Your environment plays a HUGE part on how you feel. So, it’s logical that your work environment plays a huge part on your productivity.
With that in mind, it’s to your benefit that your work environment, whether it’s a home office or a cubicle in the corporate world, be both calming AND motivating. Here are a few ways to accomplish just that.
Wall Color
Color is subjective. Therefore, our reaction to color is variable and hard to define. So in choosing wall colors for an office environment, it’s best to concentrate on whether to use “warm” colors or “cool” colors and how each pallet makes you “feel”.
Warm Colors: yellows, oranges, browns, yellowish greens, orangy reds
Cool Colors: blues, greens, pinks, purples, blue-greens, magentas, and blue-based reds.
As a general rule, Cool colors are best for office environments. This is because cool colors have a more “calming” affect than warm colors, which are more energizing and evoke excitement.
Generally, most of us who work in an office are most productive in calm and tranquil surroundings. So when deciding on a wall color for your office environment, choose a cool color for the wall, and add splashes of warm colors as accents in the art, accessories and window treatments.
ArtThe art on your office walls should be inspirational. Do NOT underestimate the importance of this! So what inspires YOU?…family pictures, vacation posters, water color scenes, a picture of that new car you want… Whatever it is, THAT is what should be on your walls.
If hanging posters, don’t just tack them on the wall. Invest in a poster frame, they’re inexpensive and give importance to the poster AND the inspiration it represents.
Diplomas and Certificates are the epitome of inspiration. You worked hard to get them, so showcase them properly by framing them with matted frames. If you have more than one, hang them together as a set instead of scattered on different walls.
If you regularly host customers or clients in your office, include art that will help to motivate THEM to buy from you.
Eliminate Clutter
Let’s be honest here….it doesn’t matter HOW calming the color we paint our office walls is…if the office is cluttered, we’re going to feel chaotic. Chaos takes a huge toll on productivity.
I know that it can be challenging to stay on top of the paper mess, and once it’s out-of-hand, it’s quite overwhelming, so I recommend that you invest a few hours to de-clutter and then make it a concious habit to stay on top of it!
If organization is not your forte, there are Professional Organizers that are excellent at helping you with ideas and suggestions to keep your office clear of clutter and organized. The investment is well worth it. I know of one who is awesome. Send me an email and I’d be happy to share her information.
Lighting
I’m always amazed at how little attention people place on lighting. Often, I’ll go into a home and the only light in the room is a ceiling fan. Lighting is a HUGE part of good décor, and in an office it’s not only good décor, it’s critical for maximum productivity.
Lighting, as a general rule, should be placed throughout the room in a triangular pattern, which means at least 3 sources of light. This will insure that ALL areas of the space can be well lit when necessary.
Natural light is always best. If you have a window in your office, place your desk and chair parallel to the window if possible. This will allow you to take advantage of the natural light but not get the reflection on the computer screen as you would with your back to the window.
A desk lamp is a wonderful way to insure good task lighting, with or without a window.
Greenery
The thing about greenery is that…unless you’ve had it…you don’t really know you’re missing it! Plants bring the outdoors inside. They evoke a feeling of tranquility and being with nature… “A few plants could have a large effect on worker happiness, according to the study led by Tina Cade, an associate professor of horticulture at Texas State University, and Andrea Dravigne of the San Marcos Nature Center.”
Don’t get hung up on having “fake” plants. Today’s silk foliage looks just like the real thing. So if you don’t have a green thumb, get silks. They provide the same “good feeling” benefits that live plants do.
If you DO have a green thumb, live plants are even better, in the sense that they not only look good but also reduce air pollutants. For a list of the best plants for this, Visit This Site
You don’t have to overdo it on the plants, but one or two, strategically placed, can make a big difference in the mood of all who enter.
A mind always employed is always happy. This is the true secret, the grand recipe, for felicity.
~Thomas Jefferson
Until next time,
Alba
