If you have an office, cubicle, desk, corner, or some little world inside your company that is your very own, you can make that space as uplifting as possible. If you spend a lot of time in a vehicle for your job, you can transform it into a pleasant atmosphere. It makes a big difference in your mood and energy.
Keep your area organized and decluttered. A good feng shui practice is to make certain 50 percent of your desk or workspace is clear. An atmosphere of chaos makes it difficult to be productive.
Face a door or other opening if possible. However, you may not have that option. Perhaps you’re in a cubicle or you have shared desk space. You can still take some steps to brighten up your environment.
I recommend reading through Cube Chic by Kelley L. Moore, available on Amazon. This fun book can help you transform those three gray walls into something you’ll look forward to working in.
Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the New York Times bestseller Simple Abundance, talks about how we need to create brief daily rituals to help us feel calm and ready to tackle or end the day. She suggests setting aside 10 minutes each day before it officially begins to enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, cocoa, etc. Breathnach recommends ending the day by straightening up our desks and reviewing the next day’s agenda.
She says we all need a work drawer or locker with items to make the day positive, like mints, tissues, aspirin, or even some grown-up toys for when we just need to get away from being adults for a minute. I love those “popper” toys that are so popular now!
Breathnach also talks about aromatherapy. Diffusers not only make our work environment smell good, but they can put moisture back into the air, which is helpful in heated offices. Be sensitive to your coworkers, though. Make certain whatever you are thinking of using will help them as well, not irritate them.
What about the temperature of your workspace? I almost hesitate to write about this because I know in recent years it has become a hot button (pun intended), especially for women. I’ve seen varying studies on what experts believe is the ideal workplace temperature. Many of them say between 71 and 72°F is perfect. But I know my husband and several of my male friends would be sweating profusely at this temperature.
My number one strategy has been to wear layers, especially when I used to walk back-and-forth to work. It’s not the perfect solution, but it’s a good option. I think it’s important for employees to keep respectfully talking to one another and to work with their leaders to find the best compromise for this issue.
Incorporating beautiful, colorful art and photographs is another way to make your surroundings positive. Plants bring both beauty and health benefits to most any workspace. They purify the air, which is important to battle the typical office indoor air pollution. Gardening Know How says they can even help reduce stress. Make certain to select varieties that don’t require a lot of care, such as spider plants, philodendrons, and peace lilies.
What if all you have as far as your own personal space at work is a locker? You can have fun with that as well. This is where Pinterest comes in handy! Even HGTV and BuzzFeed have guidance on sprucing up a locker.
What if your “office” is a vehicle? AllTrucking.com estimates are that there are 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States today. Many salespersons and people who drive for Uber, Lyft, and other ride sharing services spend a lot of time in their cars.
My husband is a salesman and travels throughout central Indiana each day. He is convinced that keeping his car decluttered, organized, and even fragrant thanks to air fresheners helps him stay positive for himself as well as his customers.
It’s important to make your workspace come alive for yourself, your coworkers, and potentially your customers. Take small steps to start your transformation. Perhaps the first month you focus on the top of your desk. The following month you can work on creating a better system for filing papers. Then you can eventually move on to the fun stuff like finding art, photographs, or other decor.
Sketch out or write down how you want your workspace to look and feel, map out a plan to achieve that goal in six months or even a year, and think of the peace and joy you’ll feel whenever you’re in or around it every day. It’s worth it.
Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.