We’ve all been here. It’s just three o’clock in the afternoon and already you thought about quitting your post 78 times in the past hour. Your thoughts wander from yesterday’s hateful tuna lunch to killing your office neighbor’s goldfish.
If you’re an employee reading this, then good. If you’re the employer, even better. Oftentimes, we assume that lag in productivity is caused by internal factors such as lack of sleep and too much lunch. While this can be true, our lack of focus at work can be caused by a toxic work environment. That said, recognizing why your business is facing a loss in productivity can be a major challenge.
Whether you’re the boss or employer, here are simple adjustments that will make a huge difference.
1. Lighting and Glare. Fluorescent lights have long been the light of choice for any office setting. But you can’t just tell your boss to have it changed. For a more persuasive proof, a study by Mirjam Muench found out that fluorescent lights in comparison to natural lights disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms, causing lethargy, irritability and you guess it –loss of productivity.
Increasing the natural light available to workers result in workers showing up for work more rested, leading to enhanced work and productivity. If providing natural light in not possible, you can opt to give workers frequent outdoor breaks for a natural rejuvenator that surges alertness.
2. Color Treatment. Experts believe that color has a definite impact on an employee’s mood at work. The color of an office wall, the furniture and floors create a general office environment that impacts how workers perform. Frank Mahnke, author of Color, Environment, & Human Response wrote that workers will be able to function better depending on the types of color he sees while working.
Yellow stimulates bright and cozy feeling. Red arouses, causes fiery and aggressive emotion. White exudes openness and neutrality. Many offices are also covered in neutral grays, which are flexible, but with no positive effect on productivity. Yellow is good for the conference room where brainstorming frequently occurs, while green is a good idea where meetings with clients are held.
3. Nature Therapy. Adding plants to any office space is something that every employee should do. It offers more than aesthetic value and the benefits, both psychological and mental are seen in many scientific studies.
Introducing plants to your workplace has been proven to reduce stress, increase productivity, lessen sickness and absence, promote cleaner air to breathe, boost creativity, and most importantly, create a more productive workforce. What’s not to like? It’s like hitting a flock of birds with a single stone. Services like Gaddy’s plant hire in Sydney offers diverse option for any office space. Try them out today.
Simple, right? Applying these three simple changes is quite easy, especially if your goal is to seriously bolster office production. By understanding the psychology behind the way office environment influence employees, business owners may be able to a see tangible increase in worker output, ultimately increasing their own bottom line.
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