
Great article. We really need goals for everything, without goals nothing is achieved. Working as a team was something I had to learn the hard way when I changed companies lol. But it worked.