4 Tips to Improve the Atmosphere of Your Workplace in the Office

The key to being successful, resourceful, and ending your work day with a great sense of accomplishment is hard work and concentration. If your office workspace is disorganized and uninviting, it works against you.

If you feel your happiness meter drop a few notches the moment you sit at your desk—if you have trouble maintaining focus because you can’t find your pen, that important expense report, or your laptop in all the clutter, then it may be time to change the mood of your workspace.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry. It’s never too late to make a change. By implementing a few simple tips and tricks, you will breathe new life into an uninviting workspace.

Think of it as your favorite black and white movie bursting into glorious technicolor. Let’s get started, shall we?

1) The color of your surroundings matters

A fresh coat of paint can make any space better. It might be one of the most basic steps you can take to make a positive space, but it can have profound impact on how you work.

Take yourself on a well-deserved field trip to your local paint store and find colors that appeal to you.

Which color makes you feel the happiest, comfortable, and energized? You may want to choose a subtle hue, then add splashes of color throughout with artwork and office accessories.

It’s said that blue hues affect the mind while yellow affects creativity, so why not experiment with those colors throughout your office space? Choose lighter tones instead of dark, especially if you have a window in your office—lighter colors enhance any natural light coming in.

2) Furniture can make or break your mood at work

If you’re going to be distracted by something in your office, it should never be something as simple as furniture. If you have a desk that is too small, wobbly, or is just plain uncomfortable – it is just not going to work.

When it comes to spending money, you should invest the most in things that are between you and the floor, like your mattress, shoes, car, etc. This also includes your office chair, something you likely spend a lot of time in. Take your time comparing reviews online and test some out at any office supply store near you. Take no shame in being picky about your furniture.

Office furniture needs to be comfortable, functional, and the right proportions for your space. But there’s a lot to think about! Think outside the box—are you on the standing-desk bandwagon? If not, maybe it’s time to consider.

Sitting for extended periods of time (and by that, we mean even just 45 minutes) is not good for your long-term health. Plus, standing often gets your juices flowing and keeps your mind refreshed.

3) Stay organized! (We know—not as easy as it sounds)

We can’t talk about your office space without talking about staying organized.

Your parents probably told you, “there’s a place for everything, so return everything to its place.” And this is one of those times where you should really listen to your parents!

When things are unorganized, you waste time looking for them. Time that you need to be productive. Not to mention, the human brain hates straying from routine, so being unorganized can make you frazzled and uncomfortable. When you’re plugging right along then suddenly stop to find an essential item that you misplaced, that is a distraction. It will knock you right out of your zone.

Keep your work space spacious! Minimize clutter by recycling things you’re finished with. We’re not saying you have to go 100% digital (it seems like things get lost easier in the cloud anyway, doesn’t it?), but you should know where everything is.

Keep only what you really need on your desk. Ensure that your cords are organized, secured, and out of the way. Mount your computer on the wall if you can. Less is definitely more!

4) Just like color, lighting is a subtle yet important change you can make

The right lighting is vital to creating a positive and productive mood for your office, not to mention it will also help you avoid eye pain and headaches.

Think about how you feel walking outside on a gray gloomy day; then, how you feel walking outside on a bright sunny day. There’s a big difference for most of us. And there’s also a huge difference between standard lighting and lighting that mimics natural daylight.

The closer to natural light that you can find, the better. You don’t want it shooting directly into your eyes, or maybe not even right over your head, but just enough to brighten up the space will boost your mood and the mood of your home office.

Also worth mentioning is the lighting of your computer monitor. Just like your smartphone, the blue light emitted by computer screens is extremely strenuous on our eyes. There are many programs available that alter the colors on your monitor to be easier on the eyes, and you can even set the colors to change when the sun sets. If you work in graphic design, consider doing this for only part of the day as to not affect your work.

It’s never too late to change your office space for the better

So, there you have it. Making the most out of your office space is as easy as a weekend trip to your nearest hardware and office supply stores.

A comfortable employee will be a productive one, so it’s important not to forget about the little things—color, lighting, and furniture all matter much more than you think!