Photo: redteam / Flickr

With our many commitments around the home and at the office, we’ve had to figure out ways to maximise our time properly. Relaxation time should be just that, and the same applies to work time. And while we’ve recently covered how to create an efficient workspace, below are a few tips for creating a comfortable friendly work environment.

Music for the mood

Music is handy for creating moods. An upbeat playlist pushes you through those difficult sections during a grueling workout, while classical music makes one relax. Buy a portable audio system and see which music you work best to – stay away from lyric heavy music you enjoy singing along to, because when you sing, you can’t concentrate on what you’re doing.

Colours are almost everything

Anybody will tell you of the powers fresh flowers have on creating a fantastic environment. Why’s that so? While many people think that it is purely the scent, a big part of it is the burst in colour. Certain colours are conducive to various work environments, and flowers look great next to drab white – the colour of most offices.

If you do creative work, consider chirpy colours like yellow or green, or if your work requires rigid, statistical focus, a light brown/beige colour will do your work environment wonders. Remember, it’s all about need, and if you can, grab paint and do the job yourself. The relaxation that accompanies painting makes it a must-do.

Desk chair combo

Having the right sized desk, paired with the right-sized chair, will make an incredible difference to your efficiency when working – whether it is at home or in the office. Now, we’re not suggesting you go splash money on a fancy, but brutally expensive, chair (though if you can afford it, why not). What we’re suggesting is you test your desk/chair combo for height considerations and comfort. The time lost adjusting how you sit alone is worth fussing over this.

A bonus tip is to also make sure you work in a well-lit area. Picking up the perfect reading lamp will make for a friendly work environment since the extra lighting helps you better concentrate on what you’re doing.

Making your workspace comfortable is your responsibility, and you should experiment to see what helps you concentrate better. Looking for inspiration? Tutorialblog has a fantastic collection of nice workspaces.

Tags: office, workspace