- Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Cash Back Credit Cards
- 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards
Whether at work or home, our offices have a way of becoming the catch-all areas of our busy lives. Littered with old projects, out-of-date electronics, and boxes of last year’s Girl Scout cookies, it’s easy for an office to end up looking less like a professional workspace and more like an oversized hall closet. (See also: 10 Cheap Ways to Make Your Apartment Look Awesome)
But if you want to dial in little more style, here are 12 ways to make your office look awesome.
1. Ditch the Corporate Art
Queue the collective eye-roll. Prepackaged corporate art (you know the stuff — three people rowing a canoe at sunrise with the “teamwork” caption) probably works against the very morale you’re trying to build. Awesome offices are authentic offices, not motivational billboards.
2. Add a Few Surprises
Your office should reflect your personality. Mix in some vintage touches, a kitschy accessory, an antique, or something handmade. When well done, blending these accents into your office décor can take your space out of the mundane, add a bit of humor, and communicate who you are and what you love.
3. Tidy Up
It’s not the sexiest option, but cleaning and organizing your workspace is the most basic way to improve its aesthetics and — even better — it’s free. Clear the clutter and then clean primary surfaces like the floors, windows, and your desk. It’ll set the stage for more refinements later.
4. Flick Off the Fluorescents
Is there anything worse than overhead fluorescent lighting? It saps our color, exhausts our eyes, and can even reduce our productivity. Shop around for a table lamp or two (even if you use compact fluorescent bulbs, the effect will be softer and more welcoming) and add window treatments that maximize natural light. While you’re at it, explore other ways to create a more productive workspace.
5. Blow Up a Close Up
Need some tasteful but inexpensive art ideas for your office? Why not photograph the detail of a flower, the emblem of a vintage car, or the subtle pattern of a leaf? If you’re not talented behind the lens, search online and download a digital photo with the appropriate Creative Commons license. Make it your own by cropping, zooming, or adding custom effects.
6. Add Texture
Texture is the unsung component of good interior design. Even in offices, it can add visual interest and dimension. Accent pillows, upholstery, window treatments, and rugs are all great ways to work rich and varied textures into your workspace.
7. Untangle and Wrangle Cords
Is your computer area turning into a dusty and tangled nest of cables, cords, wires, and plugs? If so, it’s time to get organized. Label each with plastic bread bag tags, wrap with Velcro strips, and run cords along the backside of a desk using eye hooks or clips. Or, explore other methods to control the web of wires.
8. Live in Color
Aren’t we all tired of Office Beige and Daily Grind Gray? There’s no rule that dictates your workspace can’t be colorful. Mix in vibrant greens, oranges, yellow, or blues — just be sure to keep colors complementary to avoid overload.
9. Get Dramatic
Displaying art can be a bit tricky; most people don’t go big enough. Grounding your space with a single large statement piece can be more attractive than dotting the walls with several smaller prints, photos, or paintings. Go for something grand that fits the scale of your office and reflects your personality and taste. Complement with one or two smaller pieces, but err on the minimalist side.
10. Embrace the Printed Word
There’s more than one way to create compelling art. Enlarge and print a favorite poem, quote, or excerpt from a book. Matted and framed, it can become an unexpected and unique art piece. Choose a subject matter that relates to your business; a childcare enterprise might have a page from The Little Prince, or a landscape design service might feature a quote from the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted.
11. Chalk It Up
We’ve all seen chalkboard spray paint used in kitchens and kids’ rooms, but what about your office? A chalkboard is a quick way to take a note while you’re on the phone and it’s more stylish than a startlingly white whiteboard.
12. Get Shady
Our offices are often furnished with cast-offs from other rooms. But when it comes to letting the light shine in, you need to be a bit more intentional. We spend long hours at our desks, so it helps to choose window treatments that take full advantage of good views, maximize natural light, and minimize glare. Explore honeycomb shades, plantation shutters, sheers, or Roman shades; these options allow you to adjust lighting as-needed and won’t weigh your room down like heavy drapery can. If you’re handy with a needle and thread, you can even make your own custom curtains.
