These days we can spend a lot of time sitting at our desks, why not make them an enjoyable place? Figuring out how to create an inspiring work space involves creating balance between functionality and inspiration.
Adding personal touches is a key part of creating an inspiring work space.
The truth is that your environment can really impact the way you feel. It can affect your focus, creativity, and productivity. Whether you’re sitting at your office or home desk, it doesn’t require a complete overhaul or big budget.
Quick Access
Quality Lighting
Good lighting is crucial for how to create an inspiring work space. If it’s possible, you should position your desk near a window. But of course natural light is only beneficial during the hours that the sun is shining.
If you’re working on a dark day or during late hours, you’ll still need a good lamp for your desk.
LED lamps last longer than ones with regular light bulbs, are more energy efficient and easier on your eyes. Personally, I have an LED lamp with adjustable brightness and white balance.
Being able to adjust the white balance also makes it ideal for working into the later hours.
Of course you could also get yourself a halogen desk lamp to mimic natural light, incandescent desk lamp, or any other lamp you like. Whatever makes you feel the most inspired.
Good Seating
For starters, you need a comfortable desk chair. Desk chairs can be a little pricey, so don’t splurge on a new one – instead consider investing in something more simple.
There are lumbar support pillows designed to support your lower back, coccyx cushions to alleviate pressure on the tailbone and even memory foam cushions and pillows to make you more comfortable.
Cute is nice, but comfortable is more important. If you can manage both, that’s just great!
Climate Control
When I say climate control what I mean is keeping yourself feeling good temperature-wise. It can be far too easy to overlook your comfort while you’re grinding away.
If you tend to overheat, a small fan can be a real game-changer. If you’re always chilly a compact heater might be your new best friend. Being comfortable can be underrated, but I highly recommend it.
These might sound like small changes but if they can help you stop shivering or sweating, they can really boost your focus and productivity. If you haven’t thought about your personal climate control yet, think about it now. Creating your optimal temperature can have a big impact.
Your To-Do List
Your to-do list should be front and center on your desk. Placing your to-do list prominently can help you keep a clear view of your priorities.
You’ll have a constant reminder of what you want to accomplish in the day. It’s a simple but effective strategy to help you stay motivated and productive.
Your to-do list can look like anything from a sticky note, pad of paper, notebook, planner or anything else.
The point is mainly to keep this list in view to remind you of what needs to be accomplished. Being able to visually cross these off throughout the day can also be more motivating than you might think.
Your Water Bottle
The point of keeping your water bottle on your desk and within hands reach is to drink more water. If you have your water bottle right next to you, you’re more likely to take a sip of it throughout the day.
It can help naturally increase your daily water consumption. Staying hydrated is super important when it comes to both focus and creativity.
Different water bottles have different benefits – it’s important to figure out what is easiest for you. The easier it is, the more likely you are to do it.
Sometimes the smallest actions can hinder our progress – for example, having to unscrew the lid of your water bottle before you can take a sip.
If that sounds like you, consider finding a bottle with a straw. Investing in an insulated bottle can help keep your water cold or hot to your preference.
Other water bottles have measurement markings to serve as a visual reminder for your hydration goals. Those bottles can help transform the boring act of drinking water into a fun challenge.
Timer or Clock
The mere presence of a timer, or at least a clock, can serve as a constant reminder to keep you on track.
The humble timer can be a powerful tool used to impact the way you manage your time and focus. One of the most widely known time management methods relies on just such a thing: The Pomodoro Technique.
This technique is equally about times for work and times for rest. It involves breaking your work into 25 minute intervals (called pomodoros), separated by short breaks of around 5 minutes. After completing four pomodoros, you take a longer break. Then repeat. This cycle can be be effective for many different types of work – creative or technical.
A timer isn’t there just to track the minutes you’re working, it can also be beneficial to mange your break times. Sometimes we get so distracted by the work that we’re doing we forget to take breaks. A timer can help reinforce taking the breaks.
When you organize your time efficiently, you can create a flexible framework that may help inspiration to emerge naturally.
In essence, the keeping of a timer or clock on your desk is about utilizing your most precious resource – time – to the fullest.
Sticky Notes
Sticky notes are extremely simple, but actually versatile tools that can be used in a variety of tasks. They also enable you to quickly capture your thoughts and ideas as they arise. They’re also easily moved, rearranged and placed almost anywhere.
Sticky notes can encourage creative brainstorming in a low pressure way. Sticky notes also serve as great visual reminders, keeping their contents at the forefront of your mind. Easily jot down a note to revisit later.
Sticky notes come in a variety of sizes and a spectrum of different colors to suit your personal aesthetic. They introduce an element of play when it comes to how to create an inspiring work space.
Honestly, sticky notes are just really fun to use! They can be a cost effective pop of brightness into your work space.
