The days come and go and before we know it months have passed by, its business as usual and all seems fine.. Well so I thought. This morning, I felt different and I said to myself "I'll have the day off to have a break and finish off my work tomorrow". Before I knew it nearly 2 weeks had passed, I had no idea of what was happening to me but out of nowhere my head felt cluttered and I had lost motivation for my business. WHAT where did this come from and why? I spent a few weeks soul searching and I realised something must have changed for me to feel this way and yes there it was, my WORKSPACE, I had recently moved house and had never finished setting up my office but surely I thought, this can't be all that is bringing me to feel this way, REALLY? So, after some research I learnt a lot about our workspace and that what they are like can affect us in our businesses, effect employees and our customers. There were 3 points which caught my eye and I found most appropriate for myself - CLUTTER, COLOUR and TEMPERATURE - Read below to see why.
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing". - Theodore Roosevelt -
01
Clutter - Looks bad right? clutter doesn't only look bad, but it also affects our mental health and can cause stress, anxiety and depression. This said, we know that we when feel any of these our motivation levels go out the window which causes effects on our productivity and this is what we don't want in our workplace or business.
It doesn't matter if you own and large factory or a run small business out of an office, if there is clutter there will be effects.
Throw or Delete - Make a rule that if it has not been used in 6 to 12 months get rid of it. (excluding financial documents). Looks tidy, appealing and welcoming to your customers and staff. This also creates space which your brain will recognise too, suddenly fresh new ideas will emerge and things will seem clearer too.
Group Task - Make it a task you and your employees can do together, with everyone chipping in this will make all involved more motivated.
Spaces - The main areas to focus on for decluttering are your work stations, shop front/Entrance, Staff lunch rooms and locker rooms and lastly your filling systems/cabinets.
02
Colours - Maybe the colours you have chosen to use on the walls are your all-time favourite colours? but did you know colours can impact on our emotions and behaviour? Look at the colours around you and take in how you are feeling at that moment. This will give you a sense of how others feel also when they see these colours, look at these colours listed below to see which suits your workspace best.
Green: Seeing the colour green has been linked to more creative thinking—so greens are good options for home offices, art studios, etc.
Red: People seeing others in front of red backgrounds generally find those other individuals are more attractive than when they see them silhouetted against other colours, so reds are great for a bedroom wall. Having a red surface in view also gives us a burst of strength, so reds are good choices for home gym areas, etc. Seeing red has been linked to impaired analytical reasoning, though, making it a bad option for offices.
Violet: People link a greyish violet with sophistication, so it can be a good selection for places where you’re trying to make the “right” impression.
Yellow: Using yellow in a home can be problematic. Many people dislike the colour, so if you have a lot of yellow rooms in your home or a yellow front door, you may be advised to repaint to get the best price for your home should you sell. An exception: Many people use yellow in kitchens—with no negative sales repercussions. Yellow may be accepted in kitchens because warm colours stimulate our appetite.
Blue: People are more likely to tell you that blue is their favourite colour than any other shade. That makes it a safe choice. Seeing blue also brings thoughts of trustworthiness to mind, always a good thing.
This doesn't mean that you necessarily have to go out and paint a wall, however, perhaps look at accessorising your workspace with colour, wall art, plants or bright furniture. The more appealing this is the more it will attract.
03
Temperature - Too hot or too cold? Just like all above, the temperature plays a role in our work performance too. It has been discovered when workplaces drop below 20 degrees, we become cold and distracted. Why is this? Because when our body temperature drops, we need to use more energy to keep warm, rather than put it to better use, like with concentration and inspiration. It is also known physical warmth leads to emotional warmth and trust and so a warmer environment is best but not too warm, having the temperature between 22 and 25 degrees is recommended.
Heating: As noted above, this is important so do invest in this, ensure you have both heating and cooling options.
Airflow: Appropriate airflow is essential, look at your workspace and ensure you have enough opening windows and doors to let the fresh air in.
Interesting isn't it, how 3 simple things can impact on us hugely and not be aware of it..and I did make the changes needed in my home office and what a difference it made.