How to Turn Your Workspace Into a Den of Productivity

 When it comes to improving productivity in the workplace, much of the advice we hear centers around the mindset or motivation of the individual in question -- advice like "You need to set goals for yourself," or "You need to focus on your passion," or "You need to meticulously plan every portion of your day down to the millisecond."

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And while such advice can potentially be helpful, there's one aspect of improving productivity that we often overlook: our environments. As Dr. B.J. Fogg, Director of Stanford's Persuasive Tech Lab once noted:

"There’s just one way to radically change your behavior: radically change your environment."

In the list below, we've highlighted some of the best tips and tricks you can use to create a space that's not only pleasant to work in, but that actually helps to improve your productivity. True, not every suggestion will be applicable to everyone's unique work situation, but hopefully you'll be able to come away with some useful ideas.

7 Tips for Making Your Workspace a Den of Productivity

1) Let the sun shine.

Assuming you're not a vampire, letting plenty of daylight shine into your workspace is a proven way to increase your productivity, not to mention your overall mood and well-being.

While there are many studies that have linked sunlight to productivity in the workplace, one study in particular -- "Impact of Workplace Daylight Exposure on Sleep, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life" -- is especially compelling. To quote the study's abstract:

Compared to the group with no windows, workers with windows in the workplace had 173% more white light exposure during the workday and slept an average of 47 minutes more per night. There was also a trend for workers with windows to have more activity and higher sleep efficiency than those without windows."

Unfortunately, not every workspace is going to have a ton of natural light shining in. One potential solution? Invest in smart LED lighting (e.g., Osram or Philips Hue) that mimics natural sunlight and can help maintain your body's circadian rhythm.

2) Keep warm and carry on.

In a perfect scenario, you'll be able to control the temperature of your workspace so that it's aligned with your ideal comfort level.

If you work in an office, of course, this usually isn't possible. But you still might get a say as to what temperature the almighty office thermostat is set to. If that's the case, remember these words: Warmer. Is. Better.

As a study from Cornell University showed, temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit lead to more errors and lower productivity. Temperatures above 68 degrees, meanwhile, have the opposite effect. To quote the study: