How to Fall in Love with Your Workspace

You’re spending about 45 hours at work. If you’re getting the average 7 hours of sleep, that means you’re spending most of your waking time at the office. What would it mean to your mental health to have a way to fall in love with your workspace? What would it mean to your productivity? Your response to problem-solving?

In this blog, you will get:

• Inspiration and ideas to create an oasis at work
• Be able to recharge and become centered anytime at work

Part of the reason we dread work is the stress and the offices lacks any personality. Since we spend so much our time and energy doing our jobs, pressure builds. Expectations mount, deadlines are real, politics are inescapable. So what do you do to take back your sanity and peace of mind? If a resignation isn’t in the cards, then you have to take ownership of how you conduct yourself and your day. Creating a little oasis in your workspace can completely shift your mindset, and provide just the right amount of clarity and perspective you need to tap into your highest-performing self.

I have had great results with this practice. I’ve carried little talismans that remind me of home like a tiny toy from my kiddos. I’ve brought certain fragrances that remind me of peaceful and happy times (for me gardenia reminds me of friendship and laughter and starry nights. So a gardenia scented lotion instantly puts my mind at ease.) Bringing a little frame with a quote that resonates with you is another way to bring int your personality into the space.

Like so many growth opportunities, this one starts in your journal. You are journaling, aren’t you? If you aren’t, it is a practice I swear by. It is the catalyst of every breakthrough I’ve ever had, every action plan, every dream began as a scribble on a page. Don’t let the format or “how-to” intimidate you from grabbing one. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all way to do it. But if you need help with starting, there are countless resources on the internet.

How to fall in love with your workspace:

(create an oasis)

1. List what instantly calms you, brings you joy, and center you.
2. Decide where you’ll keep your little oasis (a desk drawer, on a shelf, or a side-table).
3. Is it private (just for you) or does it feel more expansive to share this? (BTW, neither option is wrong. This is for you, after all!)
4. Gather the goods.
5. Set them up. Take time to design and curate the little spot. Think about how you’ll be using it in-the-moment at work to make it function for you.
6. Done! Time to enjoy.

Inspiration:

• Think about building a zen garden.
• Curate a beautiful little shelf with your favorite quote, a brass wire frame piece of decor (just for pretties) and a succulent plant. Give the plant a name.
• Add a battery-powered aromatherapy candle warmer.
• Bring in greenery, whether a full growth fiddle leaf fig tree or a little aloe plant.
• Change the lighting by either swapping out bulbs if possible or adding a daytime lamp to your desk.

Creating a physical place to recharge is an important part of falling in love with your workspace. But it isn’t just about the real-world stuff you include in the space. Also generate rules for yourself that help you create balance, such as after you complete a meeting, you take a 10-minute walk, apply your special fragrance, read a book just for fun. Whatever you decide to do will differ depending on the person, but make sure you are infusing your personality and respecting your time. Then you’ll find a new appreciation and even love for your little corner of the professional world.