If you’re in full time work, it’s very likely that you spend at least five days a week away from your home at work. If you’re spending so much time away from home, the very least you can do is try and make yourself as happy as possible.
There are plenty of tricks and tips you can do in your workplace to change things up. This will be easier in workplaces such as offices but there’s something that can be done anywhere, no matter how small.
Comfort
A big one is feeling comfortable at work. This can mean a variety of different things for each individual. To some it might simply mean bringing home-like comforts such as pillows to work. For others, it could be about having somewhere for some personal time.
Either way, you should do what feels good for you. If you work in an office, you may absolutely hate the chair you’re sat in. This chair is important as if it’s deeply uncomfortable, you’re not going to be working to your best ability.
A good recommendation to fix this, is to invest in ergonomically designed chairs. They are designed to keep your back feeling good and not damaging your bones.
Friendly Atmosphere
Even if you have the most comfortable workplace in the world, you yourself won’t feel comfortable if the people around you are toxic. They might not even be toxic, maybe you just don’t click together, that can still cause tension.
Similarly, if you’re not comfortable at work, having good people around you that you click with, can make all the difference.
If you don’t really know your colleagues, try to speak to them a bit more. You could do the classic ‘meet at the watercooler’ and chat or just talk about what you did at the weekend. You may find you have more in common than you think.
Who knows? Perhaps further down the line you’ll be able to assist each other with work related issues, making everything go smoother.
Interior Design
You’d be surprised how much the actual environment around where you work makes you feel, even subconsciously.
It’s the same ideals as if you’re at home. You want the space you occupy to put you into a positive mindset. Therefore, consider getting a professional company to look at your team and individual personalities to design a workplace that benefits you all.
For offices, companies such as Amos Beech, specialise in workplace interior design. It’s worth checking out their office design to see what they can do for you. They get to know you; research is then conducted based on the brief and start developing ideas.
From there they can start rendering models of what your office would look like and you can feedback what you like or don’t like. Once everything is approved by both parties, then the ball can start rolling. They will even go as far as to look at fire strategies and classifications for all materials required.
They have examples of previous work too if you’re unsure.
Plants
Adding plants to any workplace can help provide that extra pinch of oxygen to any industry of work, giving you the breathing space that you need to work happily. It’s a great way to liven up a room and can even help clean the air, absorbing nasty toxins in the air.
Studies show that plants can help lower stress and boost productivity for people, which is why many modern workplaces gather indoor plants.
Nature in general can be a great assistance in over-stimulation and fatigue. Just looking at plants helps provide a healthy distraction from draining tasks.
It doesn’t have to be giant floor plants, even a small desk plants will do wonders. It could even end up leading you to forming attachments with the plant.
This small attachment can add meaningful emotional involvement to an individual, boosting their thought process and brainwaves.
Of course, not all jobs will allow plants in a work area. So, consider other options. Take a walk in a natural setting, such as a park, during a break. Even a short walk will help you deal with work anxiety and improve your mood.
Lighting
Lighting is a very important element for a workplace. No one will feel happy having to work in dim lighting or, perish the thought, working in complete darkness.
Natural lighting should always be the main focus, but even with big open-spaced windows, you still should have high quality options. Some days, especially in winter, may be dark.
You’ve got to be prepared to offer brightness. Brightness is a key factor in improving worker moods. Which is why there are workplace rules and regulations when it comes to lighting allowances. If your place of work cannot offer natural lighting, then go for something like LED, they can be environmentally friendly and cheap.
Character and Colour
A great way to make your work feel more homely is to add some character. What this means, is trying to create an identity of sorts. Such as adding posters, remodelling your area of work and making you feel comfortable representing your business.
This can also be touched upon when talking about colour. Adding some splashes of your favourite colour into your everyday working life, assuming it’s not going against any rules at work.
Personal Touch
The previous step can really come into force here too. Make sure, wherever you work, you add something of yourself into working life.
That could be a number of things, it could be something like personal family pictures on your desk, maybe a sign from your favourite football club. It just has to be something that when you look at, you know it belongs to you.
Make your place of work feel like home.
Enjoyment
This takes us beautifully to the end. The most important point. Enjoy your place of work. In general, you probably enjoy being at home, so try your best to take these home comforts that you crave and take them with you.
That’s not to say make your work and home the same thing, as you need some separation, but try to blend the two. Experiment with what makes you feel happy.