Remember, the key to an awesome office isn’t a mystery: just avoid clichés, spice it up (elegantly) with your own personality, add a surprise or two, and minimize the clutter. With a few simple steps, you can change not only your workspace, but the quality of work you do in it.
Do you have an awesome office? What advice do you have for those stuck in drab digs?
The truth is that having a great office is important if you want to attract and retain top talent, especially those that have their choice of where to work.
But you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your office look awesome. Here are a few things that you can use to turn any office into a cooler office that employees will love.
1. Less is more
Nothing makes an office look better than removing the clutter. Try not to store your supplies out in the open or stack unused office equipment in a random corner. If your building offers basement storage, put your empty desks and unused chairs down there until they’re needed. Sparsely decorated offices have a clean feeling that permeates through the rest of your employees.
2. Hire quality vendors
Most of the money you’ll waste building out your office comes from having to re-do work that didn’t get done right the first time. Whether it’s help with interior design or painting or installing Wi-Fi, it’s important to work with a vendor that you can trust even if it’s not necessarily the cheapest option. As with anything, ask friends or neighbors nearby for their referrals.
3. Check under the carpet
Many offices have covered over a gorgeous wood floor or polished concrete because wall-to-wall carpet was the dominant style five to ten years ago. If you have drab carpeting, ask the landlord what’s underneath and you may find that an upgrade to hardwood floors or polished concrete is fairly cheap. If you don’t have anything pleasant below the carpet, at least ask the landlord to replace the carpet, which they’ll often do for free when negotiating a new lease or extension.
4. Break up your space with plants
Open offices may be the rage, but people still enjoy having a sense of privacy. In fact, many employees don’t like the open office movement at all. And it’s your job to try to make everyone happy.
Plants are cheap and bring in a sense of life to an office. They’re moveable, yet significant enough to break up the room. Just don’t forget to water them.
Crate and Barrel and NewPro Containers are great places to find nice and reasonably-priced planters in a variety of size to fit the needs of your space.
5. Mix and match your lighting
Lighting fixtures don’t have to be expensive to work well. The important thing to do is to combine your light fixtures in different ways. Your main lighting may come from top lit fluorescence that point up towards the ceiling. But you should also bring in lamps that sit on tables and track lighting that points at walls. The combination will create a sense of harmony that people will feel even if they can’t tell why.
CB2 and One Kings Lane can also be great sources for affordable lighting options.
6. Arrange your desks to encourage natural light
Many offices have gorgeous windows permanently shaded because of the glare it creates on people’s computer screens. All this can be avoided with a little bit of testing up front. Each desk position has good times of day and bad times of day. Often it’s as simple as turning a desk configuration 90 degrees to make it so that morning or afternoon sun isn’t reflecting off their monitors which will then encourage those employees to keep their window shades open which is helpful to the rest of the office as the natural light spreads throughout.
Still need more ideas? You can check out this list of vendors to find some near you. It’s a curated list of the top vendors for everything that you’ll need in your office build-out. You can also use the list to browse all sorts of funky products that will give your office more personality.
By the way, just because they’re good, doesn’t mean that they’re expensive.
In your personal life, you probably don’t doubt that your physical environment affects your mood. Just think about how a messy house can get you down or a walk in a pretty natural landscape can calm you. In life, we routinely change location in order to influence our moods.
Why wouldn’t the same be true of your office? Think about things in this light and you can probably see that your drab surroundings aren’t doing anything for your team’s happiness, creativity, or productivity, but then you put your sensible business owner hat back on and start counting up the costs of a remodel.
Is souping up your office really worth the outlay it takes to create a warm, inviting space that inspires your employees and impresses your visitors? That very much depends on the approach you take to your office overhaul. It’s entirely impossible to pimp your workspace without spending a fortune, according to a slew of experts. Here are some of their best tips.
1. Invest in air freshener
When you’re fixing up your office it’s natural to obsess about how things look, but don’t neglect another important sense–changing how your office smells can also make it a much nicer place to be at basically no cost.
“In Japan the Takasago Corporation carried out research into how smells affect the accuracy of typists. It found 54% made fewer errors when they could smell lemon, 33% fewer with jasmine, and 20% fewer with lavender,” reports Jon Card in the UK Guardian newspaper. “So perhaps what businesses need most of all is an improved air freshener?”
