Feeling productive in the New Year either comes incredibly easy for you or you feel like a slug after the holidays and feel as if you are unable to even make yourself jam and toast in the morning. You are never alone; the January blues affect so many people and the lack of motivation and the realization of a brand new year with a full year of work and stresses ahead can make us feel horrible. However, there are plenty of ways to start perking up your life and it all begins with your office. Your office space is the place where you will dwell most hours of the day; whether it’s at home or in an office space, you sit at your desk and possibly look at your screen for most of the day.
So how can our office space make us feel creative and productive? It’s simple. Our minds can get just as cluttered as our desks and when our office space is a mess and lacks a little creative design, our minds also fall into the same category. It is just how our brains process things; if we are away on holiday overlooking a beautiful panoramic sea view with the sunset, our mind is processing such beautiful imagery and it makes us feel happy or content. Just the same as if we sit in a dirty, small cramped room that is dark and cold, it will make us feel depressed and uncomfortable. So what we surround ourselves with is constantly shaping our thoughts and our feelings.
Our office spaces fuel our creativity in the workspace and can make life more bearable. The other main factor in productivity is the efficiency of your working space. Is it a mess and are there things you can’t find? Perhaps there are piles and piles of paperwork you’re trying to get round to but just don’t yet have the mindset to tackle it. Or even if maybe you don’t have an adequate filing system and it is an unworkable space that makes life hell. Perhaps you feel you’re too on top of people and feel a little claustrophobic, all these factors hinder a good day’s work. Of course, it is vital not to put too much pressure on yourself or get x amount of work done in a day and feel as if you’ve truly achieved something. That is not always possible and many jobs can be mundane; it’s important not to force yourself to work. Everyone needs breaks and we all need to know and understand our mental limits.
Tidy Up First & Get Organised!
The first step in becoming more productive and perking up your office is having it run like clockwork. Your desk needs to be workable, with the things in place as and when you need them. Look into clearing out your entire space from top to bottom, archive any important things, but be sure to check dates, anything too far back *(unless you know otherwise) is probably not relevant and can be recycled. Then once your office space is cleared of junk and old paperwork that isn’t needed and you have two or three separate piles, you can look into an effective filing system. If you don’t have one, get one and either create alphabetical files or files by date, whichever works best for your job.
Start to organize your notebooks. Try and create chapters for different tasks in notebooks and separate these with little post-its or sticky notes that are colored, so you can easily go to the section you need effectively. When someone calls you up and asks for notes on a certain subject or client, you can easily access what you need when you need it. It saves time and makes you feel super on top of things! Post-it notes and sticky notes can be really helpful for little tasks you need to remember. It’s easy to forget the little things so ensure you use them wisely! Look at your database on the computer; is it up to date, is it workable? If not can there be any improvements?
There are many companies now that offer effective databases and better ways to input information which will allow people to better communicate within teams and also access information quickly. Start to utilize all your email features. Use colored flagging to work out which emails are the priority, which are less priority, which have been sorted and any new inquiries or queries, if you’re not already doing so. It’s helpful to keep track of different emails and makes life that extra bit easier. You can also look to schedule your day better with certain email and calendar systems. Start to input your data into your calendar, even personal dates and events if you’re able, so you can plan your day better. If you have a dentist appointment at 5:30 pm then you know you must leave the office bang at 5 pm. Or if you want to take a day off, make sure that you have all your meetings up to date so you can see what days may clash or the days your boss may not want you to have off!
Step Up The Office Space Design!
Once you have your office in good working order, you can focus on the little added extras that will make that working day a little more bearable. If you have the luxury of doing this, there are cute little ways to feel more productive and happy. Firstly, look at your comfort. Many people who work 9-5 will feel the strain on their backs and shoulders from a poor posture during the day. Bring in a cushion of choice to work, or look for a more practical option and look at a lumbar cushion for the best support possible; this will allow you to remain with a good posture for most of the day. No more back troubles and pain, your comfort is the main priority!
Add a little color; pick your favorite color or colors that make you happy and add this to your new desk. Look at getting a set of your favorite color, including pens, paperclips, notebooks, anything that you can utilize in your space to perk up your environment. Enjoy using highlighters and colored pens again and use this to your advantage to color code certain documents and papers to help you get a little more organized. You can also look at some cute custom magnets to stick on the filing cabinet that will make you feel happy and positive. Grab some personalized magnets with your favorite photos or quotes.
Look at a mood board where possible. Grab some of your favorite images; that inspire and make you happy and clip them up on a little corkboard or even stick them up with blue-tac around your space to help you feel really motivated to work. You can also add some little cute extras. Of course, the aim is not to clutter your office, but by adding personal touches, you can still have a workable space that looks good. Why not take a little peek at adding some plants to your space; they don’t have to be real, of course, real plants would only cause extra work watering them but artificial plants can look gorgeous and tropical and you can pick so many different ones to sit on your desk. Add a few ornaments of choice; snow globes, framed photos of friends and family, small candles (for scent not to light!), and cute clocks.
Natural lighting is also a very important addition to consider, especially during the day. While it helps you save up on your electric bills, adding natural light will also help to boost your concentration and productivity levels. You can simply move your work desk closer to your window and keep your curtains open during the day. You can also choose to create a custom sunroom with the help of an experienced sunroom contractor.
Lighting can also be important. If you are in a huge office space, then the chances are the lights will be bright and overbearing. This can lead to migraines, so it may be beneficial to look at some glasses to assist with the glare of the lights but if you have your own home space or own office, then the perfect lighting will really help you with any migraines you may have and also to set a nice mood in your office. Look at buying a new lamp or little colored lights to stick around your space which will make you feel cozy and happy.
Different colored lights can really affect your mood and it has been long proven. Blues and greens tend to have a positive effect on your mind for anxiety and feeling bright and calm, whilst orange and red have a more relaxing effect if the red is a warm tone. Yellows can be happy and lift your mood and purple can promote wisdom and a positive and creative mindset, but of course, if you have a preference, stick to your favorite and whatever will help you through the day!
So there you have it, some little tips and tricks to get your office feeling in order and ready to go for 2020. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune and it can be relatively easy to implement. Time to start feeling ready to create that better future, today!