The life of those who work in an office – or remotely, from home, in this post-pandemic scenario – involves spending many hours sitting in front of the computer. If that’s you, you are probably reading this article from your work desk right now.
So take a good look at your table: is it organized, with each item in its place, or complete chaos that takes a long time to decipher? Maintaining and configuring the different elements of your work desk can increase our organization, efficiency, and, consequently, productivity.
After all, no one likes to work in an impersonal, disorganized place; the more uncomfortable the environment, the less time you will want to spend there. As feeling good at work is essential to a positive experience, try to adopt these four simple setup ideas to inspire creativity.
1. Create Natural Light
As several studies have already found, natural light stimulates a good mood. It helps to reduce stress. So daylight can boost creativity and productivity, and you can still “unplug” from work from time to time looking out the window to relax.
Setting up your desk close to the source of natural light is essential, but spending the whole day in direct sunlight can also bother you – because of reflections on your computer screen or desk itself. If the window has blinds, shades, or shutters, the problem is solved.
Sitting farthest from the windows has the opposite effect. In addition to the lack of light impacting your mood, it will require you to strain your eyes more to see printed documents or computer spreadsheets.
To compensate for the lack of natural light, the best options are to place desk lamps, monitor lamps, or screen bars to improve the brightness of your work area. But remember: too much shine can irritate your eyes and interfere with your concentration.
2. Find Fashionable Work Accessories
It’s essential to try to minimize clutter on your desk by getting rid of anything useless. That way, you find what you need faster and increase your productivity. But that doesn’t mean you have to take it to the letter and have an empty, sterile and impersonal workspace.
Having entertaining, new accessories on hand can be a simple way to tackle a repetitive work routine, improving your motivation. Different items help give a “brand new” impression to your workspace. Here are some examples:
- A modern notepad with colorful stickers to help organize your day.
- A new mug with a catchy phrase.
- An outlet tower, so you never run out of socket options.
- A wireless charging pad for your phone or tablet.
- Pillows to improve your posture when sitting.
- A new pair of computer glasses to minimize the effect of the device’s blue light.
The last accessory has a particularly important and practical use and remember that it’s more convenient than ever to get a hold of a high-quality pair of eyewear with blue light filtering features. Opt for a reputable distributor for your purchase and order glasses online rather than being limited by in-store stock, which is often more costly.
3. Try Standing Desks
You should consider a standing desk setup if you spend a lot of time sitting and already experience back pain or posture problems. Standing desks improve work ergonomics, can make you more productive, and boost creativity while helping you adopt a different position. Remember that a sedentary lifestyle brings many risks to your health, including increased blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.
If you prefer to slowly transition to a standing desk, try to use an ergonomic chair to maintain a healthier posture. It’s hard to be productive or focus on work when you are sitting in an uncomfortable chair – and your spine will remind you of that all the time.
4. Add a Little Nature
Recent research suggests that having live plants in your workspace can be beneficial in several ways. In addition to helping to purify the air, they help keep you focused (as they require some attention throughout the day, even if they are cacti or succulents) and improve your mood—the more colorful, the better.
So bring plants close or have a small one on your desk to be minimally connected with nature. They will help you relax and improve your quality of life for sure.
Your Work Desk Reflects Your Mood
An organized, pleasant, and fun workspace shows your bosses and colleagues how motivated and productive you are. On the other hand, a disorganized and uncomfortable desk gives the opposite image. It can even harm your performance by not allowing the minimum conditions of concentration and well-being.
You don’t need to invest a lot of money or time to improve your work desk setup. By implementing some (or all) of the above ideas, you will already feel more comfortable and inspired to tackle a long workday or a new and challenging project.