Improve your office day
Being happy at work is something that we all usually think is down to the job at hand, and this is mostly the case. However, loving what you do can be wasted if the environment isn't quite right.
Improving your office day can have huge benefits on the morale, communication and productivity of your team. A happy team tends to be more hardworking, cooperative and commited to thier work as well as generally improving the wellbeing of individuals.
So here are some tips on how to improve your office day:
The Office:
On average you spend 8 hours a day here, arguably more time than you spend in your own living room, so make it nice! Nobody will feel inspired in a corporate box, so add some colour; buy some flowers, frame some inspirational quotes or head to paperchase and grab some interesting stationary! Whatever works for you, make it your own.
Your Desk:
Tidy it! They do say that 'A tidy desk is a tidy mind' and it is very true. Creating a clear and organised area will help to calm your overall state of mind when arriving at work. Having cables hanging out everywhere, tea ring stains, paperwork piled high will only cause more stress and disorder. If you don't need something, then get rid. Keeping hold of that crisp packet and mountains of post-it notes with last weeks reminders are only going to clutter your mind.
Taking Breaks:
It is hard to pull yourself away from your desk, but taking small breaks throughout the day are both productive and healthy! It is not good to sit for 8 hours straight staring at a computuer screen, especially when we all know we head home to laptops, tablets, phones and trashy TV! Be sure to take some time to make a drink, get some fresh air, have a converstaion with collegues or even arrange an area to sit and enjoy a coffee on a sofa rather than at your desk. It is something that should really be encouraged, you will go back to your desk more motivated and productive if you take ten minutes out!
Improve the Office Morale:
There are a lot of things that you can do to ensure that you and your team are feeling positive. Even the most subtle of things can make your day/month/year feel more fulfilled. Things like introducing a Friday lunch treat, doing some out of office activities for charity, having a fancy dress day or bringing your pets into the office, although not advised to have everybody's pets in on the same day! These are all ways to boost the general morale and wellbeing within an office. It's about injecting some fun into the working environment that will help to add value to employees and help to create friendships that work together.
Change:
Change is a tricky one, as some people love it and some people hate it! However change really can help stimulate the mind, whether it's redecorating the office or taking Monday morning team meetings to the local restaurant for breakfast it can encourage creativity and avoid the dreaded comfort zone territory.
Improving your Office Day really will have a positive effect on the productivity of yourself and your team. It will lead to a happier workforce, which will in turn help the business reach objectives! Although a lot of these points are things that everybody knows deep down, it's good to use the 'National Improve Your Office Day' holiday to buy that biscuit tin or sort out your draws! Work can and is such a huge part of peoples lives, make it a happy place.
