Creating Happiness in Your Office

The third week in January is National Hunt for Happiness Week and while we are all on a quest to find happiness in our daily lives, it’s often best to start within the place and space where we spend the most time.

For many, it means making our office a happy place to dwell. Here are ten things to do to transform your workspace, creating a positive atmosphere and encouraging you to smile throughout the day.

Set Up a Mini Cocoa Bar

Build a small chocolate station in your office with a few special mugs and all the fixings. Invite your coworkers to stop by for a morning or midafternoon treat. It’s a fun way to break from the hustle and bustle and get to know your office mates, especially those you might not have had the opportunity to connect with yet. Set out pretty paper napkins and little colorful stirrers with a little jar of marshmallows.

Bring In a Vase of Fresh Flowers

Who says you have to wait for Valentine’s Day for someone to send you a bouquet? Bring in your favorite plant or a vase for sweet smelling buds for a boost of positive energy. Live plants are said to improve air quality and reduce stress, promoting happiness and comfort in your cozy little workspace. If you prefer, set out a diffuser and add a few drops of essential oil to make your office smell fresh and clean.

Put a Heater Under Your Desk

For many, the temp is still frigid. Warmth is known to relieve muscle pain and tension, not to mention promote a feeling of wellbeing. Keeping a small space heater under your desk can help create that luxurious, stress-free feeling while in the office and perhaps even alleviate pain from a brand-new pair of heels!

Use Colorful Pens

When you’ve got a busy schedule, you have no room to lose track of important travel plans, conference calls and meetings. My planner stays full so it’s important that everything is color-coded and neatly written. Not only does it keep me on target and focused for the day ahead, but I’ve found that there’s nothing quite like opening up a planner that’s full of reminders, written in my favorite colors. Work is green, personal is orange, kids are purple, speeches are highlighted in yellow and friends commitments are hot pink.

Create An Inspiration Board

Designate a small bulletin board in your office as a place to find motivation and encouragement. It’s a creative way to display thank you notes and supportive messages you’ve received from clients and colleagues. You can even include quotes that keep you moving toward the path of success. And from Confucius to the Beatles, there are plenty of notables to energize, encourage and simply bring a smile to your face.

Generate Extra Power

There’s nothing better than a juiced-up cell phone to keep creative juices flowing. Keep a spare charger in your desk for those moments between meetings when you notice you’re running low. Give yourself peace of mind before walking into your next appointment. You never know when you need to check an email for reference or verify a contact.

Make an Emergency Kit

Have you found yourself in desperate need of an aspirin and no one seems to have one to spare? Find a cute little pouch to store emergency items like an extra pain reliever, hair ties, bandages and lip balm. It’s a satisfying feeling when you’re in a moment of need and you can simply reach into your desk and find exactly what you’re looking for.

Invest In an Insulated Travel Mug

We’ve all experienced it– a cold sip from a lukewarm mug. Nothing can spoil a morning faster than a disappointing cup of coffee. Especially when you just wasted several dollars and didn’t even get your morning pick-me-up. Invest in an insulated travel mug to keep your beverage hot and your temper cool. There are plenty to choose from and you can find them at almost any retail store. Buy a good one that will last.

Provide Healthy Snacks

You may notice how many of my suggestions are food related– it’s true! I am motivated by snacks so I keep my desk stocked with packages of oatmeal, nuts, popcorn and energy bars.  You may consider a small bowl of fruit to add to your cocoa bar. Kick those afternoon lows with your favorite granola bar or trail mix and breeze on through to 5 o’clock.

Always Have a Clean Workspace

Cleanliness and organization is key to ensuring your day runs smoothly. Find a file folder to keep your desk organized and go through your drawers once a week to remove stray receipts and gum wrappers. Don’t forget your wallet and purse when purging weekly debris. Fumbling around for your business cards is not only distracting, but frustrating as well. Find what you need when you need it by removing all distractions where you reach.

For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, you may enjoy Hit the Reset Button. Read her posts on Inc., and HuffPost, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Diane’s latest book, Modern Etiquette for a Better Life is available on Amazon.