How can posture affect your work productivity? Dynamic Markets polled over 1,000 U.K. office workers on behalf of Fellowes for the infographic below and came to some surprising conclusions. For starters, 66 percent of the survey respondents admitted to spending time fidgeting and rearranging their desk to get comfortable. This "fidget time" amounted to 39.2 minutes a day. Forty minutes a day might not sound like much, but over the course of a year, that idle time adds up to over 18 days' worth of lost work. That's a significant sum of productivity -- and money -- lost due solely to an uncomfortable workspace. Here's the rest of the infographic, courtesy of Visual.ly (click for a larger version):

posture and productivity infographic

Take Inventory of Your Workspace

How can you avoid the pitfalls and productivity losses caused by an uncomfortable workspace? Fix it. Freelancers and other home workers have an advantage here, as we can hand-select office furniture to customize our workspace without consulting a supervisor.

Sometimes the best office furniture doesn't belong in an office at all. I use a lap desk and sit in one of three distinct spots in my living room, each with its own purpose. A chaise lounge against one wall is perfect for editing, as there isn't much to distract me visually. A comfortable sectional placed in front of the window offers a great view of the outdoors, lets in fresh air and provides plenty of back support for writing or other, longer blocks of time in which I must be creative. A less-comfortable leather sofa is the perfect spot to churn out social media updates, quick posts or emails, and other short tasks on which I can't afford to waste time.

Don't be afraid to break from the mold when it comes to your workspace. Whether your preferred "office" is your kitchen table, a favorite chair or on the floor, the best workspace is the one in which you're most comfortable and primed to focus.

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