Work can be a slog. No matter how much you enjoy doing what you do, there will be times when you’re just not feeling it. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the workload – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re not feeling very productive, and that’s never a good mood for work.
There are tons of things you can do to change that, but one of the most simple and most fun ways to do it is to just change your work environment a bit. The key word here is “a bit” – you don’t need to perform a full-on remodeling to make your work day better. All you really need is just a couple neat little items that will make your day brighter. Here are some examples we think will work just fine.
Cable organizers
Cables are a necessary part of most workplaces nowadays. A lot of us work with computers, so there’s no going around the fact that you’ll have a lot of room dedicated purely to having some cables lying around. Unfortunately, not only are these cables an eyesore, but they also get dusty very easily, end up tangled which can make unplugging your phone charger a nightmare, and they can turn into an actual health hazard if you don’t look where you’re going.
With cable organizers, you can make things much easier for yourself. These come in different shapes and sizes, such as in the form of clips. There’s a variety of colors to choose from, and the designs of many of them can be pretty cute. You can also make some clips of your own by reusing old paper clips or getting your hands dirty and busting out the play-doh.
Stickers
Keeping your papers organized is one of the key aspects of maintaining a harmonious work environment. It can also be the bane of your existence if you don’t know how to approach it. Luckily, there is a number of fun ways to help you out with that, one of them being stickers. Stickers can help you mark important areas within a document, as well as serve as a means of categorizing files. You can use custom stickers to make this even cuter than it needs to be.
Journals and notebooks
While a lot of current office life happens online, it’s still a good idea to keep a notebook handy, so that you can easily write down memos. Many notebooks come with sections specifically dedicated to keeping up with meetings, events, deadlines, etc. This all makes it much easier to manage your work day.
It’s worth mentioning that we now have technology that seamlessly blends the traditional notebook with the digitization of office life. Many companies offer notebooks or pens that give the impression of casually writing down a note on paper, while your note is actually being made on a computer. It’s a great way to save time on copying notes!
Pens, pencils, and more
We’ve mentioned notebooks, but that’s only one half of the equation when it comes to making notes. Whether you use a pen or a pencil, this is another area in which you can make your day brighter pretty effortlessly. Cute pens are quite easy to come by and if you can’t find that’s in line with your tastes, you can easily make your own – just buy a simple pen and get crafty.
But where do you hold all these pens? You could just use a regular cup, but not only do those tend to tip over, but put more than a couple of pens in there and things instantly get chaotic. Get a pen organizer that will allow you to divide your writing tools into neatly organized sections. And guess what – there’s a ton of those that come in cute designs too!
Desk organizers
One step above a pen organizer is a desk organizer. These range from barely more than a cup with sections to entire shelves with dedicated drawers. This is especially important if you have to deal with a lot of paperwork. Storing your documents in filing cabinets is, or course, crucial, but you need to be able to manage them as you work on many of them simultaneously, and a desk organizer can help you out with just that.
Noise-cancelling headphones
While talking to your coworkers can definitely brighten your mood, it doesn’t help your focus, making it a detriment to your work day organization. If your workplace is particularly noisy but allows headphones, make sure you get a noise-cancelling pair. This may seem like magic, but they really work! By sending out waves opposite to those approaching from beyond the headphones, all external sounds are cancelled out and you’re left only with that lo-fi hip hop beats to work and study to.
A portable standing desk
This may be a bit less obvious, but your comfort level has a direct correlation with your mood and ability to focus. With most office jobs, we’re forced to spend all day sitting down. Some people try to combat that with a standing desk, but it turns out that extended periods of standing can also be detrimental to your health (and really, who would even want to stand for 8 hours a day?).
While the best way to make sure your posture is good is to just walk around every so often to stretch your legs, it’s hard to get any desk work done that way. That’s why a small, portable standing desk might be the perfect addition to your workplace. If you’ve been sitting down for too long, just open up this device, take your laptop, and you can continue your work standing. While it’s not the ideal situation, mixing it up is definitely the optimal course of action for your productivity and health. It also really helps break up the monotony.
An appropriately-sized plant
Lastly, we have a suggestion that might seem a bit weird at first. While it might seem that adding a plant to your desk is only inviting more clutter, it’s actually the other way around. The plant acts as a centerpiece of sorts. As it draws attention by looking pretty, everything around it that disrupts that aesthetic stands out all the more, so you’ll most likely just clean it up automatically. The key here, however, is that you choose a plant that’s neither too big or too small for your desk.
Let’s not forget the fact that plants are basically a piece of nature within the workplace, and it’s a scientifically proven fact that humans feel better and more at ease when they’re surrounded by nature. So if you’re looking for a surefire way to make your workday brighter, getting a plant is one step towards achieving that.