DECORATING 101
Sprucing Up Your Work Space to Maximise Productivity
BY HIRANMAYII AWLI MOHANAN
The environment that you work in can play a major role in your mood and productivity. Sprucing up your work place will just do the trick to uplift spirits and productivity. Here are a couple of wallet-friendly decor tricks you can integrate into your office that will make you feel more energised, inspired and motivated to take on the day, even during the dreaded afternoon slump.
1. Decluttered Minimalism
Since minimalism is all the rage these days, adopting a clean, minimalist aesthetic for your work space can prove all kinds of stylish and inviting. It also makes it more comfortable to get things signed, sealed and delivered. Clutter around your office could potentially make you feel overwhelmed and far more stressed than necessary. So, aim to keep your office simple and clutter-free for a zen vibe each and every day.
2. Play With Colours
Your cubicle or work space is your oyster. Make it vibrant and exciting by playing with colours. Scientific studies have touted the direct influence of colour on both mood and productivity. Blue hues stimulate the mind while yellow colour inspires creativity and green induces feelings of relaxation, but of course, this can vary from person to person. Identify colours you find personally stimulating and incorporate them wherever you can.
3. Invigorate With Scents
Staying energised and stimulated throughout the day can go downhill, especially after lunch. The key to feeling your best all day is to pay attention to all your senses, and that includes treating your sense of smell to calming scents wafting through your space. Peppermint is commonly used to energise and refresh, aiding concentration, while citrusy scents can uplift and de-stress. You can either light up scented candles or go with essential oils in diffusers — they are safe and calming at the same time.
4. Add a Touch of Green
As children of mother Earth, being amid nature is inscribed in us. This dilemma is easily solved by simply adding a touch of green to your space. Plants will not only purify the air that surrounds you, it brings along feel-good vibes and offers more opportunities to customise and enhance your interior with decorative pots and vases. You’d be surprised at how a plant can not only spruce up your space, but uplift your spirits too.
5. Create a Vision Board
Some of you might already have cork boards that feature your to-do list which helps on the productivity front, but adding goals for the future in the form of photos and messages will increase its producing power tenfold. The law of attraction states that sending constant positive thoughts to the universe will eventually materialise, using the power of the mind. So, transform your cork board into a vision board featuring the things you’d most like to accomplish in the near and distant future and watch as your daily motivation levels increase and your goals come to fruition.
6. Keep Your Desk Pretty and Clutter-Free
Clutter is the biggest culprit behind zapping one’s productivity. A clutter-filled desk instantly affects your mind and mood. To keep stress at bay and keep things in order, get inexpensive, small storage boxes to create a home for all your things. Storing away writing utensils, papers before their processed, and miscellaneous office supplies will instantly make your space appear more organised and make it a whole lot easier to keep it that way.
7. Hang Up Motivational Quotes
When you feel like you’re in a rut and uninspired, it’s tough to produce good work, trust us, we know. It could also make you lose sight on your goals and why you’re working to begin with. Print out some of your favourite motivational quotes that can make a serious impact on your daily output Adding a few pieces to showcase your favourite motivational messages can make a serious impact on your daily output. Choose a style that aligns with the general theme of your space and showcase it proudly to remind yourself what’s important.