Five Top Tips For Lightening The Office Gloom

Upon finishing reading this guide you will realize the impact of colourful stationary and equipment within your workplace. There's always going to be a drawling silence that only the photocopier manages to break. Or the humdrum lady who enjoys sharing the most interesting photographs of her offspring, wearing a coating of chocolate, on different climbing apparatus in the park. Well at least it's better than hearing about your male supervisor's divorce that he just can't come to terms with whilst trying to avoid the stale whiskey from his breath that circulates the confined space every time the fan . Well, by bringing some colour and contrast to the situation you can leave the Monday feeling strictly for Mondays.

Here, I have conjured up a list of essential stationery do's and don'ts when spicing up your stationery so you can become the ray of sunshine that slowly tans a smile onto your colleagues' pale faces.

Do invest in some funky stationery.

Colour is the key here, the bolder and brighter the better. Think rainbow pens which you can lend to the duller of your colleagues which will make for some cheerful note taking. Plus, the vibrant colours ensure they won't get lost as easily as the regular ball point option. If you're feeling inadequate on the organisation front you could even colour code your stationary to certain topics or projects so the rainbow colours don't dazzle your brain. You could even go green, in the eco (and colour) sense in addition to regular paper recycling by investing in some recycled stationery.

Don't copy off your colleagues.

Be original! Bring in your original office supplies and before you can say "stationery cupboard" you'll have everyone chatting to each other rather than cursing at their monitors. Try to bring in interesting stationery that aren't run of the mill. But watch out for wandering hands who don't have quite the creativity to personalize their own work station.

Do have a large clock visible to all co-workers.

Refrain yourself from chewing your rainbow pens by clock watching instead! Everyone's guilty of it so why deny it anymore? Plus, it helps you to prioritise your workload more efficiently if you have constant track of the time.

Don't be surprised if your stationery starts to go missing.

We all know how irritating it is when we can't place a vital piece of equipment and then it "appears" on your colleague's desk. An investment into furniture, cabinets and padlocks could curb wandering possessions and reduce the expenditure on replacing equipment.

Don't use your new stapler as a weapon.

This manoeuvre could undo all the magical stationary dust that has been sprinkled over your newly revitalised work mates. Also, it won't go down well with a health and safety assessor.

All things said and done, a revamp of your working environment could really give the atmosphere a lift and maybe even spark a whole new passion for work! Fair enough, we're not promising miracles, but a touch of colour and variety could add some fun and happiness and who wouldn't want that?


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Written by Jamie Lyons on behalf of DGOS Office Supplies and Lighthouse Health and Safety Consultants