Beat Workplace Winter Blues with a Green Thumb

Those of us living in non-Hawaiian locations know the Winter Blues all too well. It’s a burden we carry with us from home to the workplace and then back home again. Psychology Today notes that sleeping more than usual, having a lack of energy, and feeling depressed are all signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Sound familiar? Well, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

 

If you work someplace where nature currently has no room to grow, the sky is forever grey, and you live in constant fear of icicles falling from skyscrapers – We feel you. The winter is no city’s crown jewel. For those that miss using their lunch break for a stroll in the park – why not sprinkle a little wilderness around the office? Channel your inner tree hugger!

 

Bland office settings, carpeted cubicles, stuffy desk situations: BEWARE! You’re all about to get more pleasant.

 

With the help of Mother Nature and your resurrected green thumb, you can turn that sad, winter office into a place that inspires you. Here is our list of suggestions and quick fixes:

Swap Out Your Writing Supplies…

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For utensils that look like you picked them up off a forest floor. Pens crafted from quill-sized leaves or fallen trees (handmade by TheHickoryTree) are just a couple of options. Even if your job doesn’t require you to do much writing, we have a feeling you’ll find an excuse to get that wrist back in action. Can you imagine the beauty of a cursive sentence written with a tall blade of grass?

 

 

Collect Resilient Foliage…

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That won’t die, no matter how awful you are at plant parenting. Our favorites are air plants or succulents. Succulents come in a remarkable amount of shapes and sizes, they always look sophisticated, and most varieties are delightfully soft to touch. They also start small with few falling parts, so they can be tucked in any office crevice or hung from any workplace peak.

 

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If you like playing the godhead and want a little biome all your own, we’re drawn to the delicate terrariums of Williams Grove on etsy. If you’d like your space to feel a little less inviting, a giant cactus or two couldn’t hurt – or could it? For tips from a pro, Buzzfeed’s Natalie Brown has 19 more plant suggestions to cheer up that pouty work desk of yours.

 

 

LEAF Your Mark…

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Get it? Whomever decided bland yellow would be the color of every note we post, should’ve gotten out of the office more. There’s nothing exciting or attractive about a desk covered in sad little post-it notes. Which is why we suggest ditching the mellow yellow squares for sticky notes that look like they fell right out of a tree. These leafy green memos may even inspire a work wall collage…

 

Pretend Your Gadgets Grew Up in Nature…

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And were born of discarded driftwood. There’s nothing more distracting than the bright screen of a smart phone or tablet. Tone down that harsh digital reality with the soft curves of mother nature. DockSmith creates one-of-a-kind docks that let you balance nature and technology, organically. We know it looks a little out of place and almost comical, but how else do you expect to keep a large piece of wood on your desk without your boss getting suspicious?

 

 

Let a Handmade Clipboard Inspire You…

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To be a BOSS! When you’re craving nature but all you have access to are concrete jungles or boxy office buildings, something as simple as a little clipboard (handcrafted by Lemonee On the Hills) can keep you in check. Surrounding yourself with natural elements and images that remind you of where you want to be, can help get you through the day. Plus, when you walk around with a clipboard at your chest, everyone knows you mean business. (Nobody needs to know that you’re using it as a security blanket…)

 

 

Replace the Hours on Your Clock with the Leaves of a Tree…

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The face of a clock is one of the most stressful things you can look at. Half the time we’re counting down each minute, and the other half we’re wondering where all that time went. If you’re one of those stressed out clockers, we recommend putting your phone in a drawer and using an actual clock to check the time instead. Numbers can be a bit daunting and we don’t really need them staring at us all day. Which is why we suggest finding a clock that looks like a breath of fresh air, rather than a ticking time bomb. For an endless array of timepieces you can get lost in, Society6 has everyone else beat.

 

Ditch Those Boring Office Supplies…

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For ones that can serve as little reminders for what awaits you come Winter’s end. Why keep reports in manila folders when you can organize your tangible documents inside of an art piece? Why use transparent tape when you can use a strip of adhesive with darling little trees on it (like the one above from Collecting Life on etsy)?

Make That Office View Work For YOU…

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By giving yourself something else to look at! If you’re lucky enough to even sit near a window, there’s a good chance your view isn’t of anything spectacular. Parking lots, the office building next door, or a shadowy brick wall are just a few scenes that come to mind.

 

Don’t close those shades though. You’ll need as much Vitamin D as you can get! But for those of us that need more than just a daily supplement to pick us up, there’s no harm in saying goodbye to reality during work hours. If the cold, sad situation outside your office window puts a damper on your workflow, distract yourself with the landscapes you’re secretly dreaming of.

 

Decorate your walls with scenery from your favorite season, snapshots from adventures you’ve been on, and glimpses of places you hope to visit. There’s nothing wrong with tricking yourself into thinking you’re on a Colorado mountaintop in the Springtime or in a beach house on the boardwalk, near a Ferris wheel…

 

More Winter Blues Tips to Come…

But for now, we hope these gizmos, gadgets, and art pieces will help lure Mother Nature back into your cubicle. We also hope they can cheer you up out of that slump, or at least make you laugh a little. We know how important that is to do every once in awhile… 🙂

 

What do you do to keep your office space an inspiring place during the coldest months of the year? We’d love to hear your ideas!

 

Make sure to check out the creators of this wonderful blog at Contentverse. They make document management honest, easy, and efficient. And we could probably all learn a thing or two from them. Stop by The Contentverse Blog for insight and expert advice on a long range of topics, from content management to business and productivity to work culture. 

 

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