3 Ways to Make Your Office Awesome

There are some weeks when I feel like I spend significantly more time sitting in my office than I do sitting (or even sleeping) at home.  I've come to terms with the fact that if I plan on paying my bills, I'm going to have to work...from my office...at least 40 hours a week.  Over the past year I've embraced the idea that my office is what I make of it, so I've decided that I clearly have to make it awesome!

Turning my work-space into a cozy, comfortable, well organized place has made it easier to walk into five days a week.  Below I've outlined three of the small things I've done that have provided big paybacks.

1) Get organized: I hate to admit it, but I keep my office more organized than I keep my apartment.  I'm not sure if it's because there is a steady stream of people in and out of my office, or because I'd lose all of my paperwork if I didn't constantly put it back in the same place.  You know that feeling you get when you're off work for a week and when you come back you have 50 new voicemails, 115 new emails, and your desk looks like an Office Max exploded all over the place?  Keeping your space organized can cut back on this type of chaotic stress.  Walking into an organized office produces better feeling than walking into a mess, and if you happen to come back from vacation and find your space a mess, having a system of organization can help you get the chaos under control in record time!

2) Get a little personal: The key to this is getting only a little personal, with little being the key word.  It's nice to add small personal touches (within policy) to your work space.  For example, I have a huge bulletin board behind my desk that I've covered with cards, photographs, and quotes that I really love.  I've also enjoyed using bright and happy colors, and hanging up framed postcards from my travels.  If you're able to, it can be nice to incorporate pictures of loved ones into your office, in a place where only you can see them.  Remember it's your office, you should feel at home in it.

3) Add calming touches: On Monday around lunch I became totally overwhelmed and needed to just get out of the office for a little bit.  I took a quick stroll over to Bath and Body Works and bought a bottle of stress relief aromatherapy lotion.  When I got back to my office I put a little on my hands and before I knew it my whole office smelled great!  Candle warmers are another wonderful, safe, and affordable (usually around $10) way to add lovely smells to your space. If you're not into smelly lotions and candles the good news is smell isn't the only sense you can tap into to create a tranquil environment.  Most offices are equipped with harsh florescent lighting, by bringing in a freestanding lamp you can control the amount and type of light in your office, creating the mood you want.  Plants are also a great way to bring a little color, life (and oxygen) into your space.

Regardless of how much we love or hate our jobs, there are steps we can take to make our time in the office as comfortable as possible.  Getting organized and adding calming and personal touches are simple ways to improve your work experience