27.10.21
27.10.21
Whether you are working at home or in the office, everyone needs an environment that lends itself to productivity, efficiency and creativity. Here are five ridiculously easy ways to improve your working environment and have a more flexible office:
It might sound simple, but it is also the first step to improving your office and boosting productivity. Declutter your workspace! Whether it is a single desk or the whole office. It can be so disruptive having a messy space to work in, being unable to find what you’re looking for or just having things get in the way. It also has a negative impact on your mental health, not to mention the health and safety aspects of things not being put away correctly.
Having a clean and organised working space is conducive to improving concentration as well as boosting morale. We all like coming home to a clean house and working in a clean office environment is no different. Especially when many full-time workers spend 70% to 80% of their waking hours in that environment.
Decluttering is easy. By making sure you have enough storage space and a well-organised system in place, it can streamline your efficiency and productivity as well as improve your mood. Never underestimate the power of a well-organised office space.
Bland colourless surroundings do nothing for motivation, inspiration, or productivity! A little colour in your office can go a long way. Different colours elicit different emotions, which are always worth taking into account, especially if your brand colours don’t quite match the emotional response you’re going for. Reds can elicit bold strong feelings, however, they also have connotations of love, anger, courage, vigour, danger and war. In China, red is a lucky colour, a colour of good fortune. It just shows how one colour has no one single meaning.
Earth tones, help people feel more connected to nature, whereas yellow should be used sparingly. Although it promotes optimism and innovation, it has also been known to be associated with unwanted anxiety. Anyone who comes from a design background, especially in print would have had yellow as being a danger colour engrained into them during their training. When used well, it looks amazing and provides a real punch, but if used in the wrong way, it can go horribly wrong indeed.
What if you are not able to add a bit of paint to brighten up the room? Add pictures and graphics to help you focus on the subject at hand, display your key achievements, inspirational memes anything that will help you focus or remind you why you are there will help. These simple additions help to focus the mind and inspire creativity.
Add some greenery to your office space, even if it is only a single plant on your desk. Offices adding some form of connection to nature has proven to be incredibly beneficial. It helps workers feel more connected to the natural world outside, boosting productivity and morale. There are so many different ways you can do it too, from introducing indoor planters and trees to adding a water feature and incorporating finishes like wood or stone.
According to the EMEA, offices which incorporate natural elements report a 13% higher level of well-being than offices that don’t have access to the same. Anything that helps to mimic the outdoors can have a positive effect. Living plants not only look aesthetically pleasing, but they can increase oxygen levels, decreasing fatigue and improving concentration.
All in all, you just can not afford to ignore nature in the workplace, you might be surprised how much it increases productivity.
If you have blinds on the windows, draw them back. Let as much natural light into the room as possible. This is something we strongly recommend to all customers. Studies have shown the more natural light you have available in an office environment, the more satisfied staff are, naturally boosting productivity. The National Sleep Foundation has deducted this is because sunlight helps regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycles.
A 2011 study by Northwest University also found that staff in workplaces with better daylight and views took 6.5% fewer sick days. Of course, it is not always possible to replace a wall of the building with curtain walling to create maximum exposure to natural light, so sometimes it is necessary to turn to artificial lighting.
The most important aspect when considering this is to provide good distribution and diffusion of lighting throughout the space. Another consideration is the use of LED lighting as opposed to conventional systems, it has shown to have no harmful UV effects meaning it can be placed near both people and materials.
No one likes sitting at a desk all day. By providing an alternative area to work in addition to the desk, can help workers to feel more comfortable. Whether that’s a bean bag or a sofa, people work best where they feel comfortable. It helps improve motivation and produces good results.
A study by the University of Malaya in Malaysia states that “the physical environment comfort in a workplace is claimed to be vital as it will encourage healthier, more productive and lower absenteeism rate among employees.”
According to HR Magazine, a study in 2017 showed a quarter of workers believe being stuck at their desks stops them from being productive. But it’s not just about big luxurious sofas, in the same report, 63% of workers suggest that being able to stand up at work and being more active, it can help increase productivity. Stand-up sit-down desks have become very popular in offices across the country for this very reason along with more relaxing break out areas.
If you want help to benefit from a boost in productivity with a refurb of your office or obtain new furniture to better suit your staff, one of our experts would be happy to help.
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