This post is all about how to stay calm at work, even if WFH!
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This post is another one in our 30-day self care challenge on the topic of Creating Calm. It will be all about how you can stay calm at work, even if you WFH.
It'll also delve into how your desk may actually be a source of stress and how you can avoid this to become even more productive. Get ready to declutter your desk, to then declutter your mind and lead a calmer & serene life!
You will also learn how to plan your work day to be productive and why it's actually better to do it the night before.
Enjoy the read!
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how to stay calm at work
Hey hey my lovely entrepreneurs,
Workdays can be a rollercoaster—emails flying in, back-to-back meetings, and that one task you keep forgetting about. But here’s the thing: staying calm doesn’t mean you have to channel Zen Master vibes 24/7. It’s about finding your own groove, even when the office (or your home desk) feels like chaos central.
Think of calm as your secret superpower—grounded, playful, and totally yours. A deep breath here, a laugh there, and maybe a quick desk clean can work wonders. Staying present doesn’t have to be serious business; it can actually feel... fun.
Ready to ditch the stress and find your flow? Let’s do this!
How to keep your desk clean and organized
Some folks feel that a little messiness can inspire creativity. You must've heard of Einstein's desk, and how a messy desk is a sign of genius! This may be true, but where's the line between messy and chaotic? It can be hard to tell.
If your desk at work or in your home office is covered in papers and your file folders are strewn everywhere, there's a good chance your productivity and creativity are being negatively impacted. All of this can result in more stress and a flustered mindset.
The key is figuring out how to corral the clutter so that you can work more efficiently in an environment that energizes you.
Let's explore some ways to do that.
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your messy desk
Your desk says a lot about you. This is especially true if you work in an office or other setting with colleagues and customers. Even if you're an independent professional who works from home, anyone who sees your workspace will form an opinion of you. It's human nature to make judgments. Something you may not have considered is the way the piles and mess strewn on your desk create an impression. And what about how you feel when you work there? Such visual clutter impacts your concentration, your mood, and your productivity in a negative manner. And hinders any manner in how to be calm at work!
I know this to be a true fact! Since COVID hit, I have been working a lot more from home and my desk space tends to easily get cluttered with mugs, kids' drawings, my personal files, drawing pens and what-nots! The thing is, my office is not only dedicated to be a working space. It also serves as a guest bedroom, has some gym equipment, it even has our ironing table in there! So you can imagine that my desk tends to be the attracting point for all things that are not needed there!
Just this morning I was in my home office, and as I glanced at my desk, it freaked me out that I could have let so much stuff accumulate on it - again. The Christmas break hasn't helped either, with items just been piled up and left to deal with later.
Well, later has arrived, because the mere sight of my office, let alone desk space is giving me cold sweats! You can only imagine what it's doing to my calmness gauge!!
However, I'm going to go through the negative effects that a cluttered desk can have on your mental health, ways in which you can get rid of that clutter and stay on-top of the mess to ensure you regain control and create your calm and happy place - even at your desk space!
cluttered office desk and its downsides
When you have a cluttered office desk, you waste time searching for things you need in order to complete your job. Even if you think your mess is organized, there is no doubt that looking for that one paper, that you-know-was-here-yesterday-but-you-can't-find-it-anymore, has all happened to us and the feeling of frustration when you just can't seem to find it is stressful and overwhelming!
The time wasted can sometimes amount to hours each week! Along with this lost productivity comes the stress of not being able to find what you need. It can take a toll on your mental state and even affect your creativity and critical thinking.
Visual clutter also zaps your energy. Yup! Totally know that feeling. You feel overwhelmed simply by being surrounded by the mess on a daily basis. This feeling of being inundated can also take away your motivation, lessening your productivity.
A clean desk allows your eye to flow, making you feel more energized. It will boost productivity when you're able to find what you need and make fewer mistakes. Increased productivity is a catalyst that leads to getting even more done.
This type of success feeds on itself. Also, you'll be projecting a more professional image when your workspace is clean. This is super essential if working in an open-office space and even just for yourself! Nobody likes to portray a messy individual, when deep-down you know you can do and be so much better than what you're showing off!
how to clean your cluttered desk
Hate to break it to you, but cleaning up the mess will take a concerted effort!
- Be brutal by getting rid of everything you don't need.
- Put necessary papers in their place, such as a clearly labeled filing system.
- Keep only basic mementos such as family photographs.
- Avoid placing items on surrounding furniture such as chairs or cabinets.
Once you've cleared away the clutter, keep it neat by reducing your paper intake.
- Use email and other electronic methods such as scanning documents whenever possible.
- Do a sweep of your office area every evening, putting things away and clearing surfaces.
