Is your workspace working for you?
What does the space you work in every day look like? Is it organized? Is it functional? Do you enjoy being there? Does it help you do better work?
There are so many different elements to the physical space you are working in. The surface you are working on, your chair, the light, the air, the temperature, all of it has an influence on your productivity, on your body, on your mind.
For those of you who are on the road a lot, how about your car or truck, is it working for you? Is your briefcase or toolbox organised. Do you carry everything you need?
I found this interesting article by Toby Nwazor on a site called Entrepeneur.com
5 Simple Ways to Boost Productivity by Improving Your Workspace
The work environment significantly affects one’s productivity, no doubt about that. It’s no news that one tends to become what he/she beholds long enough. It is like we all are chameleons, we reflect our work environment and the quality of our work is colored too.
Your work environment can decrease your productivity levels if you do not recognize its importance. Often times, you may not directly discover that your workspace is letting you down in your productivity levels, but there sure are certain signs that show this.
Here are five simple things to do or place in your workspace to boost your productivity.
- Go natural.
We are products of nature; do not get carried away by civilization. The challenges of climate change and global warming bring this back very strongly to our memory. We now have more wildlife activists and millions of “green” ambassadors all over the world.
There’s a reason, writers and artists of all kinds tend to move to the countryside: a natural setting or at least the presence of office plants or landscape paintings has a range of benefits, including helping workers recover from demanding activities and in lowering their stress levels.
- Light the place up.
Lighting has direct effects on our productivity, and on how we work. Dim lighting can make you feel drowsy and should be avoided unless you work in a photo studio or some other place that requires low light. The idea is to keep the space properly lit.
Exposure to natural light is especially beneficial to health and productivity of workers cooped up in an office all day. Natural sunlight has been found to decrease depression and improve mood, energy, alertness and productivity.
- Sit in a comfortable seat.
The drawbacks of a sedentary lifestyle cannot be over emphasized. Humans are wired for work, and in recent years, coupled with the advent of the internet, our definition of work have been moved from being more of a physical concept, to a mental phenomenon. This is good, but it poses a problem — fitness. This is why fitness houses and fitness program owners are making a fortune in recent years.
- Keep it simple.
It was Leonardo da Vinci, the famous artist who said that “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Apart from maybe framed pictures of loved ones, your office plant, and notes, you really do not need to have others things on your table, keep the drinks in the fridge, keep all the files in the cabinet, get another table for your printer, put the trash in the trash can, and empty it regularly.
You have to keep your work space simple and less cluttered because the freer the space, the more willingness there is to get things done. You do not have to worry about clearing out your table or looking for one thing or the other because everything is where it is supposed to be.
- Comfort is paramount.
While people say you have to go out of your comfort zone to succeed, you have to understand that you need a certain level of comfort to get things done. Truth is, sometimes discomfort is the nudging of your instincts, telling you to refrain or make adjustments in the steps you are about to take.
That said, when clients enter your office and experience a warm design and organized space, they develop some respect for you. People generally do business with people they like and trust and not necessarily the most brilliant or capable, and people usually trust people they respect.
The furniture, the painting, air quality, and noise level must be effectively managed to reflect comfort, warmth, and bliss.
There’s so much negative energy in the world, let your workspace be your haven and let loose!
