#23 Surround Yourself With The Things That Make You Warm Inside
May 22, 2008
Let me describe my office. I have a big antique desk that was once the stationmaster’s desk at a little country train station. It’s made from silky oak, a magnificent light-coloured timber. I have a large whiteboard with my current projects listed on it, and some philosophical and motivational messages. I have a picture board behind my desk with hundreds of photos of people from around the world that I have collected over the years. I have an abstract picture of Venice painted by a very close friend, as well as countless websites and magazines, work-related and otherwise. A good stereo and an excellent collection of CDs to while away those late working nights (and, of course, I have now embraced the world of iPod). I also have wood carvings from a brief stint in Papua New Guinea, gifts from clients, copies of my previous websites published in different languages, vitamin tablets, a change of clothes-and much more.
My office reflects my life-it is full, sometimes organised, often chaotic, but always rich, colourful and interesting. I have the philosophy that if I am going to spend a lot of time in my office-and I do-I want to feel at home there, comfortable and relaxed. Having all these things in my office makes me feel that way, and no matter how stressed I may feel or how overwhelmed I am, I always breathe a sigh of relief when I sit down at my desk.
I am a firm believer in the importance of feeling as though you are part of the area where you work. Sometimes a photo of the family in a 6 ? 4 frame on the desk just isn’t enough. You might think it is-but if you feel like a visitor to your workspace rather than a part of it, maybe you need to create more of a connection. Again, as a business owner, I think that we should encourage our staff to do the same. Clearly there are boundaries (imagine a king-size bed in the accountant’s office), but you can easily define these and, just as I discussed in tip #22, about embracing a little fun in the workplace, bringing personality into a business is not unprofessional in the slightest.
The calming effect of having a few of your favourite things with you at work can be quite amazing. If you aren’t convinced, give it a go anyway and see if it makes a difference to you.
What can I do today?
What changes can you make to your workplace that will make it more enjoyable or pleasant? Maybe it’s time to look with new eyes at where you work, and once and for all make it appeal to you as a place where you feel safe and comfortable. Often the way to go about it is to remove the clutter, have a good clean-up and simply start again. Is there something irritating about your workplace that adds to your day-to-day stress? Can you stop everything and change that one thing? You might be surprised at the difference this can make to your day-to-day life.
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By N2H
