Working From Home On The Couch: The Ideal Set Up For Maximum Efficiency

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Ok, so, you’re working from home on the couch. That’s the dream, right?

But without the right tools by your side, it can be more hectic than efficient. Then, you’ve just spent your day lounging without much accomplished (although, your productive output does not always need to be at high efficiency to be valuable).

I’ve recently joined the work-from-home crowd full-time now and maybe you have too? Or you’re working on your side hustle on the weekends or before/after work?

How can we maximize our working efficiency so we work smarter and not harder?

After all, there is more to life than to be working/hustling all the time. You deserve to enjoy all that you wish to have in life!

Changing your environment when working from home can be a spark to your creativity.

Setting yourself up in the park, at the local cafe, or coworking at a friend’s house can all bring new elements into your workflow. But nothing beats being at home in your safe, comfortable, relaxing environment. No need to worry about someone running off with your valuables if you have to use the restroom when you’re at home.

In college, I learned the hard way that computers placed on soft surfaces, unable to regulate their temperature, were a recipe for motherboard & hard-drive meltdown.

Learn from my mistake, do NOT set your computer down on your comforter, blanket, pillow, cushion, lap, etc. without some hard surface underneath.

However, stacking books, on your lap while sitting on the couch doesn’t sound too comfortable, does it?

Enter lap desks your WFH bestie!

This amazing invention solves the overheating issue & makes working from home an enjoyable experience for you. Hurray!

No more excuses on the endless possibilities of where to work at home! A lap desk makes it enjoyable and ergonomic whether you’re working from the couch, bed, pillow fort on the floor, or the accent chair in the corner.

The next hurdle in your quest to work efficiently from the couch is to rewire your mindset. If you’re like me, when I am sitting on the couch, it signals my brain that it’s time for relaxation. It took a while & a few tries until I was able to reframe the trigger and now I am able to work from my couch without the urge to roll over and turn on Netflix (I am even writing this post from the couch).

Another key component for successfully working from home on the couch is to make sure you have all that you need in front of you within arm’s reach.

All the beverages [water, coffee, etc], a snack nearby for when hunger strikes, a bullet journal or planner or idea notebook/pad, colored pens for crossing off to-do tasks, a phone charger, and any other accessories to make your working environment enjoyable [candles, flowers, etc].

Having everything within arms reach is to eliminate the need to get up unless it’s absolutely vital. Often, the problem with working from home are all the distractions that come along with your home environment. The dishes in the sink from breakfast, the bed & clothes all around your room, the pile of mail you haven’t weeded through in a while. They all can be distractors in your working day. And if you procrastinate, that is even more ammo for your procrastination.

But if you are able to make your little environment distraction-free & you’re able to have all that you need at your fingertips, you can tune out everything else around you and concentrate for a while.

While I do love to take the time to catch up with my favorite YouTube creators, I’ve been making a very conscious effort to not turn on my TV during times I need to work. Instead, I let Alexa play me some music which usually helps keep my energy up.

A little pro tip: don’t bring your computer charger to the couch with you.

Work until your computer dies (or gets very low) and then take a break! Make some lunch/dinner, go for a walk outside, do some cleaning, read a book, anything to give your brain a break. Allow that computer to charge back up and bit and repeat the process.

Have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique? It’s a productivity “hack” where you set a timer for 25mins to concentrate on work, with no distractions (phone, snack, etc) & then a 5min brain break – no scrolling!

I’ve been testing it out a couple of times and each time I’ve done it, I’ve had success! It helps make the time move along and for me to not get stuck in a task and burnt out. I highly recommend it!

I’ve rounded up my favorite things that help me work efficiently from my couch. I share them in the hope that you find inspiration or wish to try them out for yourself to see how they work in your setup.

Please share below in the comments if you have any tips or want to share with me your experiences with working from the couch (or anywhere besides a desk lol).