Why you should invest in a physical space to match your mindset.

It’s no secret that a certain location or a place can make you feel a certain way, and your office is by no means any different. Luckily this is something you can control, so don’t let your office hold you back. Instead, invest in a workplace that allows your creativity and productivity to soar, and you’ll notice the benefits soon enough.

the visual factor

When something as seemingly trivial as a cleaned up workspace can change such a large part of the way you work it’s a wonder why people continue to depreciate the value of an office that allows you to work in a mindful way. An office that is filled to the brink with gadgets, files, mess and other desk clutter can overstimulate you visually. There’s no rest for your eyes, which can be too much for your brain to handle. Fixing this is all about finding the balance between displaying the stuff you’re actually proud of, the stuff you actually need, and cleaning up the stuff you don’t want to see. It might take some time initially, but if you continue to invest a short amount of time weekly to hold a cleanup, or invest in good-looking file cabinets (might as well go fully digital, it’s 2018!) , odds are you’ll notice the benefits not long after.

beeping ears, suffering productivity

And it’s not just visual senses that can cause an overload of impressions. Auditive nuisances can be just as, if not more straining on your ability to work pleasantly. It greatly affects concentration and stops us from focusing on tasks at hand. The tricky part of blocking out sounds is that it’s not as easy as cleaning up and you’re good to go. If you’re lucky, your building is isolated properly and outdoor sounds are blocked. This however still doesn’t block out the noise of calling colleagues, or the sound of the coffee maker, or annoying sounds caused by the climate control system.

There are multiple way of combatting this. The first one would be to look for a private space if you’ve got an important task that needs finishing (meeting space anyone?). However, not all locations, offices and employers have these readily available. Investing in a noise-cancelling headphone is a great option for music buffs, and listening to music can even boost productivity. However, this is not for everyone. Noise-cancelling ear plugs are also an option if listening to music during work isn’t your thing.

it’s all in the design.

Another way your office can hold you back is by poor office infrastructure. It’s not just about the route you take when manoeuvring through your office, it’s so much more. Bad floor plans, poor design, bad furniture, all can have equally negative effects on your work. Narrow corridors can cause high stress levels between colleagues as it is a way of easily disturbing others by for instance knocking over coffee, tea or a colleague’s lunch. Incorporate this with bad placement in regards to windows and natural light, desks near the one place where the AC doesn’t work (or works too well), or with simply having not enough space, and you’ve got a recipe for a very frustrating disaster.

A workplace that’s absolutely crammed with digital devices, has a poor office-infrastructure, and is messy because of the lingering clutter of daily work can turn into your worst nightmare real fast. However, a few small investments can make all the difference. Don’t let anything hold you back in making yourself the most productive and mindful version of yourself, the rewards are worth it.