Boy, those holidays sure were fun. Time off to spend with friends and family. The festivities and food were great. But now it’s time to go back to work with everything that goes with it. All the work that has to be done, deadlines, more work than people, over time, the boss, and the stress. Read this article to get some fresh ideas to help make this year a better year in the workplace.

Start the New Year With Fresh Satisfaction in the Workplace

The start of the new year is a time to make and honor resolutions – both on a personal and professional level. And one of these resolutions is to increase your satisfaction levels during the hours you spend at work. Our work environment often has a big impact on our mood, motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction.

Recent workplace studies indicate workers rank their work surroundings as the most critical element of job satisfaction…even more than job recognition, compensation, and security. Productivity is highest when a person is relaxed and free of stress, which occurs when an environment is soothing.

All this suggests that a great way to get a jump on the new year is to refresh your workplace ambiance with the latest colors and designs. Even small changes in your work environment is likely to boost your energy, make you more comfortable, and help you make it through long days of important meetings and emails. Here are just a few suggestions:

Personalize your space. Your work space should be your favorite space in the entire office. Add your favorite artwork, photos of your family or friends, a vacation photo, even a picture of your pet. Gentle reminders of your personal life beyond work help get you through the day.

Go green in the new year! The latest studies show that if you add plants to your work environment you will feel more connected with the outside, more alert, and more productive. Plants can also remove common toxins from indoor environments and add oxygen to stale air.

Add color from the latest color trends. Not only will you look stylish to your coworkers, you will also feel more content to spend time in a space where you have chosen the color scheme. The latest trends in colors for [2009] are relaxing and nature-inspired and are accented with a more modern grouping of contemporary contrast colors. Soft neutrals of wheat, cocoa brown, pumpkin orange and cinnamon apple pie soothe even the most stress-filled day. Natural leaf-like greens and organic browns make you feel more in tune with the earth. And for those who desire a more stark contrast, choose crisp clear reds and deep plums to black and whites for a real energy boost.

These simple changes can have a large impact on overall job satisfaction, increase creativity, and get you and your coworkers in the right frame of mind to accomplish great things in the New Year.

Trudy Brusenbach is the Marketing Manager of Ambius. Ambius is dedicated to improving the interior landscape of businesses across North America. Ambius provides a broad range of products and services to enhance the workplace including interior landscaping, ambient scenting and odor remediation, wall art décor and holiday décor. Ambius is a division of Rentokil Initial plc (LSE: RTO). For more information, visit the new Ambius website at http://www.ambius.com Ms Brusenbach has over 10 years B2B MarCom experience specializing in business and brand development.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trudy_Brusenbach

It’s amazing how much mental and emotional energy we put forth at work. Not only on the tasks but on the people as well. And what’s really sad is that we don’t respect or even like the majority of them. We spend too much time at work to be unhappy, dissatisfied, disgruntled, and annoyed. Here are some ideas to re-adjust your thinking about work.

The Top Ten Ways to Be Unhappy at Work, Especially After 40!

Most people are good at being unhappy at work. There are so many people who are already unhappy at their work that I probably don’t need to teach them since they are already so good at it. But for those who want to change bad habits, a reminder sometimes is a good idea.

1. Work for JUST the money

When you work for JUST the money after 40 you will start to resent your work. Work will start to seem like an obligation. Everyone around you will feel like competition. The money will not be appreciated and it will be spent quicker. When you work JUST for the money, it is easy to lose track of one’s sense of purpose and values about their life and what is most important. This is a great way to be unhappy at work especially for those over 40 who have been unhappy for many years at work due to society pressures and expectations.

2. Make money doing something you don’t care about

Make the money you need in ways which make no sense to you. Work in areas which the work is not coherent to you. That is, work in areas which do not make sense to you at the end of the day. Go to sleep after doing work all day which provides no joy or meaning. This will be great for restless sleep, worry and of course unhappiness about one’s work!

3. Ensure that your work really DOES NOT interest you

After 40, this is very important. Work which provides no interest will set you up for retirement and then a quicker death. Work which does not interest you will impact your sense of self, your happiness and affect how you relate to those around you. This will be great for becoming anti-social and unhappy. After 40, ONLY work at things which clearly do not align your interests and abilities.

4. Only work at things which you are good at

This is a great strategy for being unhappy at work. Do work which you are really good at but no longer interested in. This will keep you in dead end jobs for years JUST for the money. Human Resource policies around performance management will always make you the winner ensuring many more years of making money and unhappy work.

5. Have no sense of urgency about your life and work

This is another great way to stay unhappy at work. Just wait for good luck or better hope something will happen to make your life and work better without action a sure recipe for unhappiness!

6. Work in JOBS and careers after 40

This is one of the best ways to ensure unhappiness in mid ‘life. Just work in defined jobs with nice titles and even better career tracks with hopes to someday retire and finally be happy and do what you want. Just waiting for someday will almost guarantee your unhappiness at work.

7. Look forward to retirement

Plan your retirement and all the things you will finally be able to when you stop working. This is one of my best recommended strategies for unhappiness at work. For sure life or the economy will get in the way and you just might have to work forever at just jobs.

8. Actually, retire!

Just stop working and join activities with other retired people. Enjoy the good life. This is a great strategy for unhappiness. Soon a life without new goals or meaningful work and contribution will set in and the water will boil before you notice it. This will speed your progress towards unhappiness.

9. Work around people who enjoy what you don’t

This is a great way to become unhappy at work. Work in areas which everyone around you seems to enjoy except you. Soon you will feel like you are broken and that something is wrong with you. A sure path to unhappiness!

10. Have a job and DO NOT have your life’s work

This is my favorite. JUST have a job that one day you can retire from. For sure don’t think deeply about the world and where you want to make a greater difference especially after 40. Forget contribution, joy, meaning, and all those silly concepts of vocation. Just assume a job is work and the rest of your life happens after you get home.

Does this sound familiar? Does your work fit into any of these ten steps? The good news is by following of course the opposite direction of these steps WILL ensure you a lifetime of happiness and joy and a sense that your work matters. Now this can ENABLE happiness! I’ll be cheering you on as you go!

Craig Nathanson is the author of “Don’t JUST Retire and Die: A New Approach to Your Life and Work After 40? and he is a coaching expert who works with people over forty. Visit Craig’s online community at http://www.thevocationalcoach.com where you can take a class, get more ideas through Craig Nathanson’s books and CDs, get some private coaching over the phone or in Craig’s office, or read other stories of mid-life change and renewal. Craig lives and works in Petaluma, California. His office is located at P.O Box 2823, Petaluma Ca, 94953. You can reach him at 707-775-4020 or at craig@thevocationalcoach.com. Follow him at https://twitter.com/craignathanson. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Nathanson