Work Environment

Hitting a mid-winter slump? Perk up your performance with these suggestions from career advisor Vicky Oliver, author of 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions and The Millionaire's Handbook: How to Look and Act Like a Millionaire Even If You're Not:

1. Do an office makeover.

Rearrange your furniture, change your office artwork, or get a new desk lamp or ergonomic chair.

2.  Keep busy; fight boredom.

While it used to be standard to work 9 to 5, fewer workers are putting in those precise hours due to increasing flexibility in work arrangements. Some people may shift their hours earlier or later to accommodate childcare needs, while home-based employees may never even work the exact same 40-hour schedule twice.

Most people utilizing flexible schedules do so for a better work-life balance or to cut the cost and time involved in commuting. Employers too can benefit from these set-ups by having extended hours of office coverage and possibly increasing morale among staff members.

In this final installment of our series on getting your workspace in tip-top shape for 2013, here are a variety of practical suggestions:

January’s colder temperatures and hazardous snowfalls lead many employees to work from home whenever possible. While not having to brave the elements certainly has its benefits, anybody who has ever tried to turn her dining-room table into a make-shift office knows that staying focused can be difficult.

Continuing our series on getting your workspace in great shape for 2013, here are some ideas from professional organizers Allison Flinn of Reclaim and Sharon Lowenheim of Organizing Goddess. If you missed yesterday’s suggestions, click here.

Flinn’s tips:

If you’ve made a resolution to increase productivity in 2013, getting organized can be the first important step. For the next few days, we’ll be presenting tips to get any size workspace in tip-top shape. Today’s suggestions are courtesy of Angie Mattson, CEO (that’s Chief Efficiency Officer) of Your Organized Guide, Inc., and author of the newly-released Kindle book How Your Disorganization is Stealing Your Time, Your Attention, and Your Health.

Do you often feel as if you are physically struggling to maintain your energy and productivity level at work?  Part of it may be psychological—you may automatically have a subconscious reaction to being at work, especially if your job is very stressful or you just hate your job.

However, the problem may not be so much with your job as it is with your workspace. There may be physical aspects of your work environment that are having a negative impact on your productivity.

• Get Promoted by Losing Weight in 2013 [CBS News]
• Help Manage Your Work-Life Balance While Pregnant [Lifehack]
• Why Ergonomics Matter [Work Awesome]
• How to Be Found By Headhunters [US News]
• What Job Descriptions Really Mean [Forbes.com]

Looking for a way to boost your reputation in the workplace while making others feel great in the process? Consider giving more compliments. This simple act can promote goodwill, strengthen bonds, show appreciation, and brighten days – with minimal effort on your part.