Okay, so I’ll be the first to admit…

With all this corona stuff going on right now, it does seem a little-bit silly to post about “how to make your office a great space to be in.” 🤪

BUT… to be fair, I think we all could use a little break from the Rona-grind, and once everything opens up again, you can bet that folks like us will be in MUCH higher demand!

(Thank goodness more people will be focusing on their health after all this, whew…)

Anyway…

This post is about a few simple things you can do right now to make your office sparkle and FEEL really good! 

Though I’m probably preaching to the choir a bit on this… we all know and can feel when the energy of a space is “good.”

You know, when we feel like we’re in a place of comfort, simplicity and clarity. It just feels… right.

So, what helps us create that “vibe?”

Well, the answer to that (depending on your own preferences) ranges from simple brass-tacks tips that can help any office shine, all the way to the woowooiest of woowooiest ideas to make your office “energy” feel good.

So here’s a few basic things you can do to enliven that space with some goodness, and make sure that you, your staff, and your clients LOVE being in your space.

Keep the common areas clean – with a consistent maintenance schedule

Regular cleaning feels good!  I’m not saying you need to spray everything down with bleach every night (obviously), but I am saying that:

….. When we keep something maintained and loved, regularly, we can feel it!

To me, that means making a habit out of simple cleaning tasks and making sure they get done every single day.

Sweep. Vacuum. Think happy thoughts. Wipe it down.  Freshen it up.  FEEL the clean-goodness in your soul. The people in your space will feel it too.

BONUS POINTS:  Find a common calming smell that clicks with you, while being respectful to your clients with sensitivities, and make your office smell nice.  It goes a long way towards creating that “feel good” vibe you want to maintain so that clients actually love coming to your office just as much as they love seeing you. J

Offer clean water and maybe even tea!

Another simple gesture that goes a long way.  When patients are waiting to see you, all kinds of things are going through their mind…

“I need to remember to talk about this…”

“I feel embarrassed about ….”

“Is this going to cost me an arm and a leg?”

Et cetera.

So, give them something calming and satisfying to do with their hands and mouths while they sit there. In addition to being good for them, it says a lot about your generosity and helps make the environment a little-more welcoming.

Clean air goes a long way

For those of us who live and work in a large metro area, clean air can be a big “mind-opener” if we’re not used to it. 

When the air they’re surrounded with both smells and feels clean (like you can smell the richness of the oxygen), some of your clients will be shocked at the wave of calm that comes over them while waiting to see you.

There are any number of products on the market to do this, ranging from passive (and often very-effective) bags of charcoal you can simply place around the office, all the way to powered units that perform a variety of different filtrations. 

I’ll leave that part to you :).  But just know that cleaning up the air can really help create that “peaceful” environment you want.

Streamline your intake process

People waiting in the waiting room might feel a little nervous (like I said before).  And nothing is worse than having to do unnecessary paperwork while you’re feeling a little “off” to begin with.

That’s why I recommend doing everything you can to simplify and streamline your intake process (both for your clients and for you). 

Keeping it simple really helps your patients feel like they’re not getting a run-around, and that helps everybody feel more relaxed.

A plant or two can make a huge difference

This one’s a no-brainer. If you’re legally allowed to keep live plants in your office, a few carefully-placed bits of flora can really brighten things up!

And if you can’t (or don’t want to) have fresh plants that require regular maintenance, you might consider adding some nice-looking fake-greenery or just some small decorative items.

Decorating isn’t my forte, so I’ll leave this one up to you. 😊

Strive to keep appointments absolutely on-time.

Let’s face it, people are waaay too used to getting the run-around at the doctor’s office.  Personally, I think the longest I’ve ever waited was about 90 MINUTES later than my appointment time!  Ugh.

That’s just silly.  Do whatever you can to keep things running on time, and expect to see happier and more patient patients.  Simple enough.

Woowoo alert! – Investigate Feng Shui, Vastu, and other “space improvement” methods.

I can’t tell you exactly what to do here, or if it will have any value for you at all… but in the interest of curiosity, and creating the best space we possibly can… it’s worth looking into feng shui and other energy-enhancing practices.

These ancient systems evaluate the “energy flow” in your space and use classical remedies to help you create an atmosphere that feels good.

I’m not saying that it will necessarily be your thing, but it’s often fascinating and helpful for people, especially when something just “feels off.”

WARNING:  These old systems can become a woowoo rabbit hole!  While it can be fun to learn, experiment, and try things out… if you’re serious about giving your office the “feng shui” or “vastu” treatment, it’s probably best to hire a professional. 

Have fun with this one 😄

So… there’s 7 simple ways you can get your office vibing-right. Sometimes these simple things really go a long way towards making you and your patients more comfortable. 

Enjoy!  And hey, maybe now’s the time to take advantage of the shut-down and do a little revamp of your office (if you can). 

Be well, stay optimistic, and keep things moving.

Dr. Ronda