2. Accent with the personal or quirky
The best office spaces aren’t just functional, clean, and not ugly; they also capture something of the spirit of the company. So make sure that once you have the bare bones of your design in place, you also splash out on a couple of quirky touches. They need not be expensive. A feature wall with your company logo is one place to start, or “mix in some vintage touches, a kitschy accessory, an antique, or something handmade,” suggests Kentin Waits on blog WiseBread.
“I’ve seen doors made into coffee tables, milk-bottle crates converted into lights for a milk company–I’ve seen some amazing things, cheaper than buying a piece of art, that reinforce not only a brand but also its green credentials,” Chris Booth, managing director at leading UK office design specialist Overbury, told Forbes. The Chief Happiness Officer blog has also rounded up lots of cool suggestions.
3. Trade in your corporate art
For the love of all that’s holy, please, please don’t subject your people to soul-destroying posters of eagles and inspirational phrases! There are many, many better alternatives that won’t break your budget.
“Search online and download a digital photo with the appropriate Creative Commons license. Make it your own by cropping, zooming, or adding custom effects,” says Waits, or “enlarge and print a favorite poem, quote, or excerpt from a book. Matted and framed, it can become an unexpected and unique art piece.” Just don’t skimp on size–at least one or two truly big pieces will anchor your office, he advises.
4. An alternative to the whiteboard
Looking for an even larger decorative touch to give your space a distinctive character? Waits has another idea. “We’ve all seen chalkboard spray paint used in kitchens and kids’ rooms, but what about your office? A chalkboard is a quick way to take a note while you’re on the phone and it’s more stylish than a startlingly white whiteboard,” he suggests.
5. Opt for the Amazon desk
Even companies with vast budgets can come up with thoughtful ways to economize on office design (that you can steal). Just ask Amazon. “That’s right, a company worth billions understands that frugality is smart in good times and bad. They do it by taking a solid-core wooden door with no pre-drilled holes and attaching pillars as legs. You can do the same thing in your home office, using any large, workable surface,” reports Suzanne Kearns on Money Crashers.
6. Do you really need that reception area?
“Doing away with reception areas is a trend we’re increasingly seeing,” notes Booth. “If you’ve got clients coming in all the time, maybe you need one; if not, is it essential?”
Pondering ditching your reception area but nagged by worries that clients might feel lost at sea when they step into the office? Maybe the answer is right under your feet. One company that Isabelle Glinka, principal of LUX Design, worked with “needed a way to guide their clients through the space since they did not have a receptionist. We put their branded bubbles on the ground, some in blue, some in green. The different colors lead to different rooms, making it very easy for them to explain to the client where to go.” The cheap and colorful floor markers also personalized and brightened up the space.
7. Be a neat-nick
Not to sound like your mom, but cleaning up costs nothing and radically improves the look of your office. “It’s amazing how quickly a neat and tidy office can turn into hurricane zone,” says Paul Kelly, head of marketing at design firm Morgan Lovell. “We have a ‘no eating at desks’ policy, which keeps rubbish in its proper place as well as crumbs off the floor. We also recommend that you ban bins at desks to avoid the inevitable pile up of rubbish at workstations. It also encourages recycling,” he says.
Also, don’t forget that tangle of cords. “Is your computer area turning into a dusty and tangled nest of cables, cords, wires, and plugs?” asks Waits. “If so, it’s time to get organized. Label each with plastic bread bag tags, wrap with Velcro strips, and run cords along the backside of a desk using eye hooks or clips. Or explore other methods to control the web of wires.”
8. Bring in the great outdoors
Any glimpse of nature has been shown to boost creativity, so make sure you incorporate some way for your team to connect with the great outdoors. “Get a live plant that will survive and look great, or if you know you’ll kill it, arrange your desk to look outside. You’ll love to see something green and alive right there at work and it will make that creative thinking view so much nicer,” Curbly advises. Even using natural materials like unpainted wood can help on this front.
