How important is your working environment?

How important is your working environment – at home or in the office?

I’ve been working from home for many years, spending my days between my home office and visiting corporate event clients, wedding couples or venues and suppliers. More recently, along with the rest of the world, I’ve been unable to work anywhere else. My husband has also been working from home, which means my little office space has needed to flex and expand to fit us both. It’s taken some time redefine and zone the space to work for us both, and it got me thinking… How important is your working environment?

So it turns out, it’s pretty important!

Most of us spend a lot of our time in the ‘office’ so naturally it’s important that we have a good environment to work in. It really can effect your wellbeing, more than you realise! I’m not suggesting you clear out the office and replace the furniture with inflatables or even cable cars (as Google Zurich have done), but you should think about it. Great energy can be created by an attractive, fun and comfortable environment which in turn should increase productivity.

A few things I’ve learn

Windows allow natural sunlight to flood into a room. We all need light in our lives, and a good dose of vitamin D, both of which are essential to contributing to a good mood. If your office is in a room without windows, or not much natural light consider buying a natural light lamp to give you the same boost.

Too much clutter can distract you. Having a clean, simple desk can help you to focus on your goals. Tidy desk, tidy mind.

If you work in a team, having an open workspace allows for easy communication. But if you’re like my husband and I, who have very different jobs and working hours, or if you’re in an office that requires you to socially distance from colleagues, you may want to consider the layout of the room. Moving desks to face away from each other is an option, however doesn’t work so well if you’re both regularly on video calls. My clients certainly aren’t interested in seeing what my husband is working on! For us the best options is placing our desks at right angles, it gives us both plenty of space around our desks and means we aren’t both facing the wall.

Some of the most innovative and entrepreneurial companies have very inspirational spaces, I particularly like UrbanOutfitters​ hanging garden – it’s certainly inspired my houseplant choices! Another great source of inspiration… is Career Addict’s Coolest Offices.

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