How (And Why) to Add a Sense of Calm to Your Workspace

Did you know that your workspace can actually help counteract the stressors and pressures of your busy workday?

You just need to create a working environment that calms and relaxes you.

While a relaxing workspace might seem counterproductive, studies have actually found that 20% of workers say it’s key to increasing productivity, reducing stress, and enhancing job satisfaction.

And creating a sense of calm in your workplace can be a simple endeavor. 

Here are six things you can do. 

1. Declutter Your Space

Clutter isn’t just an annoyance. Psychologists have actually proven that it creates stress and anxiety.

When you add that to the routine daily stresses of being a hard-working professional, it can create a compounding effect that can be tolling on your workday. 

If you want to declutter your workspace, you can:

• Seek ways of masking abundant wires
• Get rid of excess cables and office accessories 
• Toss out things that don’t work anymore and toss or donate things you don’t use anymore
• Consider every item on your desk and in your office in terms of its utility and keep only the necessary items in your immediate vicinity
• Digitize notes and documents 
• Pencil in time in your calendar or in your to-do list for cleaning and organizing 

A good rule of thumb when it comes to your workspace? Less is more. 

Another good way to reduce the volume of items in your office is to join a shared workspace where you have access to things like printers, accessories, scanners, and more without actually having to store them in your own personal space. 

2. Ensure You Have Quiet Space

According to 17.2% of professionals, quiet spaces to make phone calls or do work improves productivity. So, if you work in an office with other people, it’s important to ensure you have access to space where you can go when you need to speak privately or get into a state of deep focus.

At The Post, in addition to our fully-private and part-time private office spaces, we offer quiet and private areas where our coworking members can go if they need to dial in and get work done or get some silence so they can make a phone call. 

3. Incorporate Plants and Earth Elements 

Have you ever heard the term biophilia? Well, essentially, it refers to a theory that humans have an innate affinity for other forms of nature. Specifically, it states that natural elements actually promote wellness and productivity in us.

So, a quick and easy way to add a sense of calm and tranquility to your workspace is using natural elements.

This doesn’t have to be complicated: even simple things like bowls or glass containers filled with shells or rocks as well as accents of wood and plants will do the trick.

If you’d like to learn more about the best plants for the office, check out this article we wrote that can help you pick the right ones.

4. Use Aromatherapy 

If you have a private workspace, you can consider using aromatherapy by picking up a diffuser and some essential oils.

Some of the most common essential oils and the benefits they’re said to promote include: 

• Patchouli: This oil is said to relax the emotional center of the brain, support emotional equilibrium, and energize the mind. 
• Spearmint: Spearmint helps relax the respiratory and nervous system. It helps slow your breathing which helps reduce stress and promote a sense of calm.
• Lavender: When it comes to calming essential oils, this is one of the most common. It’s also one of the most generally liked essential oils.
• Bergamot: Bergamot is commonly associated with balancing hormones, calming emotions, and supporting the natural release of anxious feelings, stress and tension. 
• Ylang ylang: If you’re looking for a calming essential oil that covers all your bases — calming, relaxing, stress relieving and supporting healthy sleep, this is the one for you.
• Lemon: Not only does lemon smell delicious, studies have shown that it, along with other citrus smells, have proven relaxing effects on the body.

Before you incorporate aromatherapy into your workspace, just make sure that it’s not going to affect anyone who might not like it or who may have sensitivities to it.

5. Embrace Silence 

As they say, silence is golden. That phrase has been popularized for good reason: medical professionals are increasingly embracing silence as a way to reduce stress. In fact, more than 50% of people feel that noise in the workplace affects their performance. 

So, affording yourself the luxury of silence–even for a short period of time–can do wonders for your workday.

Whether it’s finding a silent workspace, turning off the music, closing your office door, or using noise-cancelling headphones, a little bit of quiet can go a long way.   

6. Use Color Strategically 

Colors have a huge impact on your mood and output at work. 

In fact, a study from 2012 showed the effects of hospital paint colors: specifically, the color white gives off a clinical appearance and makes people feel intimidated and unwelcome. 

That’s not to say that having white in your office is bad, it just needs to be balanced with other colors. 

If you’re looking to add pops of color to your workspace, you can try:

• Blue: The color blue stimulates the mind, leading to more productivity. The hues of the blue color palette are ideal for staying focused in repetitive industries. Accounting offices often use blue paint colors to increase productivity and keep their employees focused.
• Yellow: Yellow stimulates emotion, which makes it an ideal color for creative industries. It also evokes feelings of happiness and can brighten spirits.
• Green: Green is all about balance, calmness, and reassurance. So, it can help put your mind at ease during a busy workday.
• Off-White: White may have a clinical appearance, but a soft off-white will soften the look of true white. It’s easy to decorate and design around, given its warmth yet clean appearance.

You don’t necessarily have to paint your entire workspace. Even having these colors present can have the desired effect. 

Everyone has stressful workdays sometimes. But, by taking steps to add a sense of calm and tranquility to your workspace, you can reduce your stress levels, increase productivity, and make every day that much more successful.

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Want to learn more about coworking and flexible office space and how it can help supercharge your workday? Get in touch today.