9. Renovation as a money spinner?
You expect changing up your office to cost you money, but here’s a radical idea. If you end up having a few desks to spare, improving–and then renting out–some of your space can actually make you money.
“All too often we waste space, not really using every spare foot to its maximum capacity. If you have an office, the chances are you have lots of extra room, even if you don’t realize it yet. Take a step back and ask yourself: How full is my office, really?” suggests Tom Reynolds on the Bplans blog. Suddenly that office upgrade might even be able to pay for itself. Check out the post for more details on how to do this.
You love your colleagues, right? Seriously, they make your day. (Well, most of them.) But do they know that? According to writer Peter Economy, praising your co-workers can result in numerous positive changes for you, including stress reduction, an increase in empathy, and even better health. Also, showing gratitude at work increases team morale and makes you (and those around you) happier. While that all sounds obvious, not enough people put it into practice.
Use these simple tips to show your co-workers just how happy you are to work at the same company. Sure they’re basic, but they’re also the first things people forget about when their to-do list is growing and they have a million and one things to get done.
1. Write a Note
The other day when I got to work, there was a handwritten note waiting for me. When the mail you’re used to getting is primarily bills, junk mail, and catalogs, it’s exciting to get an actual letter!
In fact, I keep the thank you notes displayed at my desk so that when I’m having a tough day at work, I can quickly take a look and boost my mood.
2. Give Credit
Say you’re in a meeting or on an email thread and someone mentions a successful project you’ve worked on. If the project was a team effort, mention all of the members who helped make it a success. Explain what they did and how they directly contributed to the outcome. If there are too many names or contributions and it starts looking like an Academy Awards speech, even a brief, “The entire marketing team was invaluable!” goes a long way.
3. Give Positive Feedback
Recognize and praise people’s accomplishments when you see (or hear about) them. It doesn’t haven’t to be in a long, melodramatic email—just saying it aloud can do the trick. Include specific examples that explain why you were impressed, and how the effort benefits you, your team, the company, or clients.
4. Tell the Boss
You’re not the boss? Well, you can still put in a good word and let the person who determines your co-worker’s salary, promotion, and assignments know that he’s done an outstanding job. While you hope your teammate’s managing up and regularly sharing his accomplishments, it bolsters someone’s claims when his manager hears the same positive news from someone else.
For example, my supervisor recently shared with me that he’d emailed two people on the management team to tell them how much he loves working with me. I was so proud: It made my week!
5. Offer to Help
If your teammate’s overwhelmed with work, offer to help. Yes, it may mean that you stay a little later (and miss that show you really wanted to watch), but it will show your co-worker that you’re available when needed.
Facing a slow day at work? If you finally have downtime in your schedule, email your team and see if anyone needs your assistance. Be the person who is willing to step in and print reports, staple presentations, and do the less glamorous projects that still need to get done. People will appreciate it—and be more likely to repay the favor when you’re in a bind!
6. Accept Constructive Criticism
Constructive criticism is not fun, per se. But if you really listen to what the other person has to say (or read what he or she has typed in an email)—as opposed to getting defensive—he’ll feel validated. Sure, it’s hard to hear tough feedback, but your co-worker is only taking the time to provide it because he genuinely wants to help you improve. By considering his suggestions, you’ll be demonstrating that you appreciate his perspective.
7. Put Your Co-worker First, the Work Second
It’s so incredibly simple, yet something that’s often overlooked. When you email someone asking if she has added slides to a presentation, kick it off by asking how her weekend was. It’ll make working together more enjoyable and it’ll show that you appreciate your teammates as actual human beings—not just people who are good at their jobs.
8. Start a Tradition
Company traditions increase bonding and team morale. You can ask anyone who works at a tradition-filled company and you’ll discover that it’s true. For example, at my job we choose a Kudos King or Queen at every team meeting. When you nominate someone, you have to mention the core value he portrays, something specific he did, and how it affected you, the team, a client, or the success of a project.
9. Say Thank You
This one is so obvious that it should go without saying—but just in case you need the reminder: The simplest way to show appreciation is to say “thank you.” The trick is to mention something specific and explain how someone’s efforts impacted you and—ideally—the company.
