Studying at any age or any level can be challenging when you don't have the right environment. By that, we mean a space where you can focus on your work with minimal distractions. Sometimes, we spend hours studying but don't make much progress because we're unable to utilize our time efficiently. Thankfully, there are some modifications you can make to your study area to help improve efficiency and productivity. As a result, you can study better and make more in your schedule for other important activities. Therefore, this article is an ergonomics guide on how to make your study space more efficient.
The article outlines various pieces of furniture you can use, tips on improving your posture, and ways to keep your study space more organized. Thus, you can choose to invest in certain products or make specific adjustments to your existing setup based on your needs and your budget. Let's get into it.
Understanding the Role of Ergonomics in Achieving Efficiency
Before getting into ways to make your study space more efficient, it's crucial that you understand ergonomics and its role in helping you get the most work done in the least amount of time. Ergonomics is a practice in which you set up your furniture pieces and seating position to help you maximize efficiency when studying or working. So, things like sitting with the ideal posture, placing essential items near you, and making sure that your books are well-organized all contribute to ergonomics.
Ergonomics is important because it helps you work faster and be more productive with your time. In addition to that, it also helps you be as comfortable as possible without compromising your performance. In fact, it can even help boost your performance when studying or working. Moreover, it can limit strain on specific parts of your body, reducing the risk of pain and injury in those parts. The most vulnerable parts are your back, neck, shoulders, and hips. This article keeps ergonomics in mind when helping you design your study area to improve your efficiency.
How to Make Your Study Space More Efficient
You can improve your speed and productivity when studying with only a few adjustments. So, here are some methods on how to make your study space more efficient.
Improve Your Studying Posture
One of the simplest ways to improve your efficiency is to fix your posture. It's also arguably the most crucial method because it also helps reduce the risk of pain and injury.
Using high-quality equipment, such as a height-adjustable chair, can help with that, but you can also make basic adjustments to your existing furniture pieces to sit in the ideal position.
Here are some factors you must ensure that all contribute to good posture when studying.
1. Make sure that your legs are flat on the floor. Increase or decrease the height of your ergonomic study chair to ensure this. If that's not available, place cushions on your seat to increase the height. You can also place a shoebox under your feet to ensure that your feet are touching the solid ground and are not dangling. Do not sit with your legs crossed because that can lead to muscle imbalances and cause your lower back to experience greater stress.
2. Keep your knees at the same level or slightly below your hips. You'll notice that your thighs will be about parallel to the floor. Sitting too low can cause significant strain on your knees every time you get out of your seat.
3. Sit fully into your seat. Make sure that you're not sitting on the edge of your seat but are resting your lower back against the seat's backrest. This way, you can reduce the strain on your lumbar spine, allowing you to stay healthier in the long term. If you're too far from your desk, bring your seat closer instead.
4. Make sure that your back is upright. So, lean your entire back against your chair's backrest to help prevent rounding your shoulders or creating a hump in your back. Your head should also be in line with your back to ensure that there is minimal stress on your spine. Try not to bend your back forward when reading a book or writing notes in a notebook.
5. Keep your screen (if you're using one) at your eye level. You shouldn't have to look down when you're looking at your screen because doing so excessively can lead to neck strain.
6. If you're reading a physical book or some papers, make sure that you have adequate lighting. You can use a desk lamp to ensure that your book is properly illuminated. You can lower your reading speed by squinting if you cannot read all of the text easily.
7. Make sure that your screen is at arm's length away from your eyes. You can help reduce eye strain that way. At the same time, make sure that your book is also about arm's length away from your eyes. However, bring your book closer to you if you're struggling to read smaller text.
Consider Ergonomic Furniture Pieces for Your Study Room
All of the posture tips mentioned above can be achieved easily with high-quality ergonomic study room furniture. For example, investing in an ergonomic study chair like the OC3 by FlexiSpot can allow you to make the necessary adjustments to find your most suitable posture.
This particular chair has the following features.
Height adjustment
Adjustable armrests (allowing you to lift or lower them)
An adjustable headrest, which can ensure that you sit straight at all times with adequate support to your entire upper body
A backrest tilting option for when you want to relax and perhaps read a book without leaning over the desk
Casters to move the ergonomic study chair around your study space
Excellent lumbar support to ensure that your lower back has the support it needs during long study sessions
The next item you should have is a study desk. You can purchase a fixed-height study desk if you want a budget-friendly option. However, you can consider height-adjustable options if you want to ensure that your elbows are in the ideal position (you can also use your seat's adjustable armrests for that feature). The ideal position is to keep your forearms parallel to the floor.
Other products include organization items, which are explained in detail in the next subheading.
Thus, these products can require some initial investment, but they can be extremely useful in making your study space more efficient.
Keep Your Study Space Organized
You should ensure that your study desk is as tidy as possible. Keep all essential items away from your desk to reduce clutter, which can help reduce stress and help you focus better. Moreover, if you organize your belongings into drawers or cabinets, you can also reduce the time spent locating those items. As a result, you will improve your studying efficiency.
Some products you can consider to improve organizing your belongings are listed below.
Drawers
File cabinets (only if you have a lot of physical documents)
Pegboards
Shelves
Cable management solutions (only if you use a lot of electronic devices in your study area)
Practice Ergonomic Tips to Help You Maximize Efficiency When Studying
In addition to setting up your study space in a specific way, you can also follow some crucial ergonomic tips that can help you maximize efficiency when studying. Here's what to keep in mind.
Take frequent breaks when you're studying. Follow these three types of breaks to ensure that you can maintain focus when studying.
About 20 minutes: Without getting off your seat, look at any object that is at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds after 20 minutes of looking at a screen or book. This way, you can help reduce eye strain.
About 30 minutes: Stand up off your seat, press your hands tightly against your glutes, and push your body forward, ensuring that your head is behind your glutes. Doing so can help limit stress on your lower back and spine after sitting at a desk for long periods.
About 50 minutes: Get off your seat, and take a quick walk around your room or home. Doing so can help you feel fresh and help you stay focused when you return to studying.
Keep yourself hydrated. Making sure that you continue to fuel your body will help ensure that you can keep your mind focused on your work. It helps to keep a reusable water bottle at or near your desk so that you can continue to hydrate yourself with minimal effort.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to make your study space more efficient, you can potentially improve your overall time management. As a result, you can also dedicate time to other extracurricular activities in your life, such as playing sports or learning a musical instrument, and so on.
