16 Jan 13 Ways to Make Your Office Healthier
That’s really no secret that traditional work environments take a toll on our health. If you spend most of your day in the office, it may seem like practicing a healthy lifestyle is nearly impossibile. However, healthy office living is achievable if you put focus on your body and mind throughout your workday. Check out these 14 ways to make your office healthier:
Add plants. Did you know that keeping plants in your office can help you be healthier and more productive? Certain plants like ficus and bamboo are great for air quality and some of them have psychological benefits as well. Studies have shown that plants help boost productivity, concentration and creativity.
Standing desks. You’ve probably heard about standing desks in the workplace lately. The idea came after numerous research that has been done on the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting for eight hours at the office has serious effects on your health.
Fresh air. Open the window! Fresh air circulating in your office helps combat professional allergic diseases. If your office space doesn’t have any nearby window, consider bringing an air purifier to work.
Add more green. You can choose green to paint your office walls to encourage green attitude. The color green has been shown to promote the feelings for the wellbeing and tranquility. If you are not able to paint any walls in your office, try decorating your desk with green décor.
Aromatherapy. Smells can affect mood, productivity and concentration. Aromatherapy can be used to create a relaxing work environment. Try choosing scents like rosemary, lavender or peppermint to boost performance and lower stress.
Natural light. Exposure to natural light boosts employees wellness. Studies showed that people who work in offices with exposure ro natural daylight had better sleep and a higher quality of life. If your office lacks natural light, try to make sure that meetings are held in areas with daylight. You can even try switching the type of light bulbs that your office uses. Compact lamps with “warm white” and incandescent light are recommended. These kind of lamps copy the warm glow of incandescent bulbs but does not release ultraviolet radiation that affects the eyes.
Clean. This one may seem obvious but it’s definitely overlooked. Regular deep cleaning is crucial to the health of your office. While your company might have a cleaning visit regularly, it is important that you still make efforts in cleaning shared spaces and appliances in your office.
Décor. Decorate your desk space with personal stuff as photos. Seeing photos of loved ones and amiling faces throughout the day will help to change our mood and decrease the stress gathered during the day.
Water. Make sure that your office provides convenient access to water. Drinking an appropriate amount of water per day is crucial to your health.
Promote health challenges. Many people love office competition. Create challenges and compete! It will help motivate your co-workers to stay motivated to start adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Start a walking club. Create a walking group. It can be a great way to get in steps throughout the workday. Plan for 10-minute walks and keep on a schedule so that everyone can join in.
Bringing in healthy snacks. To have a healthy lifestyle, you may want to stop bringing sweets at the office every day. Seeing treats in the breakroom can be too tempting for a lot of people. If you want to bring in food to share with your co-workers, make sure it’s something healthy.
Encourage. Which is the best way to make your office healthier? Encourage one another! Promote a wholesome work environment by practicing healthy communication. Healthy office relationships help reduce stress in the workplace and make people happy. And more enjoyable is more productive. While it is important to focus on your work, focusing on your health is just as important for yourself and for your company.
What efforts do you make to keep your office healthy?