- Limit your tendency to create piles in the first place by setting up labeled baskets for important papers and things you need to look through later.
All these tips are seriously life-changing and completely feasible. Baby steps all the way, but the reward and sense of accomplishment you'll feel after completing this will be awesome! Just writing these words and knowing they're making sense to you, is making me feel happy to know you're about to start / continue your journey to creating & finding calm again.
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work life balance problems and solutions
The risk of not finding life balance is acute stress, which can cause physical health problems, impact your productivity and performance at work, as well as a deep unhappiness with your life. Luckily, there are several ways you can find life balance in this hectic modern world.
wake up early
It might sound like the last thing you’d want to do, but getting up a bit earlier can bring you a bit of peace. This is your hour to do what you like – it could be that you use it to exercise, it might be that you enjoy coffee, breakfast, and quiet time and then make your lunch for the day. The idea of getting up an hour early is to start your day off right. It gives you more time to get ready to face the day and provides you with a bit of peace and quiet.
As a working Mom, I do tend to try and compact as many things when I'm alone, to then have more time to spend with little C. However, there are days when it just doesn't work - but, what does work is me waking up early, having the time to do exactly what I want to do first, then have time to deal with any unplanned events!
Since I've implemented this routine, I do feel a lot less stressed, overwhelmed and am definitely more calm and intentional in what I decide to undertake.
Check out the Printable of the Day section at the end of this blog post, to try out My Morning Pages printable. These pages help me start my day by being intentional, organizing my thoughts and just start the day with so much more calm.
schedule downtime
It might sound OTT, but schedule downtime. Look at your schedule in advance, and build family time, alone time, and time with friends into it.
Taking the time to have time to do what you want, with whom you want isn't something you ought to take lightly. We know that time is money and that we are often complaining about not having enough hours in the day to do what we want and need to do, so by scheduling and blocking out time for you, your family and friends, well you are actually practising self care!
And we all know that practising self care inevitably creates so much calm and harmony in your life. So don't neglect those 2 minutes it'll take you to block out time for yourself, but also your loved ones.
Ultimately you will be creating a calm environment for yourself, because you're not so stressed out and overwhelmed, thus preparing yourself for a great work day ahead!
exercising helps with stress
Getting physical is good for your mental health and your body. It helps build health, confidence, improves immune system function, and boosts your mood, too. How does this help you find balance? It’s all about using the stress management tools available to you and exercise is one of the greatest stress-busters and there are plenty of exercise regimens you can do at home, with no equipment and totally free!
My all time favorite exercise is to swim. I am fortunate enough to live close to a great public pool and being able to go there a couple days a week, not only helps my anxiety, it also keeps me in shape both physically & mentally!
My body thanks me for staying fit, but my brain and psyche also benefits from those laps I enjoy doing, as it helps me focus my thoughts and categorize and organize them. So don't neglect that extra dose of dopamine exercise can procure you!
Another way to stay calm in your work and life is to meditate.
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meditation for work stress
Along with exercise, meditation is key to stress management. You don’t need to be an expert level yogi, a meditation expert or have deep pockets to enjoy meditation. It’s something you can do absolutely anywhere. It’s all about finding a quiet spot and simply focusing on your breath. There are numerous apps available that will offer guided meditations. You can use one of these to get started on your meditation journey.
You need alone time. In that alone time, you can reflect, you can read, you can listen to music or do absolutely nothing at all. It’s about unplugging from social media (and your phone!) and just relaxing. If that means a day in bed watching as many episodes of whatever Netflix show you want to binge, then so be it!
Speaking of your phone… if you are spending time with friends or family, then leave your phone alone. Why not have everyone stack their phones upside down on the table? If someone breaks and grabs for their phone, then they have to complete a dare or do a chore or something they don't enjoy! It’s up to the group to decide what that penalty might be.
We have a rule at home that we are not allowed to have our phones with us when we are together as a family - so meal-times are super important, and having that extra distraction is a big no-no in our household! No matter what we are doing, it is highly important for us to teach little C that being intentional, and completely present in her activities, as well as with the people she's with, is essential.
Being able to focus on the task at hand, or the people you're with is a trait that we tend to let go of, especially in this technological and digital world our kids live in. It is a total cop-out, if we are telling them to put their phones down, but we aren't doing it ourselves! Doing one thing at a time, not only helps to stay calm, create calm, but also be intentional in whatever we decide to undertake!
how to stay focused and productive at work, even WFH
People everywhere seem to be in a rush. We all have a lot to do, yet the same 24 hours each day to get it done. Chances are you've tried multi-tasking in order to get more accomplished. This might seem like a good plan, but it's not always as effective as you might expect it to be.
