detox ofice.png

I had some fun trying the Translator’s Wheel of Happiness and saw that one of my weakest points was my working environment. Although I designed my office myself, with simple, elegant touches including some of my favorite elements, I cannot deny the fact that I have since transformed it into a messy hell of printouts, files, knick-knacks and various office clutter so that I now feel it has become almost… toxic!

That’s why I decided to channel my procrastination energy to something useful: de-cluttering and renovating (on a very very tight budget, though) my office space. After all, I spend most of my mornings and many evenings here. I really need the space to be bright, happy and inspiring! My translations deserve it!ee8af7e0eb5bc8ab30c0118fe9cf9fb5

Here’s what I’ll do to detox my office space:

  1. Bright, natural light – this is a tricky one for me! My office has a lot of natural light,which i LOVE – BUT I have to make sure I don’t have my monitor directly in front of it as it makes it hard for my eyes to adjust and read properly.
  2. Find what works for you – some people want to work on a clutter free desk, while others get comfort from being surrounded with dictionaries, language books or their cats <3
  3. Devote a few moments each morning to dust and return your desk/office to your favorite state (see point 3, above) – My desk is black glass and you won’t believe it but I have to dust it TWICE a day! I don’t want to inhale dirty dust from the hall or from next door offices. And of course, I have to re-organize my mess from the day before (#sigh)
  4. Eat healthy and light – more energy, less fat (and less fatigue). Try to pack a healthy lunch option – it will save you money, and office-chair body 😛 I usually pack a bar of dark chocolate, a banana and some dried nuts and I eat them mixed together or separately 🙂 Ah, I know, you can also see some more ideas at the Dietary Perks of Being a Translator 🙂 healthy snack
  5. Add some color – and let it be your “tranquilizer”! Whenever you feel stressed out or tired, focus on this bright blob of your favorite color and let it transport you to wherever you’d like to be: a sandy beach in the Aegean (yellow), a turquoise resort in Majjorka (turqoise green), a busy street in London (red), an exotic bazaar in Maracech (purple). Give your mind a (colorful) break and let your creative translator’s juices flow 🙂

TIP: Find a nice quote that will either make you smile or inspire you to work hard(er) and stick it in a nice (maybe colorful?) frame 🙂 It will add personality to your space!

Here are some of the free printables I found while browsing 🙂

 

 

I hope I’ll have a nice before and after to show in a couple of days!

What about you? Do you feel the need for an inspirational workspace or do you manage to work whatever the conditions around you? In which case I envy you 🙂