Boring desks get more done

The best desk setup for homework or virtual sessions is an almost empty one.

You don’t need a fancy organizer or a standing desk. You need a surface that makes you want to start working and not look around for something to play with. If your desk has snacks, random mail, and three coffee mugs on it, your brain is already losing the battle before you open your laptop.

Do this instead: keep a notebook, a pen, and your computer on the desk. Everything else goes in a drawer or on a shelf. If you’re on video calls, a small lamp in front of you works wonders for lighting. And if you’re allowed a second screen, put it at eye level so you’re not hunching into your laptop like a gremlin.

The real trick is to reset the desk every evening. Two minutes