Ask Audrey: Giving Your Workspace a Refresh

Dear Audrey: What's your favorite way to freshen up your workspace when you feel like you need a change?

I know I say this a lot, but it still rings true: just add plants! For spaces with any light, try a low-maintenance air plant. All you have to do is occasionally drop it in the sink for a 15-minute soak and it’ll stay happy and healthy! If you have more direct light, you could add a mint plant for fragrance or a jade plant for your desktop. If you only have indirect light, try English Ivy or, for scent, a lemon balm plant.

Like the idea of plants but don’t want to take care of one? Go for a moss terrarium! You can make one yourself or search online to find a preassembled plant ready to plop on your desk.

I would also highly recommend reassessing your ergonomic setup. Whether you're working from the kitchen counter or a desk in a sea of cubicles, we each have a "setup" of our own, consciously or not. Take 15 minutes to adjust your chair exactly how you want it. Make sure your screen is the correct height so you don’t have to look up or down at it. (A cheap trick for this is to grab the phone books that are inevitably crowding the corner of your office to prop your screen up if you need to). We spend so much time at our desks - simply noticing the way we work and customizing it will improve your morale a ton!

Speaking of desktops, how is your digital desktop? Do you have a zillion folders and documents wildly named and strewn about? Take a minute to clear out the old, organize what’s left, and toss what’s no longer necessary. Sometimes having a messy digital desktop can be more disconcerting than the state of your physical desktop.

Lastly, I love a clean desktop in real life! Get rid of the dead pens, the dust at the corner of your desk, and the keyboard marks on your laptop screen. Just like cleaning out your closet, this will freshen up your space and give you the feeling of a new start. Sometimes that makes all the difference!

Image Credit: Markus Spiske