5 Aspects of Your Workplace That Influence Your Health
Our home may be our permanent abode, but there is one other place where we spend a considerable amount of our daily time. Time spent at workplaces constitutes over 1/3rd of our entire day. Hence, various aspects of our work such as layout, lighting, space and ambience can have a significant impact on our mood, stress levels and our overall health. Read on to discover five aspects of a workplace that can have a significant impact on your life and what you can do to ensure it is a positive one.
Office Desk
An office desk is where people spend more than 1/3rd of their day. It is critical to good posture, productivity and the overall health of employees. It is important to choose office desks that are functional, ergonomic and sturdy. When choosing an executive desk, it is important to consider several factors that can impact your health. This includes the suitability of the desk for multiple monitors, in addition to having enough space for all your essentials and gadgets. A cramped and shoddy desk can increase work stress and anxiety. It can result in slower turnaround time and frequent mistakes and oversights. A Suitable office desk is also one that can be perfectly paired with a sturdy and comfortable chair. Choose executive desks in right or left configurations, suiting the preferences of your workforce. This ensures they don’t suffer from poor posture or body fatigue from working. Sliding drawers, soft closing cabinets and easily workable fittings ensure no stress in operating a work desk.
Office Chair
An employee who is comfortably seated is more likely to concentrate and apply himself for longer periods. Good Seating involves getting the basic principles of ergonomics right in terms of seat height, back support, incline and type of upholstery. Additionally, good seating also involves position and placement. Seats and desks should be arranged in six a way to ensure good visibility with natural light. Seating must also promote communication, accessibility and overall camaraderie in the work environment. Optimal seating ensures that there aren’t any obstacles to access and that employees can freely sit together and enjoy a shared working environment.
Lighting
Proper lighting is critical to productivity and employees’ energy levels. Natural light is the best form of light for employee health. It is in the best interest of employee health and overall productivity that natural light sources are maximized in offices. Good lighting also influences memory, mood and concentration levels. For this reason, many high-rise offices have large windows that let plenty of natural light in. These windows also offer beautiful views of the skyline which improves employees’ mindset greatly. Designers, architects and lighting experts aim for a colour temperature of 5000-7000K in offices, which mimics natural light. LEDs and spotlights are your best to achieve an ambience close to natural light. The benefits of Optimal lighting extend beyond just your productivity in the office. Good lighting is known to instil and strengthen the circadian rhythm, which is a large contributor to a good night’s sleep. This in turn helps improve productivity and employee morale. All in all, it is wise to invest in the best office lighting for employee productivity.
Availability of Space & Open Areas
Access to an open space at your office can do a great deal of good to your health. Research suggests a 15–20-minute walk post-lunch can help regulate blood sugar and aid digestion. According to research, this kind of moderate walking and exercise is known to release proteins in the body that reduce chances of bowel cancer and other high-risk diseases. Open spaces also aid creativity, ideation and team building. Spending some time in an open terrace or garden can give employees much-needed downtime and help improve their productivity. Open spaces also help employees breathe fresh air and rejuvenate themselves from too much indoor time. These open spaces can be used to facilitate team building activities abs games which improves the overall morale of employees.
Temperature Control
High temperatures and low temperatures both aren’t conducive to productivity. For an office environment to be productive and ensure the good health of its workforce, a moderate temperature of around 23-25°C is ideal. Modern air-conditioning units also have humidity control and dust-prevention which ensures employees breathe good clean air. Extreme temperatures can cause stuffy noses, poor air quality, excess perspiration and irritation which can demotivate employees and reduce their productivity.
Wrap Up
Maintaining a positive work environment can go a long way in job satisfaction, increased productivity and good health. A positive environment goes much beyond interpersonal relationships and includes tangible fixtures and furniture in an office, in addition to temperature, humidity and other concerns. We hope the above factors help you make informed decisions about your office space and its impact on your overall health.