If you’re like me, you spend 40+ hours a week sitting in a cubicle while you’re at work. If you don’t, then please just know that I am very jealous of you.
In order to make my little work space feel more like home, I have attempted to add some personal touches that I think reflect my personality and make me happy.
I think it’s really important to have photos in your work area. Photos of family and friends make you happy and put a smile on your face, plus they remind you of why you’re at your job in the first place. Although I love what I do, sometimes I have a stressful day and I need a reminder of why I’m working so hard. I have several framed photos throughout my cubicle, as well as my photo wall.
The photo wall is one of my favorite parts of my work station. I have created a collage of photos of family, friends, and of course my sweet kitties. Looking at the photos brings a smile to my face and helps me remember good times and keeps me motivated.
I also have fun things around my cubicle that have been given to me by friends and family.
In addition to photos, I have a variety of things that have been gifted to me. As shown in the photo above, I have my Crazy Cat Lady action figure (this was given to me by my coworker Bob for Christmas one year, so fitting!), and the Cat sign was a birthday present from a family friend. I also have various shot glasses that friends have brought me back from their vacations (they’re filled with pins, not alcohol), old Verizon collectibles, and one GTE mug that I drink my morning coffee from at the beginning of every work day.
Sometimes, the cure for a stressful day is to visualize yourself in a tranquil, happy place. My brother Steve helped me out with that by making me these four beautiful landscapes as a Christmas present one year, and I can look into them and feel myself being transported out of my cubicle and into the scene of choice. For my Verizon buddies, you might also recognize good ol’ Clyde Vibe hanging out too.
Ever the cat lady, I have these two caricatures hanging in my cubicle so that I can catch sight of them and smile throughout my day. On the left is a Frank Coble print that I got at Pike Place Market in Seattle. It just seemed so fitting for my big kitty Oliver. On the right is a caricature that was drawn of me years ago when I worked in Victorville. The artist came out and sketched drawings for anyone that wanted one as part of a promotion day. I’ve kept it all these years because I absolutely love it! Please note the martini glass, and of course, the cat.
I’m also a big fan of office decorations. If there were a career I could pursue as an office decorator, I’d be all over that. I like to get in the spirit of birthdays and Christmas by decorating coworkers’ cubicles (or for Christmas, our entire work area). In the picture above, my desk drawers are trimmed with pink argyle. To create this effect, I used patterned DuckTape brand duct tape. I applied the tape to the top edges of all my drawers, and the customized look was so appealing that a few of my coworkers are now sporting custom DuckTape desk drawers too!
When you look at my cubicle as a whole, it may not appear to be all that terribly special. In fact, it may seem cluttered. But when you break it down and really examine each individual item (yes, there are a lot of work-related things in there too, they just aren’t any fun to take pictures of and blog about!), you’ll see that each thing makes me happier at work and makes life in a cubicle so much better.