How To Make Your Workspace Work For You?

It doesn’t matter whether you work from home or from an office, your workspace has a massive effect on your productivity and the enjoyment you get from your work, and a few small tweaks to your environment can really make the difference. Now, we aren’t suggesting cocktails after lunch or making sure your desk aligns with the North Star, but if your area is too dull and monotonous then it could be stifling your creativity- likewise, if you work from home surrounded by clutter and family, you could be subjecting yourself to a barrage of distractions that are disrupting your work. Read through these pointers on ensuring your workspace fits your professional lifestyle, and see if there’s any you could apply!

Find Your Brain Hemisphere:

Are you left-brained or right-brained? This can signify the best conditions for you to work in. If you find you think in a more linear, logical manner, and thrive in an organised and structured environment, then make sure your space is clear- you may like one or two personal items around, but otherwise try and keep the area as neat as possible. Adversely, you may find you are a more creative thinker, in which case experiment with scented candles, music, and artwork or colourful accessories to keep the creative juices flowing!

Streamline Your Space:

Make sure your work area is a designated zone for you to focus on your task at hand. Remove any distractions which may be holding you back, and if you work from home then try and pick a spot where you won’t be bothered or is specifically for that purpose. Have areas for you to keep you completed tasks, your current tasks, any upcoming reminders, and anything else that may otherwise be lying in your way and detract you from your work.

Basic Ergonomics:

If you’re seated for a long time, pay attention to your body! Use these tips to avoid a strain or injury.

1.   Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the floor.

2.  Keep proper posture.

3.  Adjust the arms of your chair so they’re level with your keyboard.

4.  Placed referenced documents for typing near the keyboard to prevent repetitive neck movement.

5.  Your wrists should be straight and “float” about the keyboard.

6.  Relax your hand on the mouse to prevent cramping.

7.  Adjust brightness/contrast on your monitor; place away from windows and bright lights to prevent glare.

8.  Do eye asanas anytime your eyes get tired, and adjust your screen font size to avoid strain.

Colour Therapy:

If you think colour therapy is some New Age Feng Shui, think again! There is scientific proof showing correlations between colours and their effects. The more saturated a colour, the more stimulating we find it, whereas when it’s less saturated we find it more soothing, and each of the prime colours can boost us in various ways. Blue appeals to our logical brain the best, so is well suited to an accounts office or similar, although experts recommend incorporating a little pop of a warmer colour too. If your office is a space of creativity then yellow is the way to go, as it enhances your optimism and you’ll feel more positive about taking creative chances- and they may well pay off! Red is physically stimulating, so if your workspace requires you to act physically then the use of red can help to promote that. On the flipside, green is a calming and balancing colour, so if you’re in a workplace which could use a little calming influence then try and use a splash of green- although if you’re a very “red” person, then you could find green a bit too stagnant, and restrictive for your energetic nature, so experiment with what works for you!

Here at Dilate, we’re pro’s of digital marketing, so we know how important it is to keep your workplace stimulating and inspiring- it’s how we keep our digital marketing strategies so fresh!