Some Inspiration
Of course when it comes to how to create an inspiring work space you need to have some actual inspiration. Having your goals, hopes, dreams, and aspirations in plain sight can be a great reminder of what you’re working towards.
Even a single daily glance can help keep you focused.
Creating a visual representation of your goals, or a vision board, can take so many different forms: a poster board, grid wall, peg board, dry erase board, Pinterest board, or even as your desktop or phone wallpaper.
Sometimes the less permanent representation can be best. A year is a long time and a lot of things can happen during that time. Your direction, your goals, and your priorities can shift over time so it’s good to revisit them.
It can be a good idea to update your inspiration each month as you reassess your goals.
Something Green
Incorporating elements of nature into your daily environment is a key component of how to create an inspiring work space. It can be easy to sit inside and work all day, almost avoiding nature.
Keeping a small plant, succulent, or terrarium on your desk not only adds a touch of greenery – but also contributes to air purification. Virtually all plants improve air quality to come extent, but there are some plants known for their air-cleaning abilities.
Recent research has also shown a link between time spent in nature and reduced stress levels. While you might not be able to spend hours outdoors during your day, you can at least bring a slice of nature into your work space.
There are a variety of plants available with different aesthetics and level of care required. If you are a pet parent, please be mindful of what plants you bring into your home! Several can be toxic to animals if they ingest them.
Plants that are safe for both cats and dogs include orchids, spider plants, and Boston ferns.
Your Essentials
It seems small, but surrounding yourself with the items that you enjoy can be just as important as staying organized. Having your favorite pen ready to write can significantly impact your work experience and make it feel like less of a chore.
The same principle applies to any tool you use regularly like highlighters, staplers, paperclips, or even a mouse pad.
Ensuring your must-haves are at hand so your workflow can remain uninterrupted is a key aspect of how to create an inspiring work space. Another key aspect is adding personal touches. This may take the form of a photograph, your favorite quote, a piece of art or special item.
This is your work space and it should reflect that.
No Clutter
If you want to have an inspiring work space, you don’t want to have a cluttered one. Things that don’t belong on your desk shouldn’t be on your desk.
Sounds like common sense, but when you’re working at your desk for a long time clutter can naturally build up.
You can solve this by taking a few minutes at the end of the day to put everything away in it’s home and clean off your desk. It will take a little bit more time, but it’ll be so much nicer when you come back to a clean and neat space in the morning.
A cluttered space tends to lead to a cluttered mind. It also works the other way around, if your mind has been cluttered you may see your spaces becoming the same way.
Having a clutter-free work space promotes a sense of calm and order, making it easier to dive into your tasks. Having too many unnecessary items can lead to feelings of overwhelm.
I think we all know which is better for creating an inspiring work space.
Clutter is also distracting. You can’t do your best work if you are being frequently distracted. Of course, you can’t control all of the distractions, but some of them you can.
Clear your space, hide your phone, and put on some noise cancelling earbuds if you need to. Your time is a precious resource , treat it like one.
special note
I also want to touch on another specific type of clutter: from handwritten notes to printouts, receipts, and other miscellaneous documents we can create chaos. Despite the increasingly digital nature of our world, paper clutter is still a challenge for many of us – myself included.
Implementing a dedicated inbox to manage your loose papers effectively can be a crucial strategy in how to create an inspiring work space.
Bonus Tip
I have one last bonus tip if you happen to work into the late hours. You probably already know by now that the blue light from your devices (computer, laptop, tablet, phone) has a negative impact on your sleep.
Blue light has a similar wavelength to natural sunlight, tricking your body into thinking that it’s still daytime. It’s very effective at minimizing your production of melatonin – the hormone your body releases to tell you that it’s time for bed. Those decreased levels of melatonin can make it so much harder to fall asleep.
You may be a night owl, but sleep is still immensely important to every aspect of your life. Thankfully, many devices and programs now have something you can toggle called “night mode” – consider using it as it grows closer to bed time.
Another option is the use of blue light filtering glasses. The glasses serve to minimize the amount of blue light entering your eyes to help with melatonin production as well as reduce eye strain.
In Conclusion
Ultimately, creating an inspiring workspace is about creating an area that reflects your unique preferences and needs.
Creating your ideal work space is a process of experimentation. Remember that no one is perfect and a place where you’re working is likely to get messy frequently. It may always be a work in progress, but that’s ok because so are you!
In conclusion, the journey of how to create an inspiring work space is deeply personal and ever-evolving.
The goal of this post is to provide you with multiple actionable tips on how to create an inspiring workspace that is a reflection of your personal style. If you’re struggling with maintaining your focus, the secret may lie in your workspace.
My desk is where I’m sitting right now as I type this. I’ve surrounded myself with things that inspire me, motivate me, or just look cute! If this guide on how to create an inspiring work space helps you do the same, please let me know in a comment below!
originally posted 1/2021; majorly updated 4/2024
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