Being Comfortable in Your Workspace | General Chat | Writing Forum

Things have been incredibly stressful for me lately, and it's been affecting my work. No sooner did we get through the wedding stress before we had another mix of both the good and the bad. First, we're dealing with escalating problems with a neighbor from hell. Let's just say their behavior frequently makes it impossible for me to work. So my work (and sleep) schedule is completely screwed up lately. On the other side, I just became an aunt for the first time as my brother and his wife had their first baby. 

In this mix of annoyance and joy, I realized that I wasn't comfortable in my office. The good things made me want to pull away to enjoy them. And the bad things were making me hate my workspace. And when you want to be anywhere but where you're supposed to work, that can make it difficult to get things done. 

So Friday of last week I decided I needed a change. I deep-cleaned the office and re-organized some things. I built and hung wall shelves so I could finally organize all of my work-related books. And I finally got around to hanging things on the walls. 

For someone who loves her white boards, I never got around to re-hanging them after our move. I think the neighbor issues (which have been going on for a while) had me keeping my office like a white box because I was never sure if I'd be able to stay here (versus moving again -- which we considered, but really don't want to do -- or moving the office elsewhere -- which I also don't want to do because this office is a big part of why we picked this place). 

I've been amazed at the difference. Clearing the clutter alone helps to clear my mind. But it was hanging the shelves, white boards, bulletin boards, and a couple of old maps tied to my family history (a big passion of mine) that really helped. They inject a bit of personality and more function into the room. If finally feels like my office instead of just some room I happen to work in. 

Given, I haven't dealt with the neighbor issues yet since making the changes, so it might not help with everything. But I didn't wake up this morning dreading being here. And that's a great first step. 

Are you comfortable in your workspace? Do you even have a place a call your own (full office or not)? What do you think would make your work area more comfortable for you so you can better focus on your work? I'd love to hear how you personalized your space. 

Jenn