Your office is your home away from home. Odds are, you spend more time in your office then you do in your own house. With that in mind, how can you make your office fun but also professional? Here are some tips and tricks for creating an office any young professional would die to occupy!

Keep Workspace View Clear

One of the most common mistakes that people make is that they put all their knickknacks in their line of sight when they are sitting at their computer. There, these knickknacks can be distracting. To avoid this, I recommend only putting what you constantly use on your desk. For me, that is my reusable Starbucks cup for water, my Action Planner, my Doug the Pug desk calendar, and mugs for my writing utensils. I have also added a small Lego Wonder Woman to remind me that I’m a bada$$ 🙂

I have put all of the fun office items on the wall to my left and behind me so that my office feels like home but the knickknacks and pictures aren’t distracting while I am switching between spreadsheets or trying to work on the annual report.

Surround Yourself With Things That Either Make You Happy or Motivate You

As a graduate student studying international relations, I have books about international human rights, ISIS, and Al Qaeda mixed in with Humans of New York, Gloria Steinem, and SoulPancake. Next to this bookshelf, my side wall is covered with photos of me and my friends and family, the Notorious RBG, Anna Wintor, and Rosie the Riveter. This makes my office a representation of me and a huge motivation board. Fill your office with things and people that inspire you. Show your passion through your office. This will keep you motivated on days where you are dragging a bit.

Keep Your Desk Stocked

Every person needs a work kit! Here are some things that I make sure I am never without:

• Extra pair of work clothes (and an extra pair of comfortable clothes). The extra pair of work clothes is great for when you need a last minute change or you spilled coffee all over outfit #1 🙂 The undervalued back up comfortable clothes (legging and a t-shirt) are also a must. They are perfect for when you are not feeling well and just need to change out of constricting work clothing before you head home.
• Snacks! Let’s be real, we all knew I would bring it to food and I’m honestly surprised I am this far down in the post before I started talking about it. I keep Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop (100 calorie) bags, Clif Builder’s Protein Bars (Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mint), and some hot chocolate mix.
• Extra sweaters because I am always cold at my desk regardless of the temperature outside.
• Extra feminine products, backup makeup, nail polish, etc.
• An extra purse that I can take to class. This helps out a ton! I don’t need my huge bag with all my stuff to come with me everywhere I go. I have a backup bag that I can throw my computer and notebook into and dash off to class.

Do you have any other office tips or items you always have to keep on/in your desk? Let me know in the comments below!