Customizing the space in which you work is extremely important – some of us spend over 8 hours a day at our desks, so we might as well enjoy it! Making your work space comfortable, functional and ‘you’ can help increase efficiency and alleviate the risk of possible conditions brought on by ergonomically dysfunctional workspaces. Better yet, studies have shown that people who work in buildings and offices that are aesthetically pleasing generally like their jobs more and tend to make more money!

The first step, whether you are creating a home office or customizing your work office, is to determine where the area should be. If you are working at home, you may want to choose an area that is bright and airy versus dark and cozy when working late or pulling those ‘all-nighters’. Think about out-of-the-ordinary places to design your work space, such as under the stairs or in the attic – you’ll be surprised how much the creativity will start flowing.
If you have a designated work area at your job, try incorporating some personalized lighting fixtures such as a modern or unique style desk lamp. This will bring an aesthetic interest to your work area that you will enjoy, and more practically, it will brighten up your work space. Hanging some small, bright and interesting framed art can also really boost your morale.

The next step is to think about the flow of work – how do you move around your work space? Do you stay fixed throughout the day, or is your desk divided into areas that you move between. Perhaps an ‘L’ or ‘U’ shaped unit might be best suitable for you, or maybe just a great big desk. Employers often configure furniture to suit their staff’s needs if the room and budget allows for it.

Once you have added a few interesting pieces and you have figured out how you will work, think about storage and organization. Again, you can incorporate your own office accessories instead of using the ones provided by your work. Labeling files, desk trays and storage are a great way to keep your office looking neat and will help you focus and ground yourself when working during busy times. Be sure to check with management on some of your design ideas: you don’t want to go so far as to clash with the rest of the office…(no matter how drab it might be).

Finally, invest in a great chair. We say ‘great’ because comfort is key in enjoying your work space and getting the most out of it. With an ergonomic task chair, you will see your productivity and efficiency rise dramatically. There are so many styles, models and colours of task chairs available within varying price points. You can attain that back support that is crucial when working long hours sitting down, and you can also use it as a tool to help you continue personalizing your work space so that it starts working for you!