How to Decorate the Workplace to Boost Working Productivity

We spend lots of time sitting at work, while prolonged sitting can wreak havoc with our health, making us distracted easily while working and resulting in reducing productivity. Fortunately, an ergonomic-designed workplace can keep us feel comfortable and high-performing, due to the environment where we are in plays a great role in our feelings. Here are 6 office decorating tips that will boost our working productivity.

1. Turn office into an active workplace

According to a study [1], sedentary behavior has linked to the health problem of the brain, which results in possible impairment in learning and memory. In the meanwhile, sitting all day at desks increases the risks of many other health problems, such as shoulder and low back pain, poor blood circulation and heart disease, etc. Therefore, it’s particularly important to upgrade the traditional office into an active workplace, like adding a sit-stand desk or standing desk converter to your office, thus boosting your productivity. 

2. Protect personal privacy

A well-designed workplace with desktop privacy panel ensures personal privacy while at work, helping increase workers’ performance, job satisfaction and motivation. In addition, it can reduce noise and avoid unnecessary interruptions from others.

3. Keep desk organized

Workplace clutter cramps productivity. Research [2] from Princeton University Neuroscience Institute found that the more stuff you have around you, the harder you are to concentrate. Because the clutter competes for your attention and wears down your mental resources, so adding various of file cabinets or file trays helps keep your desktop well organized and increase attention at work.

4. Using a good lighting

Office lighting quality is important to the working efficiency. Poor lighting can affect workers performance, leading to eye strain and brain fatigue. While a proper lighting can not only bring aesthetic advantage, but also protecting eyes, helping stay focused and increasing productivity.

5. Pick an inspiring color

The color around has a big impact on the mood and mind, choosing the proper color for the workplace has the ability to affect productivity. According to studies, blue is a stable and calming color that can help people stay focus; green is the color of life, that can reduce stress and induces the feeling of relaxation; while yellow is a bright and happy color, which can help stimulate creativity. Although not all the companies will allow people to change the office wall color, we can set up personal office color tone by adding green plants, using the desktop privacy panel in various colors, or adding other personal stuffs.

6. Set an optimal temperature

Besides office lighting, the office temperature is also a factor for poor motivation. Setting an optimal office temperature environment can help create comfortable and boost productivity. Numerous studies [3] have found that a warmer environment (21 to 25 degrees Celsius) could be the best for the majority of workers. And researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that the optimum temperature at workplace is approximately 22 degrees Celsius. 

References

[1].    Prabha Siddarth, Alison C. Burggren, Harris A Eyre, Gary W. Small, David A. Merrill. Sedentary behavior associated with reduced medial temporal lobe thickness in middle-aged and older adults. PLOS.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195549

[2].    McMains S1, Kastner S.,  Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex.  J Neurosci. 2011 Jan 12;31(2):587-97. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3766-10.2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228167

[3].    Erin Beresini,  What’s The Best Temperature for Productivity?   Feb 11, 2014 https://www.outsideonline.com/1784591/whats-best-temperature-productivit