Work Space = Happy Place

Most of us spend a third or more of our lives in our work space. Since we are going to be there so much, why not - to the best of our ability - make it as pleasant as possible?

I am both a full time employee and a work-at-home ministry assistant - a blogger and a bible study leader at my church. I'm at my desk ... a LOT.

I currently have 3 work spaces: my offices at both my churches and my at-home office. I want to share some things that make my work space more enjoyable and productive.

1. Cut the clutter. You lose productivity when you are searching for needed materials all the time. Also, a chaotic work station is not conducive to orderly thinking. There is a world of cute organizational materials available, not to mention creative solutions to be found on Pinterest. Invest some time in organizing your office and the payback will be huge!

Dream Office with Organizing Ideas on Pinterest via Organizing Made Fun

Dream Office found on Pinterest via IHeart Organizing

2. Lighting. It's amazing to me how many people work in poorly lit work stations. Eye strain is tiring. I have lamps in addition to overhead lighting at both my desk at work and at home.

3. Noise pollutes - Maybe it's just me, but I can't think clearly with a bunch of background noise. At my church office, I will play soothing instrumental music softly. I don't like music with lyrics as a rule because it is distracting to me when I'm on the phone. At home, I never have the television going when I'm working in my office.

4. Inspiration - I love having family photos where I work as well as inspirational quotes displayed. I want to feed on positive things.

Full Time Office

5. Easy accessibility - At each of my desks, I have set up a "command center." I can reach the main tools of my job easily and at a minute's notice. This is kind of an evolving arrangement because as time goes on I learn better and more efficient ways of doing things. For instance, I used to have my Rolodex files close to my phone so that I could quickly look up anything. Now I have my phone next to my computer monitor because I can look things up quicker using my keyboard. I moved the Rolodex files over some to have my calculator next to my monitor screen because I found out doing my financial reports was so much easier when I can just punch numbers while looking at the screen. (I don't get a "crick" in my neck like I used to when I looked back and forth from the monitor to the calculator.)

Part Time Office

6. Clean and comfortable - It goes without saying that you are more productive in a clean environment with comfortable heating and air. At the workplace, sometimes that might be out of our control. You may have to clean the office yourself sometimes; and if you are like me, a little heater under your desk might help you focus more on work than on how much your toes are freezing!

7. The most wonderful thing, though, about a work space is if it can be decorated to your tastes! I have three offices, but only mine at home is totally under my control to decorate as I wish.  I do the best I can with the other two. I believe in making my space my own. If I have to spend a significant part of my life there, I want it to be as pleasant as possible.

My Home Office

Travel is not a part of my working life - yet - but I have learned of an interesting option for working travelers. WeWork is a place that provides shared work spaces all over the world. Suppose I was a consultant that needed to travel to Washington, D.C., every month for a day's meetings? I could take advantage of WeWork's co-working office spaces and conference rooms for a monthly fee. All I would have to do is show up and my meeting could begin right away. Click here to learn more about them.

Do you have a workspace? What does yours look like?