Since my return to work in March last year I’ve found myself in an office based role- for those who have read my blog for a while you’ll know I was mostly clinic based prior to being signed off sick so I had never given much thought to what my ideal office would be like.

As it happens this is an incredibly timely post as just last week I was offered a full time position in my new job role, meaning I’ll be a 9-5 desk girl for the first time in my working life. I never thought I could do a desk job, I fidget too much, I usually hate being chained to one place and inactivity drives me crazy, however, it turns out that with the right components office work can actually be great fun and perfectly comfortable.

In this post I’ll be talking about my ideal office environment, everything that makes my 9-5 both comfortable and fun, in association with Slater & Gordon employment solicitors

Probably the most important factor for me for any office environment is team work. In my job as a prescribing clerk I work as part of a small team- and it really IS a team. We all pull together to sort out problems, support one another and provide friendship and camaraderie- and we’re really good at taking it turns to do the coffee/tea run! this is what makes 9-5 bearable to me, having colleagues I know I can count on and who I know can count on me. We do the work we need to do, and we do it well, but we have plenty of laughs along the way.

Secondly having the chance to personalise your work space is really important to me. On my desk I have my own mug, my own stationery and a couple of Instax photos of Mae and Pablo blu-tacked to my monitor. I like coming in each morning knowing where I’ve left things, and having familiar items around me that make me happy and give me something to ground myself with when things get stressful.

Having access to free tea and coffee is a definite perk that makes the day that much easier! I know that not everyone has this luxury at their work so please don’t think I’m rubbing it in- I know how lucky I am! Sometimes taking five minutes away from the screen to grab a caffeine boost and gather your thoughts makes all the difference!

Finally, the most boring and yet probably most important point- the furniture! If you’re going to be sat at a desk all day you need a decent desk and chair set up. I do find this tricky as my history of back problems makes finding a chair that suits really bloody hard, but referring to my earlier point about personalisation, I find bringing a bright and fun cushion from home to provide extra lumbar support not only makes me working day more comfortable but also means I’ve put my own stamp on my working environment.

What would your ideal office environment be like? I’ve kept it pretty simple here as firstly, I don’t go to work for the bells and whistles, I go to do the job that I enjoy and all of the office slides and free massages in the world wouldn’t take away from that. Secondly, office work is still pretty new on me, give it a year or two and I might have a list of demands to rival any showbiz diva, but for now my needs are met and I’m perfectly content.