5 simple changes to your workspace that can increase your productivity dramatically
Is your workspace slowing you down?
We can all agree that stress in the workplace is something we hear talked about more and more. Could your workspace and physical environment be affecting your attitude and performance?
Research has shown that approximately 80% of what we see and experience is based on visual sense of the environment we are in. A bad workspace can make us mentally and physically sick and inhibit our productivity.
How can you revamp your workspace?
We all know that some working environments are not good for our stress levels and unless you are lucky enough to work in a modern office, here are some tips to improve your workspace:
- Add some personal touches. I don't mean a cuddly toy and a desk full of photographs, but small items that are meaningful to you, such as an inspiring book or artwork (postcard). Even using a nice notebook makes me feel better.
- Get organised.
Remember mess equals stress, both on your desk and your inbox. Inboxes
are easily overlooked. Take the time to
make up some new folders and file your emails.
This simple change will help you feel mentally organised and also rid
that nagging feeling in the back of your head,
"Have I missed something, have I forgotten to do something?".
- Clear away the clutter to help harmonise your mind and your
workspace. This is a pretty basic suggestion,
but trust me, it will help un-clutter your thoughts as well as your desk. A filing cabinet or wall storage can do wonders.
- Clean your workspace every now and again. I know that we all do quite enough cleaning
at home, but it really is worth it for our health. Dr Charles Gerba, a microbiologist, carried
out some research that found that keyboards have 3295 microbes per square inch
compared with 49 per square foot of the average toilet seat!!!!!! Do I hear those antibacterial wipes coming
out of the packet!
- Get a plant. Did you know that as well as adding aesthetics to your workspace they actually clean the air too? All of these plants are happy on a desk; English Ivy, Peace Lilies, Philodendron, Snake Plants. Plants in the Dracaena family are well known to be air purifiers.
We would all like to be working in an office like the one above, but in the meantime it might be worth giving the above suggestions a try, for our health and productivity levels.
Debbie Wilson
You can also see the infographic version of this blog post below. Feel free to post it on your blog / website and link to our blog post.
Now it's your turn! Let us know in the comments below which are your go-to tricks to be more productive at work.