It’s safe to say that the American workplace is in dire need of a makeover. Fluorescent lighting, drab colors, and dinky cubicles? No thank you! Work from home or self-employed? Is your workspace area in a designated space – or do you laptop from the couch?
Your ability to focus is truly affected by your physical environment. If you’re looking to up productivity levels in the office or your home workspace, you need to check the facts!
Research in science and design have chosen a few key steps you can take to engineer the perfect workspace for your business. They fall under three specific categories: lighting, space, & decor.
Lighting:
Windows. Workers in offices with windows, who experience greater light exposure, get more and better sleep at night than those who work in windowless offices. Bonus: natural light sources can “green” your office by reducing your electric bill!
Ambient lighting. Surprise! That fluorescent light is a no-go. Dimmer-lit spaces may promote creativity.
Space:
Barriers or walls to block noise. Open offices are more likely to perceive noise than those in cellular offices, in addition to temperature-related discomfort and poor air quality. Noise is also a common cause of distraction in open offices. The bottom line: we could all use a little quiet time!
Personalized Individual Spaces. Employees who can customize their space with personal photos and decor are up to 32% more productive than those who were not able to customize their office space. Employees with control over their space also more closely identify with their employer. We appreciate the freedom!
Variety Of Spaces. Of the most important features an office can have? A variety of spaces to perform tasks. Visual elements that break up space create a varied environment that can be an asset to productivity. It also provides employees with choice, which keeps everyone happy.
Decor:
Plants. Green plants have a tremendous impact on happiness. Indoor plants also improve the quality of air, which leads to less germs and sickness. Two thumbs up for good health!
Pops Of Color. The psychology of color plays a big factor in the “feel” of an environment. Blue is intellectually stimulating, yellow inspires creativity, red affects the physical body and green inspires calm and balance. Our office has blue accents. What about yours?
Art. Aside from bringing life to bare walls, art is calming to the gaze. Looking at photos of nature could also give you a cognitive boost, researchers have found.
After finding your perfect office space, it is important to optimize it for productivity and happiness. All month long we are going to be talking about your workspace, so stay tuned!