Figuring out life-hacks to become a more effective entrepreneur is definitely a topic I’m deeply passionate about, if you’ve been following me on the blog or Instagram you’ll know how I structure my days like a ninja to achieve optimal productivity.

As a solo-preneur, working from home can become monotonous and we often find that one day blends into the next with no real distinction, completion or sense of achievement.
So in today’s post I wanted to share my top three tips for setting up a productive, inspiring work environment at home.

1. Sitting is the new Smoking
A pretty bold statement that’s gleaming a lot of media attention lately, and rightfully so when you hear the stats: The American Cancer Society tracked 123,000 people for an 18-year period and found the death rate was higher in people that sat more than six hours per day. Pretty alarming!

I personally believe prolonged inactivity is the real cause of evil here, but I figured I could do something to move in the right direction, and hence constructed the fashionistas’ version of the standing desk: a Parisian hatbox atop a windowsill.

My days are now spent alternating between sitting and standing, depending on the task at hand, and how my body is feeling. And it’s a great way to ‘break up the day’. Where in an office you’d get up and go to the water cooler for a chat, I switch between standing (and staring at my breathtaking view) to sitting.

2. Staying hydrated simply

Staying hydrated throughout the day is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to keep your brain, and your bod, functioning at optimal capacity.

Studies have shown that if you are only 1% dehydrated, you will likely have a 5% decrease in cognitive function.
If your brain drops 2% in body water, you may suffer from fuzzy short-term memory, experience problems with focusing, and have trouble with math computations. Hello 3-O’Clock brain-fry!

But staying hydrated can be a challenge, I know for me personally when I hit a good work groove, I often forget to eat and drink, which is why my BRITA fill&serve water filter carafe has quickly become my new #bestie.
BRITA Filter Disc Technology effectively reduces chlorine and other substances that impair the taste of your tap water, and at a handy 1.3L size, I only need to refill it once throughout the day.

According to Nutritionist and Health Specialist Camilla Chaplin “Drinking adequate amounts of clean water is one of the corner stones to good health. Unfortunately tap water contains many impurities, added chemicals like chlorine and different residues which are best avoided where possible. Using the highest quality water filter available to you is an absolute must if you are serious about improving your health and looking after your body.”

The Brita Fill&Serve water filter carafe is the most convenient way to serve better tasting water and is the perfect accessory for hard working fashionistas.

3. Setting your space

Whilst I don’t have the luxury of having a dedicated ‘office’ I do have a dedicated office ‘space’ as well as a few little rituals that make my work day feel like there’s a start, and more importantly an end.

My workday begins with setting up my ‘desk’ – this is really just popping said hatbox onto the windowsill, firing up my laptop, and lighting a candle.

At the end of the day the box comes down, the candle goes out and the window gets opened.
Defining your work space will help you psychologically separate home from work, and if you can’t physically define a space, then creating simple rituals like these, will do just the trick.

These humble practices of starting and ending your day are critical for anyone working from, and especially so for the chronic workaholics in the room (hand firmly raised).

So hopefully you’ve got some new ideas on setting up your home/work environment in a productive and efficient way.

And no matter how you define your work-from-home flow, the most important thing to remember is to be grateful that you get to be at home, working on your own thang, rather than stuck in some cubicle working for ‘the man’.

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Brita.  Outfit by Fate Clothing, Candle by Maiseys Candles, Pom Pom Sandals by Sunday Tracker