Brighten up your office this winter

We all feel happier, more energised and more positive when it’s light and bright, so why are so many UK office so dreary and dark? With just a few small changes, you can brighten up your workspace to improve your mood, creativity and productivity. Here are 5 top tips to try.

1. Add some colour

You might not want to paint all the walls yellow, but some simple hints of colour can instantly brighten up your office and improve the mood for everybody. A bright painting, some patterned rugs on the floor, or some colourful furniture can transform a room and help to create a cheerier atmosphere. Easier and cheaper options would be to add a coloured notice board or bright wall calendar to your space.

2. Change the lighting

It’s tough for us to be productive and lead healthy lives when we’re surrounded by a dark and badly-lit office. Ideally, there will be plenty of windows in your office to let in natural light, but if not, then consider adding LED Virtual Cloud Scene lights, which mimic the effect of see-ing outdoors into a bright, sunny day. These lights have been proven to provide a relaxed and calming effect, and are used in many offices to improve motivation and relieve stress. Using LED Panel lighting throughout your office can improve the overall light effect, and provide a better and more cost-effective option than incandescent lighting.

3. Surround your team with inspiration

When you’re having trouble at the office, it helps to have inspiration built into your workspace. Surround the office space with inspiring quotes, photos of recent achievements or a painting that will help to motivate staff. You could also hang evidence of your accomplishments, like a trophy or framed awards you have won.

4. Don’t forget the floor

When we think about decorating our office and workspaces, we often focus on our walls and furniture and forget about the floor, so don’t fall into this trap! Why not add a plush area rug staff can sink their feet into when they need to de-stress? Added wooden or laminate flooring to an office can instantly make it more modern in comparison to dark carpets or stone flooring.

5. Incorporate nature

Our bodies are designed to be outside most of the day, so it’s no wonder sitting in an office all day comes with a host of health issues. Your team might have to work inside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring the outside into you. Add some plants to desks to boost the air quality and the general mood. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, some succulents can do wonders for productivity and take very little care. Don’t want plants around? Try incorporating nature in other ways – like with bamboo desk accessories or a stone paperweight.