For example, rather than stop at, “Thank you so much for all of your hard work with the client kickoff,” continue with, “The client was so impressed with the exercises you put together. They really helped to start the relationship off on a positive note!”
So, start implementing these nine tips today. Not only will your co-workers feel more appreciated, but you may soon find that you’re feeling less stressed and healthier yourself. And wouldn’t that be nice?
At the end of a busy year, an amazing company holiday party is great way to reward your employees for all their hard work – but not all company parties are created equal. We’ve all heard the water cooler whispers: tales of company parties that end in tears or parties where the food and drink forgotten. It’s enough to make anyone nervous about planning a holiday reward for the office, but if you follow our tips, you’ll have the perfect company holiday party coming together in no time!
Whether you throw your event at a cool location or hold the party at the office, here are our best 15 tips for keeping your holiday parties fresh, fun, and one your employees will talk about around the water cooler for all the right reasons.
Choose An Awesome Location
Awesome company team building at the Met!
You don’t have to decorate cubicles with boughs of holly and hold your holiday party in the comfortable confines of the office. Plan a holiday party adventure and branch out! Plan a private party at a museum or find a unique venue that your team will find exciting. Getting out of the office is always good for morale and holding your holiday party off the beaten path is a quick way to your employees’ hearts!
Photo Booth Madness
Show your company pride by creating a DIY photo booth. Build a funny backdrop, hand out props and encourage your teams to take photos all night. Hire a photographer or find an employee with a passion for taking photos — either way your group will enjoy having something tangible to take away from the event.
Sing Together
The concept may sound scary but singing is actually one of the most effective team building exercises. Get a karaoke machine for your holiday party and watch employees get creative, step out of their comfort zone and build trust. If your employees are weary of karaoke, make it optional, but find some team members who will really champion the activity and get people involved. You could even head to a karaoke lounge to pack a double punch of awesome and host a fun event outside the office!
Give Out Some Serious Prizes
Everyone loves a good prize. So, if you are planning on having some fun contests (e.g. best ugly sweater) make sure the prizes are quality. Old company t-shirts and mugs won’t cut it. Your employees will feel valued if you invest in super awesome prizes. Think: gift cards, subscription boxes, or even an extra day or two of vacation time!
Learn a Skill as a Team
Holding a fun and unique workshop during your holiday party is a definite win. Learn how to make ice cream. Hold a mindfulness seminar. Learn a crazy or weird skill. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it gets your teams laughing and enjoying themselves. Schedule the workshop for the beginning of your holiday party and then your employees will have the rest of the time to socialize, laugh, and relax.
Volunteer Together
If a big holiday bash isn’t in the cards for your company, try volunteering as a group for the holidays. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers survey found that 88% of millennials “gravitate towards companies with pronounced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, and 86% would consider leaving if their employer’s CSR no longer met their expectations.” Volunteering is great way to give back to your community and bond as a group. You can always throw a simple holiday cocktail party or dinner afterwards!
Themed Parties for the Win
A good themed party can add excitement to any event, but don’t go too over the top. Develop a simple overarching theme that the entire company will enjoy. If you can develop a theme that is born out of your company history and culture, that’s even better. Don’t be afraid to ask your employees for input, too!
A Gift Exchange That Isn’t Terrifying
Secret Santas and gift swaps can often conjure up anxiety and fear in employees, but they don’t have to. An awesomely planned gift exchange, with simple guidelines, can be a big win. Try planning a book exchange, where each employee gives a copy of their favorite book to a colleague. If you focus on meaningful gifts – that are both affordable and memorable – your teams will be more apt to participate!
Introduce Friendly and Fun Competition
Games are always a good idea at holiday parties. Take your event to the next level and introduce some cheeky competition. From scavenger hunts to renting cool games like pinball, competition is great for boosting energy and helping your team bond. Under the guise of the holiday party, they probably won’t even know they’re becoming a stronger team!
Provide Transportation!
If your employees have a long commute, try compensating them for transportation to and from the party! Offer a ride service or plan the party around when your employees would already be at work.
