- office space
Every aspect of your office space sends a message about the kind of company you are, whether you want it to or not. If a client walks in and sees a messy reception desk, they will start to doubt your company’s working ability and wonder whether their project plans will get lost in the clutter. Unhealthy office habits can affect an employee’s overall well-being, leading to stress, illness, absenteeism and job dissatisfaction. Employees spend most of their time in the office that it’s important to ensure they are surrounded by a healthy atmosphere. Here are our quick office hacks to a healthier office both physically and mentally.
Don’t decorate your office space too fine
Don’t get me wrong an immaculate office is beautiful, but it’s not inviting. When a room looks like it’s been staged, it leaves people second-guessing whether they should go in or not. The interior design of your office space is important, but if it looks too perfect, your staff and especially clients concern about getting the sofa dirty might prevent them from relaxing in the environment.
When it comes to office space, aesthetics isn’t everything. Executives should try to make sure they are creating an office space that is professional and aesthetic but also has a human connection. As a manager, you need to consider the functionality of the space you have to work in. Will it promote creativity and encourage productivity? How will people interact with the room? Strike the right balance to ensure a sense of well-being.
Get your employees to move about
Provide an interactive office space that encourages your employees to sit, stand and move about. Sitting for too long is not recommended as it can cause health problems associated with poor circulation not burning sufficient calories. And don’t forget to invest in quality seating that supports the body’s posture.
Encourage your staff to move around by using the stairs, consider stand-up meetings or a friendly office competition of the most steps taken, aided by step counting devices. If you’re lucky enough to have a veranda outside, make sure it’s always clean and presentable, this will ensure your employees head outside for lunch instead of eating at their desks. Provide a variety of office spaces that will entice your employees to leave their desks throughout the day. And these designated spaces don’t need to be surrounded by concrete walls, you can use mobile screens, let furniture separate spaces, or utilise actual glass dividers.
Allow your employees to breath-easy
To ensure you have quality air for your employees, be mindful of the following:
- Air-conditioners are known for drying out a room, remember to open up the windows every now and again,
- Keep tabs on your air ducts to make sure there is no dust trapped at the opening,
- Putting plants on your employees’ desks not only helps them breath better, it improves their work engagement by making them physically, cognitively and emotionally more involved in their work.
- To reduce the dust collection in your office, mop your floors regularly as mopping picks up more dust than vacuuming, leave a doormat at the entryway and try to keep your desks clutter free.
Declutter your office
According to The New York Times and a study done by Psychological Science, you are more likely to eat healthier if you work in a neater office. However, the study also found that a messy office has its merits too. When asked to come up with creative ideas to a situation, participants in the messy office outperformed those in the neat office. The key takeaway here is that you should keep your office neat and tidy, no-one wants to see litter about or have to struggle to find things, but when it’s time to think outside the box on a project then embrace the clutter, (or have a dedicated room for it).
Colour also has an affect on your employees. Blue for instance will do great in an office environment where analytical thinking is needed. Warmer colour’s work well for places where socialisation takes place. Read more on How to incorporate the psychology of colour into your office space.
Say no to artificial light
Being exposed to daylight helps reduce stress, but if it’s not used appropriately you could end up with too much glare in the office, causing eyestrain. We can help you produce the optimal amount of natural light in your office, by giving you complete control over the amount of sunlight allowed to enter using our vinyl decals. Our vinyl decals welcomes 93% of natural light and blocks out 95% of UV rays that are the culprits of office glare. Download our company brochure for more information.
Image Credit: https://unsplash.com/
