Over the last couple of weeks a lot of us have moved back to work from home, even our children have become homeworkers again. I’ve been working form home for a number of years and am lucky in that I have my own space in the garden where I used to invite clients to escape form their working life to enter a place of tranquillity that stimulated their thinking and supported their personal development. I now do this virtually, I still create an environment that stimulates thinking and is inspiring.

My 20 year old son returned home from work on the eve of him starting to work from home and  proceeded to clean his room and re work his bedroom / now office to better support his work. He also made sure he had natural light, plants and was able to see one of his amazing photo’s. My niece sent me a message to say she too had cleaned her room and made it so she was better able to work in.

Where we work is important and how we work in that space is also important in connection with our wellbeing and will impact on your productivity and motivation. Here’s a checklist to help you bring joy into your workspace.

• Where possible bring natural light as well as other good lighting
• Please have a desk and a chair – I was supporting a client last year who was suffering from depression and anxiety and she was working of her lounge floor. Physically and mentally not supportive to your wellbeing.
• Bring colour and joy through photographs or pictures, I have an office full of paintings I did that brighten up the walls. Photographs of landscapes are another favourite of mine – here’s a link to a great Esty site where you can get fantastic photos very reasonable too

              https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HicktonPhotography?ref=shop_sugg

• Smell I always light a scented candle or melt my favourite melts are from White Feather Lane home scents

               https://www.facebook.com/groups/303622574373563/

• Open a window get some fresh air if not all the time some of the time
• Add a plant doesn’t have to be big you can get some great small ones, sometimes I treat myself to fresh flowers, a bunch of tulips to bring spring in. 
• I also add a lighted selenite that helps keep negativity at bay. Another one that helps is also a lighted Himalayan rock salt
• I also have a few things that remind me of things that were happy times so I can re connect with the joy that I felt at the time.
• A quote is good something that stimulates your thinking – you might change it weekly
• Clutter free – tidy your work area get organised, file it throw it if you no longer need it as my daughter reminds me Marie Kondo it “If we don’t need it or its doesn’t bring Joy” then it’s time for it to go – with thanks.
• The essentials notebook / post it notes / pens and pencils find ones that spark joy for you. I love my journals and notebooks and often find an excuse to use my coloured pens. I’m sure it stems back to a new school year where you got new stationary.

 This thinking is also important to help those of you who have children also struggling with home education, help them make a stimulating learning space.

Take some time to refresh your workspace make it work for you, let it be a place you enjoy being in. Stimulate your motivation and inspire yourself to work at your best in the space you create.