Drink Tastings
Whether you are going to serve alcohol, wine, punch, soda or water, a fun way to mix it up and involve everyone is by creating tasting bars. If you have a wine or beer tasting, don’t forget to pair it with a tea or coffee tasting for people who don’t want to drink alcohol! Tip: Be sure not to make drinking the complete focus of the party, so everyone feels included.
Sneak in Some Team Building
Holiday parties are an AWESOME time for stealthy team building. Start the party off with some icebreakers, or play some group challenge games to get everyone laughing and working together. The great thing about team building during a holiday party is that all of the company is together! This gives employees who may not normally work together time to get to know each other. Because it’s a party, employees may be more open to participate and it won’t feel like team building at all!
Invest in the Planning Process
The best holiday parties are ones that the company took time to plan. Have a budget and plan out even the smallest details. The more invested you are in the event, the more your employees will appreciate it – and the better time everyone will have!
Get Everyone Involved
Don’t forget to get your employees involved. They will feel more connected to the holiday party if they’re helping plan it. This can help you figure out logistics, like whether to offer childcare or invite family members. Plus, the party will mean more to everyone if they’re involved.
Ask Your Teams for Input
If you don’t know what type of company party your employees would enjoy, just ask them! Do a company-wide survey and ask for ideas and suggestions about what to do for a holiday event. Have a brainstorming session before the holiday season starts. Don’t forget to get input after the event to find out what worked and what didn’t so you’re ready to roll come next year!
It’s never too soon to start thinking about your company’s holiday party! Let us help plan an event that’ll end the year with a bang – and get your team excited about what’s to come in the new year! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a ring at 1-800-210-9676.
Share this article. your friends will love it too!
What’s it feel like, walking in to work or standing in the break room, sitting at your desk or tucked away in your office or cubicle?
The vibe of your workplace matters—if it’s ringing with silence or buzzing with chatter, if doors are open or closed, if employees are excited, or less than thrilled to get their days started, literally dragging themselves there. And it’s company culture that decides. So what is yours—or what do you want it to be?
Probably a place that inspires and motivates the people inside it to do their best, right? This magical environment, or the success that comes with it, doesn’t just show up, though; you’ve got to commit to making your business the best place ever to work.
We asked the Young Entrepreneur Council, “What is one thing you want to accomplish regarding company culture?” Here are their goals… which can be your goals, too:
1. Communicate and appreciate workers.
I’ve worked in too many roles where communication was nonexistent and hard work was not appreciated or acknowledged. This year is going to be the year of efficient communication and showing shameless praise for a job well done. When I’m engaged, challenged and appreciated, I’m unstoppable. And I have a feeling I’m not the only one who operates that way.
—Sydney Owen Williams, 3Ring Media
2. Learn to teach.
Something we continually strive for as an organization is to spend as much time as possible on learning and self-improvement. We’ve structured our entire work week around meetings and events that will help drive learning as much as possible. The next big thing we’re focused on is getting our entire staff engaged with teaching, as we’ve found there is no better way to learn than to teach.
3. Collaborate across departments.
One of the defining aspects of our company has been the intertwined nature of our business functions. Marketing is constantly talking to Tech, who always checks in with Sales, and so on. This has been easy considering the small size of our team. But as we grow and expand, it is a priority to maintain this transparency and collaborative environment to ensure a comprehensive approach.
4. Encourage an environment of acceptance.
A business runs smoothly when the culture is one of acceptance toward peers’ idiosyncrasies. Acceptance does away with the time-wasters of back-stabbing and social climbing. It takes team-building experiences to foster acceptance. It takes tight control of yourself to not roll your eyes at a ludicrous idea. It also takes making sure that your team believes in building each other up.
5. Focus on employee development.
We want to create a culture of curiosity and realization that we will never know enough. We want our employees to continually develop themselves, so we’re encouraging a fund for them to actively find and attend conferences. By sharing what they learn, they can inspire other employees around the office to be hungry for future growth.
6. Inspire a culture of self-awareness.
In order for organizations to prosper and grow, each individual must have a realistic view of their own set of strengths and weaknesses. They must acknowledge and accept where they currently are before they can begin to map out plans for improvement, and the culture should allow them the chance to accept who they are before attempts are made to change.
