Most business leaders are beginning to understand just how vital workplace wellness is. By prioritizing your health and well-being, you’re often rewarded with an engaged, motivated team that inevitably bolsters your bottom line.
However, if you’re only just beginning your journey to creating an environment that fosters well-being, it can be worth starting with your office space. Transform your workplace by doing some of the following things.
Invest in Ergonomic Furniture
If your current office furniture is still in good condition but doesn’t align with your vision for wellness, consider starting fresh with ergonomic furniture. You can donate your old furniture to Habitat for Humanity, a charity that accepts good condition furniture to pass on to people in need.
The best part is that charities such as this one often provide pick-up services. If you don’t have the time or means to deliver the furniture yourself, they can arrange to pick it up and save you the hassle.
With your old furniture removed, your workplace is now a blank canvas for you to purchase the best ergonomic furniture for your team’s needs. New desks, chairs, and even keyboards and mice can all be excellent starting points for your team. The more comfortable they feel doing their job, the more productive they may be.
Create Informal Spaces
Even though a formal workspace can be paramount for ensuring every employee has a dedicated space to work, informal workspaces can also be of equal value. These can be akin to a ‘lounge area’ with comfortable sofas and bean bags that allow team members to connect, collaborate, and socialize in a safe, welcoming space.
Such informal meeting and work spaces are becoming commonplace in both small and large workplaces for their versatility. They can be a break area to relax before quickly being transformed into a comfortable space for brainstorming sessions.
Encourage an Active Workforce
It’s easy to get caught up in a project and forget to take breaks. With movement being an important part of worker wellness, consider making your office a more ‘active’ space.
This can involve a complete design overhaul, but one that can be worthwhile. Position shared spaces and communal work areas within a decent walking distance from each individual workstation. To encourage even more movement, remove waste paper baskets from beside desks, and replace them with one communal bin.
Even investing in workout equipment or a basketball hoop in a dedicated gym area can be all the encouragement some staff members need to get some exercise on their breaks.
Work On Your Lighting Strategy
It has been proven time and time again that lighting can impact our mood and behaviour. There is simply no universal approach to lighting, which means a complete overhaul of your office calls for some time set aside to work on your lighting strategy.
Some studies have shown that people with windows in their offices enjoy a better night’s sleep and exercise more frequently than their co-workers without windows. Harsh office lighting can also impact productivity and motivation while being one of the most common causes of headaches and migraines.
Position your employees in your workspace with as much natural light as possible. However, if natural light is lacking, choose light types that promote productivity, such as cool blue and white.
Make Workspaces Flexible
Every staff member might have their individual cubicle to call their own, but that doesn’t mean they need to be confined to them. Create a flexible work environment that allows people to work where they feel they can be most productive.
For some, that might be on the sofa in the informal lounge area. For others, it might be sitting out in the sunshine at a picnic table. With more flexibility, you may be able to enjoy a happier and more productive workforce.
Say Yes to Nature
Plants and other natural elements have been a big hit in offices in recent years, and not just because they’re aesthetically pleasing. Some studies have shown that by welcoming plants into the workplace, employees’ moods are better, their productivity levels are higher, and even oxygen levels in the workspace may increase.
However, you can go one step further than simply putting a few pot plants around the office. Welcome other natural elements like living walls and natural-finished furniture. The more of the outdoors you bring indoors, the more productive and happier your team may be.
Make Health a Priority
Even though you may have invested in ergonomic furniture and encouraged people to get moving, you can also take a more hands-on approach to health that may improve your employee retention rate.
Offer health insurance, annual influenza vaccines, and put free fruit in communal spaces. You may even consider bringing in mobile masseuses as a treat from time to time. These small changes may not cost you a lot of money, but they can mean the world to your employees who can thrive in a workplace that values their well-being.
You may not be ready for a complete office overhaul, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a few changes to improve your workers’ well-being. Upgrade your furniture, add a few office plants, and give your employees the freedom to move around. You may be surprised at how your company benefits.