With the rise of at-home working in the wake of the global pandemic, it is no surprise that millions of people across the world are seeking ways to make their workspaces more mindful. Not only does this lead to better work quality and productivity, but also an improvement in mental health overall. We should never underestimate the power that a mindful workspace can have over your mood, and there are several easy steps you can take to create this somewhat sacred space. Let’s look into the importance of mindfulness when working and the steps you can take to add some more zen to your work location, whether you are working from home or working in your company office.
The importance of having a mindful workplace
When we are working in a space that is conducive to mindfulness, this allows us to tackle challenges more easily and refrain from persistent stress. The environment has a huge ability to alter our moods, and creating a space that feels relaxing for you to work in can boost motivation and job satisfaction as a whole.
More often than not, creating a mindful workspace doesn’t mean a complete redesign of your home office. There are small and simple changes you can make that could help you feel calmer and at peace when taking on your daily tasks. Find below some top tips for creating a more relaxing work environment.
- Keep your desk organised and utilise Feng Shui
One of the easiest ways to instantly feel less stressed is ensuring that your workspace is organised. This allows you to find things with ease, and also can help your mind to feel more organised when your environment is. A big culprit for disorganisation can be your desk. Spend a morning emptying out your entire desk to then tidy and reorganise. This allows you to see everything you have and means you can declutter with ease for a more open space. Try to then make this a daily or weekly practice of tidying, this will avoid clutter building up again quickly.
Being mindful of clutter, desk positioning, and colours in your office, are just some aspects that relate to Feng Shui. At its core, Feng Shui is all about creating a more balanced environment – so where better to use it than for your workspace? Using Feng Shui in your office and for your office desk can also help you create a more mindful and effective workspace to work in.
- Add some plants to your space
Potted plants are also a great way to add some life and relaxation to your workspace or office. Not only do they help to oxygenate the room which helps limit stress levels, but they also create a visually pleasing environment. If you’re working from the company office, decorate your desk with a selection of plants to care for. If you’re working from home, invest in some new houseplants that you can tend to when you need a 5 or 10-minute break away from your desk.
- Work somewhere which helps ground you, with lots of natural light
There are many ways to create a mindful home office and to help ground yourself, such as using decor for all of your senses. For sound, it can be relaxing focus music and nature sounds, and for smell it can be fragrant desk plants and flowers. For sight, crisp white walls can help brighten up your workspace and improve motivation. There are actually quite a few environmental factors which affect workplace productivity including temperature, noise, and lighting.
Therefore, it’s also important to ensure that you are working in an area that gets adequate lighting for working conditions and plenty of natural light. This ensures that you receive a good amount of vitamin d every day (which can be hard to source when sitting inside at a desk most of the day!) Sunlight boosts our serotonin levels and is key to a happier mood. Consider working outdoors in the summer, or even just taking some time to sit in the garden on your breaks throughout the day if you don’t have access to a brighter indoor room.
- Keep your work strictly to one room
One of the best ways to be more mindful about your workspace is to ensure that you keep your work in one space. This allows you to switch off more easily at the end of each day, especially when working at home. Be stern with yourself and don’t allow yourself to work from bed or the living room to create more boundaries. This will allow you to not always feel consumed by work and creates a degree of separation that is conducive to mindfulness.