Need a Cafe to Write or Work Best? Not Anymore!
Cafes are a great place to get work done. They’re different from a home office, regular office, or library. Maybe it’s the cliche, the idea of an artist grinding in a cozy little cafe, typing away at what will become their bestselling novel, or laying the foundation for a blog that is about to go viral.
A cafe is where you go when you need to focus or need a good cup of coffee, and home just isn’t doing the trick. I could probably write an entire article on why I love writing in cafes, but that wouldn’t do either of us much good right now.
In many places, because of COVID, cafes are closed or challenging to reserve a spot in. But that’s not the only reason we should learn to make our home cafe. There are more moments we can’t go to a cafe, like when we need to budget, when we feel under the weather or when something requires us to stay in the house. So we need to stop depending on the concept of a cafe for productivity and learn to achieve that same utopian benefit in our own homes.
So let’s break it down and discover how we can achieve that cozy cafe vibe without ever opening our front door.
Use an External Speaker
It may come across as random, but I wanted it to be my first point as it has been a complete game-changer for me by heightening productivity. I love writing with sound in the background, even songs with lyrics, but for some reason, I was struggling to maintain focus at the start of working from home. I experimented with writing for periods with music playing, but suddenly I had all day and no other sound.
Having earphones in just made it too distracting, and playing it from my laptop in front of me felt off-putting. I couldn’t put my finger on the issue, why the music in a cafe felt perfect while at home it felt like an attack on my focus.
Then I tried using an external speaker like a UE Boom. I soon realized how poor the sound from a laptop is when I used this speaker. I put it on the bookcase to the right of my desk and played my music. And it was perfect. It was calming music that wasn’t coming from the instrument I was using to write; it wasn’t a direct attack but rather an external experience. It was like being in a cafe, having music that calms you but doesn’t steal your focus. I cannot recommend using an external speaker to play your music enough.
You can even find videos and songs to include cafe background noises to set the scene. The clatter of cups, the gentle buzz of conversation, the grind of a coffee machine can be music to your ears.
Have a Playlist Ready
This part depends on personal taste. Some people can write to music with singing, others love techno or classical, and some prefer Top 40 radio. I work well with general music. But only to songs that I know well, so I don’t get distracted.
I almost find it motivational to have familiar voices around me, as if it’s a symbol for working hard and achieving. However, I get bored quickly and can’t play the same album for too long.
So what I finally did was create a playlist, complete with the creative title of ‘Writing’ with albums that I liked. It is currently 30 hours and 28 minutes long.
Design your playlist to save yourself time when you write. It’s too easy to let choosing music be a form of procrastination, so have a go-to playlist (or even ones for specific tasks and moods) and open it. You can always skip a song that you’re not keen on, though I guarantee once you’re in the flow of things, you won’t need to.
It also works as a creative routine. When the playlist is on, it means writing time. As soon as you take a break or do a different task, pause the playlist and wait until you’re ready to return to writing.
Invest in Your Cuppa
I am not a fancy coffee person. There I said it. I am not a coffee snob. I never buy fancy beans, I could care less for espresso, and I don’t taste the difference between Starbucks and another cafe. I like cappuccinos and lattes, and I get them with oat milk whenever possible. But despite this, when I started trying to recapture the cafe aesthetic at home, I decided coffee should be a part of it.
I use a french press. I also added a milk foamer to my collection. If I’m stuck at home, I’ll need a frothy cappuccino to make it better. I also like the added flair it brings to a simple coffee.
Don’t underestimate the effect of such small touches like having a nice warm drink to sip while you type away or do your research. We need such small joys, those little pushes to keep going, and it is a great and easy way to bring the cafe to your home.
Even when cafes open again, having semi-decent coffee and a milk foamer at home can save you a lot of coffee money!
Set Up a Designated Space
Being in a cafe is about having a spot, your writing area. Often, we believe that we work better in coffee shops, so we do. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. All you need is a place in your home that provides the same efficiency, and you can still get tons of work done.
If you have a home office, that’s great! You can create a space for solely working; no social media or goofing around occurs in that area. I have a home office, but sometimes it doesn’t work for me. Being in the same space all day stifles me, so I create a cafe vibe in my dining room or couch using a laptop folding table.
All you need is a designated space that works for you. If you want to watch videos or go on your phone, leave the area, don’t allow yourself to associate it with anything else but working hard.
By treating it like a place that will make you productive, your mind will follow swiftly. Mind over matter. Don’t tell yourself that you don’t work well at home; make yourself work well. There are always complications and limitations, and I’m not claiming it will be easy. I’m saying that it is possible, and you’re the only one who can make it happen.
What do you need in your designated space? Minimal distractions and inspiration. I have a bookshelf in my office that isn’t distracting, and seeing all the published books reminds me why I do this. I also have ideas I’ve brainstormed hanging on the wall. And I have plants which bring a calm feel to a room.
The question is, what do you need in your cafe? What do you notice most in the coffee shops you visit? Is it sitting in a comfortable chair or having a notebook set beside you? Recreate it using the tools you have.
Don’t Forget the Ambience
Working in a cafe isn’t only about practicality. I like to think of it as a treat for ourselves. You ease yourself into productivity with a warm coffee and cozy atmosphere. Do the same for your home cafe. It’s a great way to train yourself for productivity.
Many of the best writers have a ritual that helps them work; it reminds them to be serious and get words on paper. It could be a specific playlist, as we mentioned, or a cup of coffee in front of you.
What helped me was a scent. I had a candle that would burn away at the top of my desk. The gorgeous scent fills the room and calms me. It keeps me focused and deep into the zone.
Once I finish my session, I blow out the candle, signifying the end. Consider adding a candle or scent diffuser to your home cafe. It helps get you feeling both ready and comforted.
What are You Wearing?
A general tip for working from home, though it may ring true for your at-home cafe, you probably wouldn’t go to a coffee shop in those sweatpants and stained jumper?
Getting dressed can signify to yourself that you’re entering work mode. I’m not saying you have to wear makeup, and definitely no need for a bra. Be comfortable. But getting into proper clothing gives you a sense of normalcy, the determination to get things done and not just slouch around on Instagram.
It’s a chance to feel good about yourself, to feel confident in yourself. Not feeling your best, feeling insecure in your skin, isn’t a good mindset for writing.
Remind yourself of the difference between chilling at home and working at your cafe by getting dressed.
Have a Specific Project in Mind
When you head to a cafe to work, you probably go there with a specific intention. A deadline is looming over you, a chapter you want to dig into, and some creative space for brainstorming. You should enter your home cafe with the same intention.
Don’t go in, set up, and then decide what to do. Instead, have everything planned ahead of time. I like to plan everything the evening before. It gives me time to mull over it, replicating the same thinking time when you go to a cafe.
Once you create your cafe space, it is time to treat it with respect and let the work start. Don’t just put all your energy into perfecting that space, as you’ll end up using it as a form of productive procrastination.
Set aside one session, two maximum, to work on creating your home cafe. Order the items you need, do your rearranging, and brainstorm what a coffee shop represents to you. After that, it is time to get down to business!
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