7. Improve employee independence.
Successful employees tell you what they did, rather than asking what to do. Moving forward over the next year, I’m going to try to encourage everyone in the company to make their own decisions instead of looking to managers to make their decisions for them.
Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprising the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
Your break room can be an incredibly important part of your office. If you want your team to be productive and satisfied at work, they need a place to take occasional breaks and relax or even have some fun. Here are some tips that can help you create the best possible break room for your small business team.
Employee Break Room Ideas
Provide Caffeine and Snacks
No break room is complete without a coffee machine. And if you want to create a break room that your employees will really love, you can add some extra options as well. A tea kettle, cappuccino machine and a fridge or pantry stocked with healthy snack options can help your employees get an extra energy boost in the middle of the day. And they’ll appreciate the extra options too.
Offer a Space for Conversations
You also need to create a space in your break room where your employees can actually sit down and enjoy their lunch, coffee or simple break time. Some tables and comfortable seating can be extremely helpful. But you should also consider your actual team and the space you have available in your break room, since you want to create a space that will encourage your employees to actually sit together and talk, which can then encourage collaboration in the office as well.
Create a Relaxing Atmosphere
In order for your break room to be effective, you need your employees to actually feel like they’re taking a break from their work. You can do this by creating a relaxing space where your team members can completely separate themselves from their work. Things like paint colors and comfortable seating can help. Or you can create separate spaces for employees who really want to be alone to relax or think for a few minutes at a time.
Close Off the Space from the Office
In addition, it’s important that your break room be physically separated from the rest of your office. If you have an open floor plan, then the employees who are taking breaks could potentially be distracting to those who are working. Or those who are working could make it more difficult for those trying to take breaks. So you could try using room dividers, curtains or barriers to make the spaces seem more separate.
Offer Some Activities
Break rooms can also be a great place for your team members to have some fun. And you can encourage that by providing some games or activities for your employees to take part in. If you have room, you could set up a ping pong table or pool table for team members to use. Or you could invest in a video game console or even just keep some board games around for employees enjoying the break room.
Make it Large Enough for Parties
On a daily basis, your break room might just be in use by a few people at a time. But it can also be a great place to have your team gather for things like birthdays or other events. So if possible, make sure it’s large enough and laid out in a way that can facilitate activities involving your entire team.
Personalize the Space
The decorations that you choose for your break room can also make a big difference. You want it to be fairly consistent with your office decorations, but still fun. You can consider things like paint colors, wall art, furniture and more. You might even consult with a designer to put together a space that will work best for your specific team.
Encourage Actual Breaks
You can also offer something extra for employees who really need to relax and take their minds off of work for a few by including fun distractions like books or a TV. Since employees who work constantly can start to feel burnt out and then potentially lose focus and have their productivity suffer, providing a few things that can help them actually separate themselves from work can also help them and your business over time.
Keep it Updated
Putting together a break room can be a fun activity. But if you want your employees to actually enjoy that break room over the long haul, you need to maintain and update it. So you need to make sure to have the space cleaned and organized regularly. And you should also update any outdated features or add cool new gadgets or decorations that you think might appeal to your team.
Listen to Your Employees
When designing or updating your break room, the most important thing you need to keep in mind is how it can benefit your team. So you should take their thoughts and opinions into account when making decisions. You can learn a lot by simply talking to your employees. Or if you have a few different options you’re considering, you could even use a survey or questionnaire to gather feedback from your team.
The average person spends 90,000 hours of their life at work. Yet over 50% of the workforce reports feeling stressed out, burned out and unhappy with their day-to-day. The good news is, there are some really easy steps you can take to increase your day-to-day happiness at work. So, instead of reaching for another coffee or the office biscuit jar for a temporary boost, try these proven methods for increasing your happiness at work:
1. Tap into feelings of gratitude
Even if you don’t love your job, it’s important to identify the positives of what you are doing every day and be grateful for the opportunities and resources that you receive. This can be achieved by journaling: take a few moments out of your day to make a list of the things you are grateful for. It could be free coffee or your favourite co-worker who always puts a smile on your face. Jot them down in a journal and at the end of each day/week/month, you can review and appreciate all the great things you’ve got going on at work.
