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Design An Office Space That Boosts Productivity And Happiness

Create an office space that conveys your culture. In turn, your team will feel better about coming to work and produce even better results.

Photo: Rachel Stones; Credit: Leah Southwick Photography
Photo: Rachel Stones; Credit: Leah Southwick Photography

Dark, cramped and uncomfortable office spaces can affect the way you work. They can also discourage potential top talent from saying yes to a job offer.

It’s important to create an office space that conveys your culture. In turn, your team will feel better about coming to work and produce even better results. From the right office lighting to layout and organization, there are many ways to create an office space where you and your team will be happy to get to work.

 

Let there be light

Natural lighting is optimal. Daylight has been shown to help workers be more well-rested¹, which translates to more energy and productivity. Many office spaces can’t place everyone near windows. In these cases, utilize lighting that creates a well-lit space.

In addition to well-placed lighting, choose lighter-toned office furniture to keep the space from appearing too dark. Steer clear of dark colors to keep your space welcoming for yourself and those you work with on a regular basis.

 

Go green

Don’t have access to natural light? Try the next best thing. Place a plant in your office space. Besides offering an aesthetic aspect, plants have been shown to increase air quality and reduce stress.

 

Design An Office Space That Boosts Productivity - YFS Magazine
Photo: STIL, Unsplash/YFS Magazine

If you add just one plant to your office space you can lift staff spirits and in turn promote well-being and performance. According to one study’s findings, “plant presence is associated with large reductions in negative mood states and levels of stress among building occupants.” ²

 

Organize and declutter

When things start piling up on my desk, I start to panic. Can you relate?

“Messy homes and work spaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognized as a significant source of stress in our lives,” according to Psychology Today.

“Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli (visual, olfactory, tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t necessary or important.” And clutter “distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on,” which “makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally.”

 

Design An Office Space Productivity - YFS Magazine
Photo: STIL, Unsplash/YFS Magazine

Invest in adequate storage and assign everything a place. A designated spot for all your paperwork, office supplies, etc. can help you keep clutter at bay and make your workspace more conducive to productivity.

When appropriate, utilize digital storage solutions to keep important paperwork from piling up.

 

It’s all about the chair

An office desk chair and office seating that provides support with the right level of comfort can influence workplace productivity. Shop around and read reviews before you invest in new office furniture.

Don’t forget to consider less conventional seating options such as a balance ball. There are a variety of new products that can transform the way you look at office seating.

 

Add a personal touch

Make your office space your own. Whether you choose to incorporate photos of family, or artwork by your favorite artist, make your space a place of comfort. Making these changes can dramatically improve office life.

 

Have you tried any of the above suggestions? Or do have something that’s a must for your office space? Share with us in the comments!

 

References: ¹ Boubekri M, Cheung IN, Reid KJ, Wang CH, Zee PC. Impact of windows and daylight exposure on overall health and sleep quality of office workers: a case-control pilot study. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(6):603-611.
² Craig A, Torpy F, Brennan J, Burchett, MD. The positive effects of office plants. Nursery Papers July 2010, Issue

 

A a writer for the Built for Teams HR Blog, Rachel Stones enjoys writing about self employment, entrepreneurship and small business. She also enjoys creative writing, hiking, spending time outdoors and spending time with her family. Learn more about Built for Teams and it’s capabilities by checking out our website. The new, intuitive HR software was created especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and is bought to you by the app developers at Objective Inc. Connect with @builtforteams on Twitter.

 

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