INSPIRING WORK ENVIRONMENT

SCATTERED things, unclean office, unorganised work — all can cause you a status of boredom and frustration creating a dull work environment. You always have to ask yourself, does your work environment push you forward? Do your work conditions and atmosphe

We spend so much of our life at work and, with today’s tough business climate, there are more challenges and stresses than ever before. How can we create a more positive work environment when we have no authority to make changes? The reality is the attitude we bring to work plays a big part.

Your work environment is the place where you will spend about 1/3 of your day. With this in mind, it’s important to have a work space that’s both inspiring and functional.

First, take a look around at your work space. What do you see, smell, feel and hear? How do these things make you feel? If your answer is energised, inspired and creative, then you’re set. Anything less and you’re in need of some help.

Ever walk into a place and feel your breath immediately get shallow and restricted, your eyes hurt, shoulders get tight?

For many, this happens in a hospital or doctor’s office. The sterile environment and mindless procedures feel like throwing water on a burning fire. You can feel the contraction the minute you walk in.

How about the opposite? Have you ever walked into a place and felt lighter, inspired, energised? There was a coffee shop I used to visit when I first started to work and it had that effect on me. The unique artwork, smell of coffee, eclectic music, and antique furniture made an inspiring impact the minute I walked into the place.

Take the ideas below and mould them into what works best for you. Enjoy the process of creating an inspiring work environment.

1 Organise Your Place

This is the first step. It doesn’t pay to start adding things to an already cluttered space. So take some time, a few minutes, hours, days, whatever you need. Clean it up, throw out the trash, organise what’s important.

2Visual

We are visual creatures. What do you like to look at? What are the things that make you feel peaceful, inspired, and motivated? Come up with creative ways to surround yourself with these images.

Some ideas to create a visually appealing work space:

Pictures of family/loved ones; Calendar with beautiful scenery, architecture, animals, etc…;

Inspiring artwork;

Inspirational quotes; Computer wallpaper/screen saver; and,

Lamp with soft lighting, most office lighting is harsh on the eyes.

3Smell

What scents do you like? Aromas affect us in different ways. They can be calming, invigorating, fresh smelling. Try experimenting with different scents to see which ones you like the most. Try using essential oils, a scented candle, incense, or a fan for fresh air.

Plants are a great addition to most workspaces. They provide a touch of nature, they’re visually appealing, and they clean the air.

4Sound

What sounds do you find appealing? You’re probably limited with what you can do at work, but you have choices.

Get a good pair of headphones and explore different styles of music. Classical, instrumental, and soundscapes, can all be conducive to setting a relaxed and productive environment. Nature sounds and noise cancelling headphones are another option.

5 Touch/ Texture

This is an often overlooked area that can bring a lot of reward. Here are few ideas to try out. Get a new mouse for your computer. There are so many different styles to choose from. Find one that fits your hand. Also pens and pencils come in different colours, textures, and sizes. It’s something simple that could make working more fun and also more comfortable.

Use the above ideas to help create a relaxed, creative, and inspiring work environment. You don’t need to make all the above changes, try just one or two.

Simple changes can make a big impact.

I get a lot of use out of a dry erase board. It’s easy to put up inspirational quotes, goals, and reminders.

If you work from home, you will have more freedom to make bigger changes such as painting walls and moving your desk to a window. Don’t let the restrictiveness of your environment get you down. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Even if you drive a taxi - you have music, scent, pictures, steering wheel covers, seat covers, and more to work with.

A positive work environment doesn’t come from an ultramodern infrastructure and advanced technologies. It comes from the inspirational thoughts and strategies.

How do you want your work space to inspire you? Try to create one.