Because of COVID, students are spending a lot more time at their workspaces. It can get quite taxing at times, but there are definitely some ways to liven it up. Clare Rosario ’24 has found a number of ways to make her workspace feel more cheerful, clean, and efficient. “It’s efficient because I have pretty much everything I need for school,” Rosario explained.

Rosario’s set-up has both form and function. She has a good amount of space to take notes with a jar of pens and pencils right beside her. Her workspace is situated below a window which allows lots of natural light to flow through, helping her to stay focused and be more productive. While Rosario feels like her workspace is productive and bright, there is one thing that she would change about it. Rosario stated, “If I could change something, I would just add more plants.”

Marcus Yeung ’24 has a workspace that differs from Rosario’s but still possesses some similarities. He uses an external keyboard and mouse for his computer while propping the surface screen on a shoebox, so he doesn’t strain his neck. The only thing Yeung might improve would be the size of his desk. Yeung explained, “Sometimes I do feel a little scrunched with the desk space I have.”

Like Rosario, Yeung’s setup is minimalistic with only the necessities on his desk to allow more free space to work. Yeung said, “My set up only contains things that I need for classes throughout the day: Past times are set aside so I can focus and engage in class and my work.”

When asked on a survey about what students use to make their workspace a more enjoyable place to be, there were two clear items, the most popular one being plants. Plants are a favorite among people and are often a go-to object to enhance someone’s workspace. Many people believe that plants help to brighten the mood, boost creativity, bring down stress levels, and increase productivity. Rosario has a bamboo plant next to her that makes her workspace feel more alive, “It just makes me happy. I like how it looks and being able to water them,” Rosario stated.

The second item was natural light. Natural light not only makes people feel more awake, but it also limits eyestrain and headaches. Rosario explained, “I’m right in front of a window so I get less headaches from just looking outside.”

There are a number of ways to spice up a workspace and give it some personality. Even altering just one small thing can make a huge impact on productivity and mental health.