I’ve had the pleasure of working from home as well as working in a Multinational Corporation and I know the difference between a home-office and corporate-office. Both offices have their pros and cons, and while you can keep debating which setup is better, I’ve got for you three things that you can do, to make your day at work more inspiring. The good part is that it applies to both home-office and corporate-office.
For the sake of clarity, let me just outline what I mean by home-office and corporate-office. A home-office is your workspace at home, and you may be working for yourself or a big multinational – it doesn’t matter. A corporate office – the one where you commute to work and spend considerable time drinking cups of bad coffee and mingling with tired co-workers. One of the biggest advantages that a corporate office has over a home-office is the gossip around the watercooler.
Although gossiping is not good, many bosses encourage the watercooler banter, as it helps with bonding and picking up the ropes of what’s happening in the other departments. I’ve always viewed the watering hole as an area of opportunities, where I’ve picked up valuable nugget of information that have kept me two-steps ahead of the game.
Equal Breathing
Now that we know our offices, let’s talk about inspiring experiences that can help you focus and have a productive day. My second boss taught me that ‘it’s all in the mind.’ And I completely agree. So the first thing to do, when you start your day, is to set an intent of having a productive day, and then doing ‘equal breathing’.
Equal Breathing is a yogic technique where you inhale and exhale for equal counts. What this technique does, is bring focus into your being and helps you manage your mindset for the day. It’s very simple and all it requires is five minutes of your time.
Simply sit on your chair, and focus on taking in your breath for four counts and then exhaling for four counts. Stop and take a normal breath if you have to. And then continue the process of rhythmic in-breaths and out-breaths for equal counts.
This technique is also very helpful when you are having a stomach ache, the only thing is to place your palm on the stomach and then follow four counts in and four counts out.
Organized Desk
Apartment Therapy once interviewed me for their series on home-offices. I must admit, that for a person who worked in the field of design (was writing for a design blog at that time), I had an awfully cluttered desk. I had to submit photographs of my workspace, and it looked like a disaster zone.
I was very embarrassed when I saw other writers’ desk – all neat and tidy – and what also struck me was that the clutter was actually causing more chaos in my thinking. Those thinking ‘Organized Chaos’ – don’t kid yourself, there is no such thing in life. It’s just an excuse.
So here is the second nugget of inspiration – organize your workspace and keep it uncluttered. Less is more, and I mean – get rid of the planters and the paperclips that you never use. Free up space to keep NOTHING.
Write Your Day
The first thing in the morning, either visualize or write down, how would you like your day to pan out. I’m not talking about a to-do list. I’m talking about visualizing a great meeting with a tough client, or an easy talk with the boss. In simple words – visualize success.
I make it a point to write down three things that I’d like to see occur in my work day. I hold the three points in my thought and then visualize it as a successfully accomplished task. It’s rare that I have been disappointed with the outcome of my day and completely recommend thinking about how your day should be. Give it a try.