The modern workspace is very much defined by the cubicle, and becomes the place where people spend nearly a third of every week of their adult life. In this context, the surroundings of the area become relatively important, as this environment becomes the backdrop for productivity. Just as décor in the home can change moods and impressions of the space, it can also enhance and temper the office environment for a better work space.
Decorating Ideas Can Boost Mood and Productivity
Regardless of what a person does for a living, that person also needs to establish an effective life and work balance in order to support wellness. This can include spending time with family and loved ones on days off, but it should also include the ability to refill one’s creative well. As a basic concept of psychology, every personality has its own form of creative release, but tapping into this creativity is also necessary for successful cognition.
The creative well is essentially a reserve of memories and ideas that helps to fuel people to get up in the morning and provides a sense of purpose in life. What is highly important about this concept is that even if a job is data entry, this creative well still comes into play by fueling the productivity that helps carry a person through their day.
Life and work balance is an ideal way to continually replenish these reserves, as they afford new experiences and emotions which become integrated into psychological and intellectual growth. However, the struggle to maintain life and work balance is also one of the biggest stressors that the workforce faces. When this happens, different channels can be used to provide an outlet and allow for surroundings that support wellness.
One of the simplest ways of decorating the cubicle that can also enhance a sense of balance between life and work, and can further foster creativity, is to utilize images and picture frames around the space. This can actually combine two points about personalizing the space, in that the images themselves are important to the individual, but the choice of picture frames are also personal statement.
Images of loved ones around the cubicle can not only allow people to feel as though they are closer to their family, even when they are away at work, but it also adds a sense of humanity to the overall work space. This can aid in interpersonal relationships at the office as well, as difficulty in communication can often come down to an issue of not understanding the other person.
However, when cubicles are more personalized with décor, this also helps to inform others more accurately about the individual. As a result, communication can be improved, especially as décor offers a better sense of who you are, and supervisors or peers can find familiar terrain over which to better connect.
Another positive aspect about the use of picture frames, is that they can be multipurpose. One creative act that is also a very personal form of decorating can include using collage or personal art work in these frames. This can become a form of motivating vision board in the work area, while also offering an aesthetic that co-workers can admire. Along with two dimensional images, some ornate picture frames can also be utilized as shadow boxes. This outlet can let people display a variety items, including things from nature, as this can be helpful in tempering the feeling of being stuck indoors while at work.
The other positive about the use of picture frames as a way of personalizing the cubicle space is that it can be a versatile and cost effective way of decorating as well. Many frames are fairly light weight, and can be moved from the desk to the cubicle wall with ease. This also means that people can change the décor in the cubicle with ease, as it is also important to remember that in some office situations, the maximum impact with the least amount of time can be vital.
Office Hacks as a Personal Statement
Although some aspects of cubicle décor can be purely for the joy of feeling comfortable in the work area, other means of making a personal statement can also be functional. This will most frequently involve how one moves about in the cubicle and what resources are needed on a daily basis.
While the use of an actual cord organizer can achieve the desired functional end, using items such as colorful ribbons or even the wire stems of silk flowers can not only be practical, but it can also enhance the vibrancy of the area. Items such as hairclips can be easily glued to magnets or temporarily affixed to walls in order to create note holders that also enhance the space.
Combining the practical and the visually enhancing is one way of making a personal statement, but even office hacks that are more based on necessity can still inform other about the individual. This is because the way that people work productively can vary quite a bit, but these actions are also a form of expression that does offer non-verbal communication with others. In this manner even basic office hacks become means of individualizing the space.
The Importance of Office Plants in the Work Environment
Office plants are another very important component of decorating, but also of maintaining wellness. From a visual level, the addition of plants to the cubicle can add a sense of interest and peace to the space, and this can be beneficial to the actual employee and to their peers. However, as office plants are still living things, this can also help to breathe some new life into the work space.
Beyond the psychological impact of plants, they also produce oxygen, and this can enhance overall productivity just through biological means. Office plants can help the air from becoming stale, and greater oxygen availability also means that the body and mind can function better. Low light plants are best, and these can include pathos and Boston ferns, which are also fairly hardy when it comes to watering.