"Tranquility brings Creativity!"

Let's face it - a messy office is an unorganized office. Having this problem often means you aren't efficient with time, you have unnecessary items lying around, and you probably get stressed easily. When someone needs something from you, it takes you hours of searching through piles of papers or cluttered file cabinets. You end up going through the same thing over and over knowing 'it's in here somewhere.' Your co-workers or boss dread asking you for anything, because they know it will take forever and you'll get grumpy in the process.

Take the stress off of yourself - get organized. Stop delaying and do it now. Make the quality decision that you are going to get your life in order. Your boss and co-workers will appreciate your organization and you will have a load lifted off your shoulders.

Our work and home environment is very important to our overall attitude, personality and reaction to people. Your office should be a comfortable place, that has a 'calm' feeling to it. It should be simple, not cluttered. Don't have too many distractions in your office - you'll get side tracked while trying to work. Making your office a serene place is easy. Clean up, simplify and create an atmosphere that makes you happy. Include photographs of family, friends, pets, etc. in your decor. Have a radio or CD player and keep candles or incense around to keep your office smelling nice. Smell does affect our mood - so essential oils or scented candles (that aren't too overpowering) are a nice added touch.

If painting is an option, choose a neutral color such as: cream, ivory, tan, light yellow, lavender, blue-grey, etc. Believe it or not, color will affect us as well. Having a nice, soft color is more calming then a bright, overpowering room.

Lighting is just as important. Most offices have overhead fluorescent lighting - which isn't always the best. The bright lights can cause you to become agitated and after working under them all day, it takes you longer to 'calm down' when you get home from work. See if you can get track lighting, recessed lighting or even a torchiere lamp. Get a dimmer switch for regular lighting so you can lower the light to a 'warm' brightness. If you have to keep your fluorescent lights, see if you can use Warm instead of Cool bulbs. The Cool bulbs will give more of a blue tint, while the Warm gives a softer glow.

Now about your stuff...First of all - get rid of trash and unnecessary items in your office that are cluttering up your space. Throw out all unnecessary papers, file away those things that need to be saved into file boxes that are clearly labeled.

Read our article on Organizing Your Desk to get your desk straightened out and organized.

Put shelves in your office - attached to the wall or movable shelves - to place larger needed items such as binders and books. This will also allow you to have some decorations - framed pictures, nik naks, etc.

Have at least 2 extra chairs in your office (if space allows) for when others are in there. Make sure they are comfortable and padded.

Plants are a nice touch. If you can't keep them alive, you can buy artificial greenery that looks very realistic. If you purchase artificial plants, make sure to keep the leaves clean and not covered in dust. If you choose real greenery or flowers, keep all the dead leaves and petals picked up and thrown away and keep them watered.

Have a trash can right next to your desk so you can throw away trash immediately - not letting it pile up somewhere else.

Invest in file cabinets so you can keep accurate and up to date records of everything. Go through your files quarterly, every six months, or yearly to distribute files to their proper place. Some you will need to file away in a file box, some you can throw out. All that is depending on IRS regulations and what your company directs you to do. Label your files clearly so they are readable at a glance. Make different sections for the different files, so it's easier to locate something - as oppose to just putting all the folders in one drawer wherever they will fit. Use color-coding or another method that will help you keep things in their proper sections.

If space allows it, have a piece of furniture in your office to make it more 'you'. An oversized chair or buffet style cabinet or even a curio cabinet. Paintings or photographs hanging on the wall can also give it a personal touch.

Keep your office cleaned, dusted and vacuumed or swept. If you have windows, clean them at least once a week to keep them clear. When it permits, open the window to let in fresh air. Even in the colder months, leaving it open a crack for about 10 minutes will help make the room smell fresh.

HINT: Short breaks (10-15 minutes) are a nice way to relax and just take time for yourself. Take a couple of these breaks a day to read your Email, look through a magazine or read a book. Ask your boss first if this is okay (if you don't already get these) - especially if you are not a smoker and don't get a 'smoke break' like those that do smoke. If you can - go for a short walk to get some fresh air. Play some basketball - move around a little. It will help you throughout the day to rest your mind and just relax. It keeps stress away.

HINT 2: Did you know that most people are stressed because of themselves. They blame their job, boss, co-workers, the traffic, the fast food restaurant - but we put stress on ourselves. You may have a horrible boss or hard to be with co-workers - but if you can learn to handle your situations differently, you don't have to get stressed out. In other words, it's not the environment or the people your around that are at fault. It's how YOU react to the people and in the environment that will determine whether stress will be a part of your life. Change how you react to situations and people. Don't get offended, don't be touchy - let things roll off your back. Don't put in your 'two cent's', don't give people a piece of your mind - even if they deserve it. Your success at this is up to you. Nobody else.

 

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