The truth is, multi-tasking is terrible for your productivity. Your brain isn't built to process activities in such a way. You'll get more done, not to mention feel more mindful and calm, when you focus on just one thing at once.
Staying on task and being efficient is especially important on the job. Keep reading to discover why you'll experience less stress at work by focusing on one project at a time - this is where Single Tasking comes into play.
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what is single tasking?
People everywhere seem to be in a rush. We all have a lot to do, yet the same 24 hours each day to get it done. Chances are you've tried multi-tasking in order to get more accomplished. This might seem like a good plan, but it's not always as effective as you might expect it to be.
The truth is, multi-tasking is terrible for your productivity. Your brain isn't built to process activities in such a way. You'll get more done, not to mention feel more mindful and calm, when you focus on just one thing at once.
Staying on task and being efficient is especially important on the job. Keep reading to discover why you'll experience less stress at work by focusing on one project at a time - this is where Single Tasking comes into play.
what are the benefits of single tasking?
Single-tasking eliminates the need for your brain to switch gears constantly, making performance more efficient. When your brain can work more optimally, you'll get more done. You're also less likely to make careless errors, improving your end performance or product.
Once you become accustomed to single-tasking, you'll soon notice you feel freer and more in control of your time.
You won't feel the need to check in with social media every hour or to open your email with each alert you hear. You'll no longer feel beholden to the pressure to be on alert all the time or to get as much done in as little time as possible.
You won't feel nearly as stressed once you learn to give up multi-tasking. Plus, you'll be able to concentrate better for longer periods once you train your brain.
Seriously, it's a total win-win situation. If you're anything like me, concentrating on too many things at once, just overwhelms me and I am definitely not focused on any task at hand! When I was starting to work from home more and start my own business, I had SOOO many ideas overflowing, that I ended up not doing anything right, because I was OVER focusing on so many things.
Once I figured out that doing one things at a time, and being present whilst doing it, then I was super productive! My work flow was super optimized and I litterally got so many more things done in one work-sitting, that it left me time to do other things as well - that I never really gave myself the time to do, because I was always so tired and flustered!
So, the rule of thumb if you want to stay calm at work is to really take the time to focus on ONE project at a time. Trust me, it'll save you sleepless nights and major headaches! Plus, you will be much more intentional and mindful when completing your tasks.
how do i get started with single tasking?
Start by prioritizing your tasks. Choose the most important and get started.
Eliminate background distractions by closing excess computer tabs or turning off social media and email notifications. When you've finished, you can then move onto another project. If you need some reinforcement, there are productivity apps that can restrict tempting sites like Facebook or Instagram for increments of time, forcing you to pay attention to your work.
Practice seeing things through. For example, finish reading an entire article before getting up to talk to a co-worker about an upcoming deadline.
Finally, be sure you have a comfortable workspace with everything you need close at hand. This will eliminate the temptation to take multiple trips to the kitchen for snacks or to sneak out to stretch your legs.
Below are some of my favorite work accessories I have been using for ages! Some are purely practical and some are items I didn't even know I needed, but now can't live without! And the best thing - you can find them on Amazon!
take a short break
You want to be a productive person, right? Certainly, our bosses want us to be more productive. Yet, they don’t create environments that facilitate productivity. You can create your own productivity formula, though. Believe it or not, by taking small breaks regularly throughout the day you will be able to maintain your focus, thus being a more productive person.
Regular breaks will refresh your concentration and help you get more done.
How often should these small breaks occur? Well, there is a wide range of opinions on this.
MIT Sloan’s Robert Pozen recommends a break after 75 (to 90) minutes.
The Energy Project’s Tony Schwartz also recommends a break after 90 minutes.
These experts believe that working for up to 90 minutes at a time will take advantage of the brain’s focus and consolidation modes. Quite simply, there are 90 minutes of focus, and a 15-minute break allows your brain to consolidate and retain that information efficiently.
Obviously, not every position or schedule will allow you to take regular breaks at specific times. If this doesn’t describe your job, then simply take breaks where possible. If someone is running late for a meeting, that’s your opportunity to grab five minutes to yourself.
It may also depend on the culture of the company that you work for. Many owners and managers frown upon breaks. We’ve gotten into this habit of scarfing down a quick lunch without even walking away from our desks. All in the name of productivity. All to be seen to be doing the right thing.
The right thing, though, for your health and your productivity, is to take regular breaks!
Plan to take a break at least every 90 minutes. If you want to be productive and maintain your focus, then you will protect your concentration by taking regular breaks. The key lies in making the right decisions.
Resist every urge to hop online when you are supposed to be working.
Don’t be tempted to check emails when you’re supposed to be focused on a project.
Another way to protect your focus is to resist eating an unhealthy lunch. A burger may be quick, easy, and delicious, but it isn’t feeding your brain.
