Our environment influences our mood and mental health

It’s not a mystery that when we work and live in a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment we feel happy and productive. Whether you work from home or in an office environment/cubicle, make sure you keep your space tidy and neat. You can personalize your space by decorating it with items that inspire and motivate you. Try to digitize as much as you can (paperwork,bills, subscriptions etc) and not bring in the clutter in the first place such as ads, other people’s stuff and things that don’t belong in your office space.

Minimizing distractions leads to better productivity

Decluttering your space has many benefits such as being able to easily access everything you need, without having to spend a long time looking for it. If possible, have your workspace away from main traffic areas in your home such as the kitchen or living room. If you do not have a separate room for an office, creating an office nook in your bedroom is more ideal.

Optimize your lighting to keep your eyes healthy

Working in a low lit area can be detrimental to your eyes and health. Staring at a computer screen for hours at a time is harmful to your eyes and causes headaches and fatigue. Did you know blue light glasses can help filter out blue light to effectively block the transmission of a range of wavelengths emitted from devices? Make sure you have adequate lighting during evening hours and try to open your blinds during the day to allow natural light to enter the room. Sunlight has an effect on preventing depression and anxiety. Natural lighting also helps with visibility during zoom calls. Ideally, your screen faces a wall behind you (so you don’t have people walking through) and the lighting is coming from the front of you (or behind your computer screen).

A clear desk allows for a better workflow

Psychological Flow captures the positive mental state of being completely absorbed, focused, and involved in your activities at a certain point in time. If your desk is cluttered, it can cause distraction and stress. When you have to stop working on something because you are looking for an item you need , that is not readily available, it costs you precious time and takes away focus. For optimal workflow, your desk should be completely clear from clutter. If you have a desk drawer add dividers or small clear open containers to separate items by category. For example; pens, papers, measuring tools, cutting tools, clips, etc. That way all things have a home and you know where to put things back at the end of the day. On your desk, you should only have your most necessary items such as a planner or laptop, phone or whatever project you are working on.

Add personality

Instead of only having useful things on your desk or shelving in your office, I suggest you add some beauty. This can mean different things for different people. You can have one or two sentimental items displayed such as a photo of your family/dog or an award. Looking at these items should bring you joy. Think about adding a plant or two to your work area. Have it close to natural light or get species that do not need a lot of sun. Plants purify the air and can help lift moods, studies show.

Your employees are your company’s most valuable asset. Therefore, the more you increase the knowledge, skills and growth of your employees, the more you increase the value of the company.

What is Employee Development?

Employee development specifically aims to improve an employee’s skills and foster an employee’s growth in both the professional and personal sphere. Many companies have a robust plan that includes training, mentorship programs and more. However, events are a great way to add team building and fun to the development process. We will share a few ideas to get you started below.

Why Employee Development is Important.

Employee development can improve employee performance and enable employees to respond better to unexpected situations according to one source. A great employee development program may also attract high-quality employees. Finally, employee development makes economic sense as it increases employee retention and loyalty, which means companies do not have to pay to replace employees as often.

“The only thing worse than training employees and losing them is to not train them and keep them.”

— Zig Ziglar

3 Ideas for Employee Development Events.

1. Goal setting and vision casting. Motivation is a key driver to the success of employees and therefore the company. One study published in the DIU Journal of Business and Economics found that “well motivated employees are more productive and creative.” You can increase motivation by taking time with employees to set goals and cast vision for their personal and professional life. Doing so allows everyone to step back from the day to day hustle and see exactly why they’re doing what they’re doing. That motivation may include everything from family goals to sales goals. Casting a vision for their future in the company and in their personal life also gives employees motivation.

“Average companies give their people something to work on. In contrast, the most innovative organizations give their people something to work toward”

— Simon Sinek

2. Get creative. Events that focus on ways for your employees to be creative can help them to blow off steam. These types of events, like painting, scavenger hunts and escape rooms, can increase innovation and even enhance problem solving skills. Moreover, these activities can be a really fun way for employees to get to know each other and enhance their working relationships.

3. Learn a new skill. A unique event to consider adding to your employee development plan is a skills-building workshop. You may consider helping employees to sharpen skills they already use on the job like accounting or design. Or, you may consider having employees cross-train and learn a skill that a different department uses in the company. Finally, you may consider an event that helps employees develop an entirely new skill. For example, Tidy Closet teaches a Home & Business Organizing and Productivity workshop that helps your employees get more done by being more organized, focused and productive. Some skills, like organization, can translate at work and home and truly contribute to the overall growth of the employee.

Boosting morale while boosting business outputs is a win-win for any company. Choosing to incorporate employee development events into your plan can make work more fun and even catapult your organization to the next level.

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Why an organized space is important, especially when you work from home

3 Ideas for Employee development events and why they help everyone grow

Your employees are your company’s most valuable asset. Therefore, the more you increase the knowledge, skills and growth of your employees, the more you increase the value of the company.