Whether it’s the changing of the leaves, the annual John Lewis advert or the first of December that gets you into the festive mood, it is inevitable that you will be bombarded by all things Christmas at this time of year. Though certain aspects of the lead up to the holiday can be a little challenging, most of us can’t help but get excited about Christmas.
Unfortunately, the world does not stop turning, and it’s not uncommon for people to still need to work long hours and remain in the office or even in your home office for extended periods during the run-up to Christmas. So, instead of saying goodbye to the excitement and hullabaloo, why not bring a little bit of the festive spirit to your desk and home office? Our recent holiday research revealed that 85% of employees find seasonal decorations have a positive impact on their mood at work.
Here are a few simple yet effective ways of keeping up the festive cheer while you work:
1) Christmas foliage
Nothing brings warmth and festive cheer quite like a well-placed Christmassy plant. While a Christmas tree is a classic choice, poinsettias have drastically increased in popularity because of their red and green colour. Poinsettias are the perfect festive addition to a desk and are simple to care for. With artificial ones also available, even their maintenance requirements are not something that you will have to factor in alongside completing your end of year reports.
There are many reasons why you should consider adding a plant as part of your office’s festive décor. Plants have been proven to have positive effects on people whilst at work and our research also shows that plants in the office not only lead to an increase in workplace productivity, but also an enhancement to wellbeing and health.
2) Switch your desktop background
The average office worker spends 6.5 hours a day in front of their computer. So why not make those fleeting but frequent views of your desktop background or wallpaper more Christmas friendly? Popular themes include snowy mountains, Santa’s grotto or a classic wood burning fireplace to make you feel cosier this winter. If you want something subtler, simply changing your desktop background to a solid colour can also have the desired affect of raising morale and boosting your mood. According to colour psychology the colour green has calming affects which help relieve stress, yellow increases happiness and warmth, orange increases enthusiasm and playfulness and the colour red is bound to get you in the festive mood as it reminds you of jolly old Saint Nick.
3) Tiny homage
Finally, why not pay a subtle homage to the biggest event of the year? Get a mini Christmas tree, wreath, gingerbread house, snowman or baubles for your desk. Or even go all out and perhaps wrap some tinsel around your screen?
For many, Christmas is an exciting and positive time, and that shouldn’t end just because you are at chained to your desk. When done tastefully and respectfully, a little bit of festive decorating can bring cheer and have positive benefits for employee morale and even productivity.
