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Five steps to boost your office’s productivity in 2018

Posted by Oliver Corrigan on Jan 16, 2018 8:30:00 AM
Oliver Corrigan
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Did you know that during our lifetime we spend, on average, a staggering 90,000 hours at work? Spending such a colossal amount of time in the office, it stands to reason that our working environment needs to be as inviting, comfortable, practical and as well-facilitated as possible, in order to boost creativity, wellbeing and productivity.

Multiple studies show that a well-designed office is paramount in improving staff morale, employee retention and productivity.

If you’re intent on ensuring your working environment is as productivity-enhancing as possible in 2018, take a look at the following five steps on how to make your office more productive.

 

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  • The natural touch

The simple task of putting plants, flowers and other greenery around the office can have a significantly positive impact on productivity.

Adding household plants to workspaces can make employees perform better. This was the finding of a study at Exeter University, which found by bringing one plant per square metre to an office, “substantially improved” employee performance on memory retention and other basic tests.

Bringing us closer to nature by having plants in the office, not only helps us feel less stressed, happier and more productive, but filters the air, bringing more oxygen into the office, subsequently promoting concentration and alertness.

  • There’s no substitute for daylight

A lack of windows, no natural daylight, only harsh, fluorescent-lighting buzzing overhead is hardly conducive with a natural, healthy and productive place to work. A wealth of academic research confirms the importance being exposed to daylight has on our mental wellbeing and productivity rates at work.

According to research by Cohere.com.au, office workers with windows have 40 minutes more sleep every night than those without windows. 40% of offices with ample daylight saw a 3% - 40% rise in productivity and sales.

With the myriad of benefits natural daylight brings to the working environment, it’s hardly surprising that the placement of windows and daylight is the number one wanted natural element in workspace design.

  • Make good use of colour

The psychology of colour has long been documented and debated. Whilst neutral tones like beiges, greys and whites, are practical and sensible colours in office, they do little to inspire optimum creativity and productiveness to be nurtured within the office space.

Introducing bolder colours into an office environment can impact employer productivity. Natural colours like greens and blues are implicated with improving focus and efficiency, boosting our overall sense of wellbeing.

  • Jazz up your office furniture

Boring, uncomfortable furniture in an office will do little to enhance wellbeing, morale or productivity. Making over an office space and replacing old-fashioned furniture with stylish, more comfortable pieces will go a long way in ensuring employees get the most from their working day.

If the chairs, desks, workstations and other essential office furniture has seen better days, now’s the time to replace it.

  • Make space for breaks

“Too much work and not enough play makes Jack a dull boy!” The importance of taking sufficient breaks throughout the working day cannot be overstated. Taking regular breaks away from our desks and computers can help boost concentration, focus and ultimately productivity.

Consequently, implementing areas that specifically cater for breaks, where employees can rest their eyes from the relentless glow of the computer, is a leading feature of modern workspace design. Not only are rest areas, also known as break out areas, so important in encouraging productivity-enhancing breaks, but they can also act as effective areas for less formal meetings to take place. Some of the most innovative and creative ideas are often born in break out areas!

Of course, instead of renovating your own office space so its complies with the productivity-enhancing ‘rules’, you could always move into purpose-built office space that already has all the productiveness and wellbeing boxes ticked.

 

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Carrwood Park on the outskirts of Leeds prides itself on providing high-quality office space with an abundance of natural light and stylish office furniture, designed to optimise productivity.

To find out more about Carrwood Park’s productive office space, get in touch with our friendly team today.  

 


 

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