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How to plan your work day to be productive and why it's better to do it the night before
Along this challenge, I've shared with you the advantages of getting information out of your brain in order to be more productive and to feel calmer. Planning is an incredibly important component to this process. Planning ahead is an invaluable resource when it comes to helping you feel more in control of your time and of your life. One small trick I've learned over the years can help you amp up your planning routine even more, and that's deciding on things before the new day has come. Read on to discover how to plan your work day the night before can lead to a calmer day.
About Planning the Night Before
Why it Works
Planning your workday before it has even arrived allows you a little separation from the stress of deciding in the moment. When you approach the plan the night before, you have some space that allows you to look at tomorrow as a clean slate. You won't feel time-crunched, and you can more objectively see what activities should take priority.
Also, by making decisions ahead of time, you'll be freeing up executive function space in your brain to allow you to think more clearly during the day and get more done. In addition, when you make a plan, you're more likely to stick to it. When flying by the seat of your pants, you may tend to slack a bit, leaving yourself feeling frazzled when you end up stuck staring down a deadline at the last-minute.
How to Get Started
Getting started is actually quite simple. You'll need your regular calendar. This can be in paper or digital form. Then decide on just three things that you need to accomplish tomorrow. Look at your calendar and decide in which time blocks these activities best fit. Don't let yourself panic about locking yourself into a timeframe. We all know things come up unexpectedly sometimes. You can always move things around. At least having a basic plan will get you on the road to being more in charge of your day.
printableS of the day
in collaboration with theawesomeprintables.com
KEEP IS SIMPLE SEXY QUOTE
I have decided to change up the printable I'm giving away in this post today. I thought that, because you've been so great in decluttering your desk, you may have actually found your printer cable!
Haha! JJ! I am however, not joking about the printable of the day 🙂
Today, I've prepared a lovely set of Keep It Simple Sexy quotes, that you either hang up in your office, or I've also got a small set for you that, once printed out, you can keep handy in your journal, planner or even wallet!
I hope they inspire you to keep your desk free of superfluous stuff, that is not going to bring you to your happy place!
Let me help you create calm with these gorgeous free printables 🙂
There are 18 quotes all up.
These Boho-inspired cards are an amazing motivational tool. Use these as daily motivation to keep your space, well yours!
Click on the download button and you'll be taken to the page to download these awesome quote cards.
Enjoy!
DECLUTTER CHORE CHART
MORNING PAGES
This Morning Journal or Morning Pages Journal is perfect to start off your day on the right side of the bed!
You know how much I love jotting things down, so I created this printable with you in mind!
That is, a woman who wants to start her day off intentionally and reflect on how she can find calm before starting her day.
Try them out and let me know how they are helping you create calm in your life.
You'll have the choice between 3 colors and you can either download them and print them out, or you can also download the pages directly onto your tablet, and use them with a stylus. You will need a note-taking application, such as Goodnotes 5, Notability, Onenote, etc...
Get ready to create your calm space as soon as you wake up in the morning.
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printable of the day
Continue your decluttering journey with these 2 awesome printables. If you've read the other posts, on the topic of how to create calm, these will be familiar to you.
I know how nerve-wracking it is to start a new journey of getting rid of sentimental items, as well as that guilty feeling of letting go of things you've had forever!
Now is the time to start going through each room of your space and decide what you want to keep, donate and throw away.
Don't hesitate to download the booklet & the chore chart and start your decluttering journey!
the takeaway
Don't let a messy desk be your undoing. A few simple steps will help keep your workspace tidy and improve your productivity, not to mention improving your mental outlook.
If you think about a traditional working situation, then you know exactly how you lose focus as a break approaches. Your body and brain are desperate to get to that break and you start to lose focus. You completely shut down and turn off, watching the clock for the magic number.
It’s different when you enjoy regular breaks. You don’t watch the clock because you are refreshing your concentration regularly. Try it out and see how much of a difference it makes. If you aren’t sure whether your boss will allow you to do this, you can try it at home with a project. The difference it makes to your performance might be enough to help you convince your boss to make the change in the office.
Also, with some practice, you'll soon find you're able to roll with the punches if your plan is thrown off kilter. The benefits from planning the night before are tremendous when it comes to freeing up your mind, helping you to prioritize and encouraging follow-through. Give it a try tonight!
These are obviously a few ideas, that have worked form me and friends. You don't need to implement all of them straight aways, but I'm sure they can only be beneficial in the future.
The key to finding ways to stay calm at work is to find what works for you. Trial and error is a great learning curve!
Until then, stay humble, grateful and remember that today may not be the best day, but you can always improve on it!
this post was all about how to be calm at work, even if WFH.
Elle Ash xo
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