How to Create Your Dream Work Space
Many small business owners (myself included!) work from home…
You may have a makeshift office, go to a co-working space or be absolutely smashing life and have an office of your very own. Wherever you’re working from, it’s important that you think about curating a space that really works for you, boosts your wellbeing and benefits your business. So, what does that look like?
Whilst the dream workspace may be unique to each of us – there are certain key factors it’s well worth thinking about. I’d highly recommend ‘My Hygge Home’ by Meik Wiking, especially as he has a section specifically on creating an office at home:
“You probably won’t reach peak productivity lying on your bed, but you don’t have to work in a sterile environment either, so make sure your workspace is hygge too. Add plants, make sure you make the most of the daylight and consider the texture of the space. I’ve put a soft rug under my work desk at home and it gives me a sense of calm when I am facing the avalanche in my inbox.” (Wiking, 2022)
In this next section, we’ll explore how to create your dream workspace. As with the first few posts, this is filled with lots of actionable steps that I would really encourage you to implement as soon as you feel able. It’s incredible how much our space can impact our mood, the quality of our work and, by extension, the long term health of our business. So, let’s get down to it…
Get the basics right: from light to air flow
When it comes to creating your dream work space, it’s important to get the basics right: you need somewhere with a good air flow, not too much clutter, your essentials within easy reach and enough light. This last one is easy to overlook but absolutely critical; especially if you’re living in the UK where we really don’t get as much sunlight as may be ideal.
Light is as important to us as any other living thing. In the UK, there’s a law called the ‘right to light’ which states that: “a landowner [has] the right to receive light through defined apertures in buildings on his or her land.” (GOV.UK, 2014) Lovely… and in English that basically means that light is SO important, the government has made it illegal for properties to have their light blocked. Your neighbour can’t build an extension or plant a tree that would block the light into your property. YOU need it!
Making sure you get enough light whilst working is an easy way to take care of yourself, so think about where you set up your work station. Can you work by a window? Is there somewhere you could take regular breaks to ensure you’re getting a good dose of natural light? When can you schedule breaks to get outside and enjoy some light and fresh air?
The air quality of your workspace is also incredibly important in ensuring it’s a pleasant space to work from. Again, I appreciate that the temperatures in the UK don’t make this ideal, but opening the windows (even just for twenty minutes a day) can help to get the air flowing and freshen up your space. You may want to open them while you’re out and then quickly run round shutting them again after a walk. Or perhaps open them while you go through your morning routine: enjoying breakfast, stretching, meditating… whatever that looks like for you!
One of the biggest things to affect the air quality of your space is smoke. As a candle lover this breaks my heart slightly, but what we lose in hygge, we do get back in air quality. The big one is wood burners. Firstly, if you have one of these in your home or office then know that I’m very jealous. However, it does also need to be acknowledged that they’re not brilliant for our health. ((Salthammer et al., 2014)) I’m absolutely not saying that you should never light a fire or a candle again. That would be wildly hypocritical of me, as I know I will… but perhaps reflect on how frequently you do it. Wherever possible, leave doors open and crack the windows ajar afterwards to get the air flow moving again.
On the flipside, something that’s amazing for the air quality of our work space is plants. They’re a beautiful addition, can add a pop of colour, and it’s well documented that being surrounded by greenery can give our wellbeing a boost. (Hall and Knuth, 2019) The process of looking after something can also become a positive ritual for us. Perhaps you could say your favourite affirmation to yourself as you water your plant(s) each day?
Sometimes though, plants indoors just aren’t enough – we need a proper break in nature so we can reset and come back to our workspace fresh. I spoke with Naomi Regan, Co-Founder and Director of CAPE Coaching & Development Ltd to get her thoughts on maintaining our wellbeing through the day and her first piece of advice was to: ”change your space.”
“Rationally, we know that shifting our environment can have a huge impact on how we think about the situation. So getting out, getting away from our desks, going for a walk… allows our brain to think differently, connect differently and bring different perspectives.”
These basics set the tone for so much else that is to come as you create your dream work space. Take a moment to reflect on your work space and how it could be improved. Try not to judge yourself! This isn’t about thinking “oh god I should have done this…” or I “must do this going forward.” It’s just about pausing to figure out how you could make things more pleasant for yourself.
MY ACTION PLAN:
- Make sure your workspace has plenty of natural light – move things round if needed
- Think about when you’re going to get out in the light and air during your work day
- Open the windows in your work space every day to get the air flowing
- Treat yourself to a couple of plants to brighten up your office and help with air quality
- Add a reminder in your diary to open the windows / take nature breaks if this will help you stick with it going forwards.
