The doldrums of office work always hits hardest on Monday morning, especially if your workplace is about as cheery as a day at the clown crematorium.
In fact, you’ve probably slogged through a few workplaces that make you slump as soon as you enter. Dank, water damaged walls, desks chipped and peeling, computers that take decades to boot and chairs that seem purpose-built to give you a hernia – these are the hallmarks of workplace misery.
But those Mondays don’t have to be a slog. With the right eye for design, you can create an office that will abandon the doldrums and leave you feeling divine. So, what can you do?
Floral perfection
Wouldn’t it be lovely to skip through rolling meadows and roll around in dandelions and daffodils throughout your working day? Forever, you’d have those succulent scents tickling your nostrils. Bliss.
Yet, most offices have the colour of a coma patient and the smell to match. And that ain’t gonna make your daily grind pleasant.
To make your work more palatable, find a corporate flowers company that will fill your office with the flutter of flora.
Not only will a few office plants and flowers brighten your day, but the oxygenating effects of plants will act as an active stress reliever. Even if you just purchase artificial plants, you’ll feel rejuvenated by delightful dashes of colour.
Open all hours
Being stuck in confined cubicles is like being trapped in a cramped toilet – while you might not mind your predicament for the first few hours, soon the smell will rise and you’ll feel nothing but a damp misery.
That’s why so many offices have been making themselves open plan. With desks that are as free as a bird, you’ll foster communication between employees, a more creative atmosphere and greater sunlight on desks, which leaves you fresher than the sullen strip lighting of most offices.
For private offices, the concept remains. Replace that plasterboard with glass and you’ll be able to see the rest of your colleagues and build a better rapport.
Culture explosion
Have you seen those motivational posters that say things like, “Traverse the mountain of expectation” or, “Fly the plane of aspiration”? They’re about as inspiring as a bit of rotten wood stuck in some mud. Yet, bosses lap them up like a dog devours its dinner.
The truth is, you won’t inspire your employees with these pictures. So you might as well find art that will inspire them.
You don’t have to pick up a Rembrandt or a Cezanne – just find paintings that make you enthused and, with any luck, your enthusiasm will trickle down to that of your colleagues.
Ultimately, a welcoming office has to have soul. Without that, you’ll never enjoy working there.