5 Ways to Make Your Work Environment Stress-Free

Do you find that your office just stresses you out sometimes?

I work from home, so my office is where I spend the majority of my time (when I’m not working from the couch…). And I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to make the work day less stressful is simply to create a more relaxing and calm environment.

Back when I lived with my parents, this was super easy to do. I put curtains all along my one wall, painted the room a beautiful periwinkle colour, and it was exactly how I wanted. In a rental unit, though, it’s another story.

I can’t nail anything up, I can’t paint the walls, I can’t make any permanent changes, or anything that would need to be covered up. Our apartment is adorable and I love it, but it’s painted a weird off-white, a cold off-white, and it just feels really stark.

So I’ve been working the last little bit on making it feel more homey. And I wanted to share my tips with you! 

1. Troubleshoot the issues

I like having tons of space. when I started, I only had one small desk and I felt cramped. I was also facing a wall. I didn’t like that one bit! So when I decided I wanted to re-organize and re-decorate, I opted for a corner-desk by putting two desks of a similar height together and it worked great! One “arm” of the desk is right under a window, too, so I can look out the window and don’t feel quite so claustrophobic.

Think about why you don’t like your office, or whatever room you’re decorating, right now. Is it too dark? Too cold? Too cluttered? Figure out what the large issues are so you know where to start!

2. Think practicality first, then decor

It’s great to have all these cute little trinkets that bring you joy, but if they’re cluttering up your workspace they’re going to just be a hassle in the end, and likely make you more stressed! Your workspace is, first and foremost, a place to get stuff done and be productive. So what do you need to do that?

I learned I need my bullet journal, pens and pencils ready on hand, my printer, my file folders, my iPad, and my laptop. Once you know what you need, make those the priority when organizing or decorating your space. Maybe you can get some really cute office supplies, since you’re using them already. Or a great planner. Your choice! But don’t sacrifice something you need for something that you want.

3. Think realistically–what will you be doing here?

In case you don’t know, I’m a huge crafter. I’d love to think that I could just put all my crafting stuff away whenever I’m not working on a project, but I know that never happens. It’s such a hassle to get all of my sewing equipment out and put it all back again that I just leave it on my desk even when I’m not using it.

So instead of resolving to just put my sewing machine away, I decided “hey, you know what? I love that thing, I love how it looks, and I love being able to just whip out a project whenever I feel like it. So it’s staying!”

Maybe you do a lot of design that requires a great deal of space–then don’t limit yourself to a tiny little desk. Think about what you’re going to be doing in your work area, and figure out how to make your desk or office fit around your life.

4. What can you do to decorate?

Here’s where we get to the fun stuff! So I cant’ nail anything into walls, can’t paint the walls, but I can put stuff on the walls. Which is why I was so excited when PIXERS offered to sponsor me for a post!

PIXERS has tons of great wall decals that are great for apartment living because they’re easy to add to and remove from your walls without any damage your landlord will charge you for later. They have tons of great designs–I loved this purple cactus one since it helps make my office seem a bit warmer with all the bright colours.

The cool thing is that you can order custom sizes–so if you have a weirdly-shaped space, they’ve got you covered! I just wanted a smaller area of my wall covered more as a statement piece, so this wall mural works perfectly for me!

If you’re unable to decorate your dream office or house because of renting, I’d highly recommend checking out PIXERS. They make it so much easier to decorate and personalize any room you want.

5. Add lots of plants!

Plants breathe live into every room they’re in. I live in a basement apartment, so it’s very difficult to find plants that will stay alive with the limited lighting I have, but I’ve found that Aloe Vera just loves the humidity that comes with basement apartments. I’ve got one cute little air plant on my desk, and then a giant monster of a plant in the corner of my office, and they just seem to brighten up the room. Plus, they help keep air fresh which is always a plus!

6. Choose fewer, more meaningful decorations

I’m so not a clutter girl. I hate having decorations usually–I find that they just get in the way. But I wanted to make my office look pretty, so I decided to go for understated decorations that weren’t in the way. In the corner part of my desk, which is practically unusable anyway, I put these cute “C” and “B” decorations that Katie got me for Christmas (for Connor and Becca, in case you were lost there). I keep my pens in a beautiful little blue jar. And I taped up some of my favorite pictures and motivational quotes that I’ve written out onto my wall right to the left of where I work. I find that having fewer things that mean more is a better way to make a relaxing, calming environment than is haphazardly filling up your space with knick-knacks you picked up in the dollar store or the clearance aisle of Anthropologie.

So there you have it! I’ve had such a fun time redecorating, and I seriously love that wall mural that I was sent. It’s very cold and dark here in January in Canada, so any brightness is bound to make life a little happier!

What are some ways you create a calming atmosphere in your workspace? Let me know in the comments below!

DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by PIXERS. All the content and the opinions are my own!