Work is stressful. Sure you can love what you do but as the work goes on and your objectives and goals reach higher, it is only inevitable that your stress levels start reaching equal heights. Hence because your deadlines and objectives can leave you pretty wound up it would help you if your physical work environment doesn’t stress you out further but rather, brings motivation and peace of mind.

Here are a few tips on creating the ideal stress-free work environment:

Organize your work space and keep it clean

Disorganization is not only visually grotesque, it is also a real time consumer. How many times did you have to surf through piles of papers and files just to find one tiny yet important piece of information? Proper organization means keeping tabs on every little detail and piece of information that is crucial by way of categorizing, labelling, ordering and storing. If you keep up with proper organization practices for a while it could save you time and save your important documents, files and information as well.

Keeping the workspace clean entails proper sanitization of where you work. Always check if your desks, chairs, and other important objects are dirt and dust free. Unclean work spaces will not only make it disgusting to spend another minute there but it will also subject you to illnesses making it difficult for you to even think about going to work.

Personalize your work space

Adding little articles that have personal value and meaning to you such as photographs, books or ornaments in your favorite color. Having personal touches where you work can naturally help bring down the anxiety you may face due to stress caused by your workload. Some people feel alienated and quite unused to the surroundings of their work place. Personalizing that unfamiliar place may obviously help them relax and sit back before getting into work.

Have the green element

Placing plants inside your office or where you usually work is definitely very helpful and it also makes the place look a lot less intimidating. Not only do beautiful plants and flowers make your workspace look nice but it has also proven to reduce the rates of absenteeism, stress, reduce blood pressure and boost positivity and motivation. Physically, the presence of plants can lower the humidity and temperature as well as noise levels. All these benefits add up to make plants one crucial factor is making a stress-free work environment.

Get rid of interruptions

Interruptions can be anything from a chatty co-worker to noises coming from outside your window. Studies have actually proven that lower the interruptions you have at work, lower your anxiety, irritation and stress can get. Therefore it’s important to learn how to handle interruptions; how to avoid or shut out noise and deal with co-workers who just want to chat all the time.

One good way to deal with a chatty co-worker is to understand where they’re coming from; why they want to chat all the time. It could be because they just want to maintain good relationships and connect with other people. So blandly ignoring this type of person can either lead to lost friends and broken relationships (which will multiply your stress levels at work) or this type of person will end up trying harder to get to you. So out of the many times they drop by to chat, if one such time slot is less busy to you, pay attention to them. Look interested and make a pleasant conversation. The point is to occasionally make time for these co-workers and at other times when they come in to chat let them know that it is not a good time. This way they will learn to respect your privacy and workload while at the same time admiring you for still keeping in touch.

Practice relaxation exercises

It could be meditating every day after you get home to keep your mind clear, but there are other little things you can do to help yourself relax. If you stay inside a room alone at work, playing music could be of help. Otherwise, going out for a peaceful walk every now and then will also help you clear your mind and incorporate with things less intimidating like Nature. However taking up meditation or being in touch with spirituality have proven to help workers around the world make drastic reductions in their anxiety and stress levels. So it’s all worth a try.

Redecorate your workspace

Lighting, color and decos are crucial to set a good mood and keep the view soothing and motivating. Incorporate neutral colors such as yellow, blue or green when painting your office or decorating your cubicle. We also know how fluorescent lights can ruin the view and increase your pressure levels. So switch them up for some mellow lighting system that is friendly to your eyes and mental health. Add some beautiful yet soothing decos as well and it will make going to work exciting.

At CloudCone we keep our efficiency and productivity levels high by maintaining a fun and informal atmosphere. Everyone gets to come up with great ideas swiftly because of genuine and friendly interactions. We have also optimized our work environment to make it look as less intimidating as possible with great decos.

So there you go. If you have been suffering from stress for a long time I hope that these few tips will kill that feeling and help you feel relaxed and boost your performance. Of course the ultimate tip to keeping stress levels at bay is to live life, enjoy every minute of it, surround yourself with people who support you and maintain a positive attitude whenever possible. Good luck and reach out to us if you have any concerns, suggestions or general feedback! 🙂