Your Home Away from Home: Work

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You probably have less control over your work environment than at home, but there are still things you can do.

Paint your office

paint brushesIf you can paint the walls, great: choose a color that appeals to you.

  • Consider: do you want the atmosphere to be calming or invigorating?
  • Then consider which colors produce that effect in you. (Some studies show that red increases heart rate and is thought to be invigorating, while blue decreases heart rate and is thought to be calming.)

 

Consider your furniture

If you can choose the furniture, great. You can consider the color there, too.

Often, even if you can't choose anything else, you can select your chair. If you have an ergonomics expert available, enlist help in choosing the most comfortable chair for you—otherwise do some research about the available chairs (often the web has good data).

Other things you can do

Whether you can choose your wall colors or furniture or not, there are other things you can do.

  1. plant on deskBring nature into the space, with a landscape, plants.
  2. Bring photos and objects with special meaning to you. (But it is best to avoid religious and political symbols and statements in the workplace.)
  3. Take advantage of any natural light you have. Remove dark sides or window coverings. Add a variety of light sources; perhaps a floor lamp.
  4. If you like the sound, add a water element.
  5. Consider getting a diffuser or vaporizer to disperse essential oils that you find appealing. For example, peppermint oil is thought to be invigorating.

 

Set the tone

Finally, consider setting a positive intention for your interactions in the space-that you will act according to your highest principles while in the office—and watch to see how it unfolds in the months after you do so.