Your Environment Matters More Than You Think
Whether you are working from home or work in an office, the space you spend your time in matters. A lot.
Your environment can directly impact your:
- Creativity
- Productivity
- Motivation
- Mental and emotional well-being
- Overall happiness and joy
Take a look around your office, your home, or your place of business. If the spaces you spend time in feel chaotic, messy, unorganized, and/or uninspiring, it can hinder even your best intentions. So, what can you do?
First, Analyze Your Space
Start by really looking at your space. Slowly walk around your work and living spaces, and honestly ask yourself:
- How does this space make me feel?
- What annoys and frustrates me?
- What do I waste time on constantly searching for?
- What triggers stress instead of calm?
- What is not working?
Make a list of how your home and workspace make you feel.
What exactly makes you not want to sit down at your desk and start working? When you are working at your desk or whatever area you create in, what keeps you from being creative and productive? Does it feed your creative juices?
It’s crucial to identify the problems and pain points in order to fix them.
Are You Setup to Fail or to Succeed?
Let’s say you are trying to lose weight and get healthy, but the first thing you see when you open the fridge or pantry is left-over pizza, chips, soda, cookies and all those indulgent treats, you are not setting yourself up to win. It is pure sabotage.
If you have to rummage through your closet every morning searching for your running shoes, it is not going to help you get out the door for that morning walk.
Or you get a sudden burst of inspiration for your newest art project, but if you can’t find the tools or material you need, that inspiration is going to go right out the window.
Set yourself up so winning is as easy as possible, because it is hard enough without added frustration and temptations.
- Get rid of the junk food from your house and make healthy food the first thing you see in your fridge.
- Layout your sneakers and workout clothes the night before.
- Prepare your workspace: charge your laptop, have important notes ready, keep the area clean and free of distractions.
Make it easy for yourself to succeed.
Prioritize the Biggest Bang for Your Buck
Don’t try to change your whole house or office at once.
Instead, ask yourself what change will make the biggest impact.
- Where do you spend the most time?
- How would the change impact your day-to-day living?
- What one improvement would make you feel accomplished?
Taking the time to identify your most important area and starting there will motivate you to move on to the next pain point in your home.
The Power of an Organized Space
Which Space Would You Rather Work In?
How does it make you feel when you look at the pictures above?
Just looking at the messy office makes you feel stressed and frazzled, and frankly, I am turning around and running away.
Whereas the other picture on the right most likely makes you feel calm and inviting, calling you to sit down and start working.
Declutter Your Space
If you can’t get started on your work because you can’t find any of the materials or files you need, decluttering your space is key and your first priority.
As a creative person, I find it hard to stay organized. Of course, I love it organized, but getting there is not always easy. I am also a visual person, so I want and need certain things to be visible instead of hidden.
For example, I do much better with a to-do list on a pad next to my computer or wherever I am working, versus having it on my phone. If I put it on my phone, it will be forgotten, and I may not even want to look at it. And it can also become a distraction versus a help due to the wonderful world of the internet.
You might be the complete opposite and prefer keeping lists and schedules on your phone or computer.
But the key is to be honest with yourself and ask, is what I’m doing really working?
Figure out how you work and what works best for you. And remember “less is more”. Having stuff everywhere is going to clutter up your mind and your thinking.
Being successful is not synonymous with having a lot of stuff, even though it can seem so in the consumer-driven world we live in.
Simplicity Doesn’t Have to Equal Minimalism
Organizing and paring down does not mean you have to become a minimalist with sparse furnishings. It simply means you are prioritizing what is important to you and what you really enjoy having around you.
If it serves no purpose, is always in the way, does not give you good feelings when you look at it, get rid of it. Sell it or donate it if it is in good condition. Let someone else enjoy it if you’re not.
The best thing about purging and organizing is that it is free and can make the biggest impact of all.
Prioritize Functionality
Setting up your space to look like the latest TikTok video or Instagram post is tempting, but it might not be what works best for you, no matter how pretty it looks.
Sure, we all want our spaces to look nice, but functionality is key when selecting furniture pieces and so is maintenance. A glass table can look nice, but it is a pain to clean if you have little kids imprinting their little fingerprints everywhere. If you hate dusting, don’t select furniture that shows dust easily.
How you sit is crucial. Your desk and chair need to be ergonomic. This is an area you should not skimp on. Sitting poorly can cause long-term effects like back pain, shoulder, and wrist pain. And if you don’t sit comfortably, it is going to make it very difficult to be productive, and you will try to avoid sitting in front of your computer or craft table at all cost.
Having two monitors might seem like an unnecessary luxury but depending on the work you do and the software tool you are using, having two screens could make your job much easier and more enjoyable.
How is the desk working for you? Is it big enough? Does it have storage? Does the dark color of your desk seem to accumulate a lot of dust?
You could even customize your own desk at IKEA by selecting a work bench top of your choice to go with the table legs you prefer. Or get an adjustable desk that lets you stand up during the day or a walking treadmill for under your desk that could break up the sedentary day of sitting.
The best choice will depend on what type of work you do and your needs.
If you don’t really like your desk but can’t afford to buy a new one right now, you could paint it or you could add a large desk pad that will cover a large surface of your desk to make it more appealing. Desk pads come in different sizes and many colors and eliminate the need for a mouse pad.
Or check out Facebook marketplace or a thrift store to find a unique or slightly used desk or other office furniture to save you some money.
Make it Pretty
After you’ve considered functionality, it is time to make it pretty. Whatever that means to you. Just because it is functional does not mean it can’t look nice too.
Make the space reflect you. Create a space that you enjoy working in and your day will go by a lot faster.
Starring at a blank wall might not be what you need to be creative. If so, infuse your space with color, artwork, functional but cute organization, or inspiration boards that make you want to take action.
Select whatever makes you feel creative, organized, focused, and helps you be more productive, but stay away from making your space too cluttered.
Creating an Ambiance
Create a space with ambiance. Add the right lighting, the right colors, and plants you enjoy looking at.
Plants go a long way to make a room feel warm and inviting in addition to helping clean the air of toxins.
Studies have shown that stressed individuals feel better after exposure to nature scenes. Scientists assert that green spaces increase our ability to concentrate and improve productivity and morale among workers.
One study from the University of Queensland noted that offices with plant life demonstrated productivity rates 15 percent higher than their counterparts.
Play music that boosts focus and creativity. Consider adding a subscription to Calm or listening to guided meditation before you start your day.
Final Thoughts
How we feel in the spaces we work and live in matter.
The environments we create significantly impacts our mindset, productivity, and overall well-being.
Your workspace and home should uplift, inspire, and support your success rather than hinder it.
By incorporating elements that bring joy, spark creativity, and promote focus, you can transform your surroundings into a foundation for achieving success.
Use the strategies outlined in this article to design spaces that fuel your ambitions, enhance your efficiency, and ultimately contribute to your success.
A well-curated environment isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a powerful tool for personal and professional growth.
What space are you going to tackle today? Let us know how you intend to optimize your space. I’d love to hear your ideas!