“Ah yes, look at all the cool stuff on my desk”, I think to myself as I rest my eyes on my two Pikachu disk shooters. A desk is a workspace but is also a rest-space, especially for those of us who work on a computer.

It’s important to rest your eyes every now and then, to give them a break from all the bright light emitting from your computer screen.

Doctors Gary Heiting, OD, and Larry K. Wan, OD recommend we look away from the computer every 20 minutes to a distance of at least 20 feet away. We can also exercise our eyes by alternating between focusing on further and closer objects, before returning our gaze back to the computer.

This is where the fun comes in. You need objects to focus on, so why not bring in some of your favorite things?

According to the Association for Psychological Science, workers in office environments report lower levels of emotional exhaustion when they are able to personalize their workspace. This is the foundation of a practice I call, “Deskscaping”.

Much like landscaping, deskscaping is the art of improving an area.

A proper deskscape has two components, the object and the organization. One does not simply place trinkets on one’s desk hoping to improve their well being.

Organizing by size, with larger trinkets in the back framed by smaller surrounding trinkets, is best for implying stability in the work environment, as they are less likely to fall over. An experienced deskscaper, knows when and where to balance objects on their desk.

The road to a complete deskscape is never ending, providing both physical and emotional well-being for a lifetime of hard work.