Having a healthy office workspace is essential to productivity. A beautiful, clean, and ergonomic workspace can help give you the energy you need to finish what you need to get done quickly and efficiently.
If you need a way to improve your work performance, then this is the article for you. Once you read this, you will surely have a more enjoyable work experience.
What is a Healthy Workspace?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) healthy workplace model, it is an office that would address physical and psychosocial risks. It would also promote and support healthy behaviours.
So a healthy workplace is basically a space where collaboration, health, safety, and wellbeing is promoted.
Companies that promote a healthy workspace tend to have a better retention rate, as well as happier employees.
The most productive workspaces are ones where team members feel confident and comfortable with the work they are doing. So other than what we will be discussing, consider making your onboarding programs thorough and fun as well.
How to Create a Healthy Office Workspace
Without further ado, here is what you can do to create a healthy office workspace.
We will be dealing with tangible elements such as furniture and light, as well as less tangible elements such as community and diversity.
Provide Good Furniture
Having furniture that encourages good posture would greatly help in creating a healthy workspace.
Some workspaces even have tables that can be converted into a standing table, so that if workers get tired of sitting, they can still work productively while standing.
Something you may want to consider getting would be an ergonomic chair.
You can even go as far as getting a laptop stand, and an ergonomic keyboard and computer mouse.
Get People Active at Work
Letting company members become active in a workspace is important for their health. There are many ways in which this can be accomplished.
Firstly, you can get a standing desk to go along with your sitting desk. This goes back to what we mentioned earlier with furniture.
You could further promote health and fitness by encouraging employees to take the stairs instead of the elevators, and walk to the office if they live close enough.
Providing stretching exercises to your employees is also a great way to keep them active. Some offices even have their computers time out for 30 seconds every 30 minutes to an hour to let their employees do these exercises.
Promote a Diverse Workplace
Letting your employees do a diverse set of tasks helps to keep their minds working and can help to promote productivity.
Instead of having them do repetitive and mundane tasks, encourage a collaborative and social workspace. This can be done simply, by having a more open workspace rather than individual cubicles.
When collaboration is encouraged, employees can become more mentally and physically stimulated. This means that they are less likely to become tired of the work they are given. It also promotes autonomy among teams and individuals.
Create Workplace Wellness
Natural light and outdoor space are essential contributors to wellness in the workplace.
If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor area in your office, then use this to your advantage. But if natural light is limited, schedule regular intervals to go outside and get some fresh air!
Investing in some lamps or decorative lighting is also a great way to improve the ambience of your workplace and improve the work environment.
Having a well lit environment is essential to productivity. Bright lights tend to make people feel more energized, while dim lighting makes people feel more tired.
You can also host monthly outdoor team building events such as barbecues or even an outdoor lunch or picnic!
Helpful tip: Stocking up your office pantry and making sure it is accessible and clean for everyone also help in promoting a healthy workspace!
Utilize the Power of Technology
Virtual workplace communication is just as important as face-to-face communication.
You don’t need anything too expensive, but tools such as Microsoft Teams or Slack are a good way to communicate.
Incorporating technology into the workplace means that individuals will have more flexibility in how they communicate with each other. This promotes greater control over work-life-balance.
Another benefit of making use of technology is that work can become more organized, and therefore more efficient.
Make the Workplace Movement-Friendly
Who wants to sit by their desk all day? It can cause a lot of problems physically, such as back problems. For those of us who like to move every once in a while, a movement-friendly workplace is essential.
Other than having standing desks, you can also have an office that allows employees to get up and walk around.
Don’t be too strict on your employees to sit still, as this can do more harm than good. Encouraging movement can help them to refresh their mind and have them working more productively.
Bring in Plants and Natural Light
Having plants in the office, as well as natural light, will help to reduce stress levels greatly.
Plants help to create an ambience that feels homey yet promotes productivity. Natural light is also important. It makes a room brighter and feel more alive.
Light has a direct impact on our mental well being. In fact doctors encourage us to get at least 4 hours of sunlight a day.
Improve the office ambience by getting plants and letting light in.
Use Good and Thoughtful Design
Having a more spacious and beautiful office will help to motivate individuals.
You wouldn’t want to work in an office with a dreary and worn out design, would you? So make sure your office is well renovated with good lighting.
Look at offices of big companies like Google or Facebook. They’re all creatively designed! We’re sure that some of their success comes from their healthy work environment.
Don’t be afraid to think out of the box when designing your office. Some Google offices even have slides. But you don’t have to go overboard. Something simple like a lounge area would do the trick.
Enjoy Your New Healthy Office Work Space
Remember that a healthy work space is essential to productivity and creating quality work. In order to keep your employees happy and motivated, it is important to promote a healthy office work space.
Hopefully this article has helped you to create a better ambience and increase efficiency in your office!