2. Bring in nature
We are biological creatures, so we are deeply affected by our access (or lack of access) to the natural world. Try bringing elements of the outdoors in: get some flowers or indoor plants to add some life to your space. Or if that’s a little too much responsibility then get a cactus which doesn’t need much looking after – and then maybe work on your responsibility skills.
3. Get active in your lunch break
If you are struggling to bring the outside in, then why not go outside during your lunch break. Whether you manage to squeeze in an exercise class or you just go for a short stroll, exercising and getting outside can help increase your creativity and boost your thinking power.
Check out more top tips for staying healthy at work.
4. Be positive and friendly towards your co-workers
Forming positive relationships at work and engaging with those people throughout the day is a great way to make work feel less like work. Finding time to catch up with colleagues can break up your day and if you’re having a bad day, there’s nothing that your favourite co-worker can’t fix.
5. Declutter your desk
Tidy desk, tidy mind. Taking the time to clear surfaces, organise drawers and throw away rubbish can turn a stressful workplace into a calm haven. This doesn’t need to take hours of effort – a few minutes at the end of each day is easily long enough. For more inspiration on how to create a calm working environment, check out our blog.
Arrange your space so you are comfortable: make sure your monitor is at eye height, and you are square to it (this is important for good posture). And if you’re feeling really ambitious, you could tidy up your desktop and emails.
6. Decorate your space
It might be an obvious one, but fill your desk with photos of friends and family. It makes going to the office more like being at home, which does wonders for your comfort levels and thus your productivity.
Lighten the mood with a funky desk lamp. Getting the right lighting is really important for productivity and efficiency. You could also upgrade your stationary – Post–It Notes, pens, drawing pins and staplers don’t need to be boring.
Check out our blog for more ideas on how to decorate your space to increase happiness and maximise productivity.
7. Read your fan mail
Create a folder of messages and emails that you have received from people thanking you for something you have helped them with. If you are feeling low or lacking motivation, read through these messages for a reminder of how awesome you are.
8. Snack on healthy food
Switch your chocolate snacks for healthy foods: fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds will help to regulate energy, help you stay full (thanks fibre), and ensure that you’re getting all the vitamins you need.
9. Play uplifting music
It has been proven that there is a direct link between listening to music and the release of dopamine. So, if you are feeling down at work, put on your favourite playlist and block out the background noise.
10. Find meaning in your work
Whilst finding meaning in your role will require slightly more effort than putting on your favourite playlist, it can be the key to feeling happy and fulfilled at work. Try to look at the bigger picture, this could lead to greater satisfaction and a sense of purpose in your job. If you can’t find any meaning in what you’re doing, then it might be time to look for a new job.
So there are our ten top tips for boosting happiness and health at work. Whilst the list isn’t conclusive, it’s a good start. So if you or one of your colleagues needs a boost, share this with them and spread the love.
Find the best workspace solution for your team
Whether you’re looking for a full-team office, remote working solutions, or a combination of the two—we can help.
Not sure what you need? Our expert advisors can help you build the right workplace strategy for your business:
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Working in an office—even if that office is in your home—can be monotonous. Day in and day out, you see the same desk, computer screen, and stationery supplies; you might even grow an unlikely attachment to your stapler. But just because you see these things for 40+ hours a week doesn’t mean you have to be at odds with them. Fun office supplies will make even the drabbest work days better.
Simply changing the items you display in your workspace can make it feel more personal. We’ve found a bevy of small office decor ideas that will not only keep your desk tidy but enliven it with playful items. One way is with the Big Wooden Cat Pile. It’s often marketed as a reverse-Jenga-style game, but when it’s not in use, you can arrange the cats in many gravity-defying combinations.
We’ve also selected objects that put the fun in functional. One of our favorites is a set of 12 pens that look like blades of grass; display them together and you’ve got a small meadow on your desk. And if you’re the type that’s always forgetting something, let Morris the donkey help you. He’s a desktop notepad that keeps small slips of paper in his back and whose head is a clip; just store your latest reminder between his snout and you’ll be on time for that Skype call.
Get make your office feel like a home away from (even if you work from home) with these creative products.
