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With the hectic pace of our lives and amount of time we spend working, it's natural that we crave peace and serenity from time to time, writes Naturopath and Nutritionist, Renee Leonard-Stainton.
 

By making a few simple tweaks to your office or desk, you can create a healing, rejuvenating refuge for five days of the week! 

The following tips can help to calm your nerves, improve your concentration, boost your energy, and increase your happiness — all sans a pricey trip to a luxe health resort.

Play chilled-out music

Listening to music with a calm tempo can help ease nervous tension and create a pleasant, chilled-out vibe in the office. 

If you feel your blood pressure creeping up as the emails come streaming in, perhaps try tuning into some Mozart or Bach as research suggests that listening to classical music can help to mitigate the stress response. 

Plan your Spotify playlists on the way to work to ensure you’re geared up with the right music to suit your work day agenda, goals and mood. Maybe leave Metallica or the like until the drive home as faster, more intense beats can increase your heart rate.  

Bring in an element of water 

It’s hard to be stressed when you’re near the beach or a lapping lake, right? Well, we may not be able to bring the beach to the office, but we can bring in a little of that relaxing vibe that being waterside induces. 

Water is extremely meditative and calming. Maybe throw in a suggestion to the HR department of your company and ask them to consider a water feature or fun fish tank somewhere in the office space; or keep it simple and just add a little H20 love around your own desk. 

You can actually download whole music playlists dedicated to the gentle sounds of water. Waves, waterfalls, rain drops... Bliss! Even a framed picture or screensaver of you and your loved ones on a favourite laid back beach holiday could do the trick.

Welcome fresh air

Opening office windows can energise your environment while also reducing the number of toxins floating about. 

Where possible, opening office windows for just 10 minutes every day can significantly reduce the number of toxins in the space and leave everyone feeling refreshed in the process. 

Detoxify with plants

A comprehensive NASA study found that specific common indoor plants can greatly reduce the amount of toxins in the air. Plants that are especially clever at cleaning and absorbing toxins in the air are; Peace Lily, Gerbera Daisy, Boston Fern, Spider Plants, Chrysanthemums and Philodendron. 

Making some simple changes to the space around you can make a huge difference to your energy levels, happiness and productivity. So go ahead, create yourself a little healthy, healing haven in your own office space. It’s well worth it. 
 

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