Six Tips on Incorporating Zen In Your Office

25 Jan Six Tips on Incorporating Zen In Your Office

The state of the spaces you live and work in reflects your state of mind.
Using the philosophy of Zen in your office need not be so hard- all you need to do is to declutter. Put things back to where they originally belong. For example, when you take out a file, card, or any other office item from a drawer, see to it that it gets returned to its drawer after you’re done with it. Not only does this act keep clutter to a minimum, but it’ll also make you feel as if you’ve fully completed a task, which in turn brings a sense of fulfillment to your everyday work life.

A clean and decluttered office present a wonderfully productive and inviting environment not only to you but to your clients and staff too. Zen organizer and author of Right Size, Right Now, Regina Leeds, states that the whole point of Zen organizing is to make your space as comfortable and to nurture as possible. A messy office filled with clutter does the opposite, and so should be avoided completely.

Aside from keeping a clutter-free work area, here are more tips on how to incorporate Zen into your office:

1) Decorate your space with plants. A living, breathing thing like a potted plant gives a splash of life to an otherwise drab workspace. However, do take note that you need to pick the right plant species that can survive in an office environment.

2) Add art to your walls. Hang paintings, framed photos, and personal awards- having decorations on your walls gives the impression of ownership. The space belongs to you, and you have power over it. Just make sure to keep the decorations to a tasteful level lest you go too overboard with it and turn it into clutter.

3) Throw away what you don’t need or use. Old business cards, brochures, etcetera. Then create a standardized organization system for the items that are left, e.g. file them based on categories like name, date, usage, and others.

4) The only items that should be on your desk at all times should be only those that you use regularly. This is the same philosophy that doctors and medical professionals use in regards to their tools. Keep the tools that you often use nearby, preferably organized in the order that you will use them.

5) Keep a small bowl of candy in your office. It adds a friendlier touch to any area and also makes the office more inviting to visitors and clients.

6) Treat the cleaning of common rooms as a separate job. While offices sometimes make cleaning a communal duty, it’s hard to find people who will follow up on their duties. It’s best to just assign the job directly to a person, and just compensate him or her for the time that she’ll spend on it.