Whether you’re an undergrad student or a full-time employee looking for that next level of certification, finding the right conditions to study under can feel impossible. Twitter feeds to breaking news, social live streams and even personal distractions, a lot can detract you from getting your work done. To make matters worse, there seems to be an increase in these types of distractions, making a productive study space a rare commodity. Fortunately, it is possible to make a productive study space within the confines of your own home. Susan Keefe, a Mahwah, NJ interior decorator, offers up some of her best tips to creating your own productive study space:

• Diminish the distractions. What serves as a distraction to one person might not distract the mind of another. For example, some students prefer not to study in their living spaces because they can be easily distracted by household chores or their television set, while some students are not distracted by playing music while they work. It’s important to understand the roadblocks that get in the way of your being productive. Once you’ve figured them out, you can begin to look for (or create) a space to be productive and study in.
• Designate the space as your own. Once you’ve settled on the space that is going to be your productivity palace, it’s important to make that space your own. Whether you are the only person to use the space or you’ll be sharing the space with others, incorporate elements into the design that will make you want to spend time in that room. Decorate with motivational posters or pictures to help you stay on track. Invest in comfortable furniture that’s both ergonomic and stylish. Use decorative design aspects to help play to your strengths – if you like the option of sitting at a desk or on a comfortable chair, set a lap desk aside to make switching from one workspace to another seamless.  
• Set the mood. Aside from personal touches, the right wall color can make or break how productive you are in a space. The experts of Toms River painters recommend cool colors like blue, green and purple to make you feel more relaxed. This comes especially in handy if you are having anxiety over a big test! In contrast, warm colors like red, orange, and yellow are used to inspire activity or creativity and may just help curb your writer’s block.
• Ensure adequate lighting. It is nearly impossible to stay focused or be productive without proper lighting in a study space. A healthy mix of natural, task and accent lighting should be used to ensure visibility and focus are never an issue. Balance is vital when it comes to lighting. Avoid having too bright of spaces as well, for this can be harsh on your eyes. If you have the opportunity for natural light, definitely make use of it. Natural light is known to bring warmth and vitality to a room, so take advantage of it!
• Keep it organized. The last thing you want to happen is for your designated study space to become cluttered. Keep it organized and clean to keep your mind from wandering off or stressing about how much you need to clean. To avoid the occurrence of clutter, only have the essentials with you or that you know you will need. If you are doing work for one particular class, only take out the books for that class to avoid overcrowding your space. Accessorize minimally on your desktop as well. Too many photos or other memorabilia can quickly take the mind to reliving those memories –  a major focus buster.

Follow these tips to create your own study space with productivity in mind.