Spending a third of your day in the office or shop? Most of us are indeed doing so. This also means that your work surroundings should be given the same importance you give the interiors of your home.
Many of us may have no choice in creating the office environment in which we work, but this doesn’t mean that a little awareness of a healthy office environment should be rejected. Changes start with oneself, so start changing the office or surroundings you are working in, others will follow suit and your employer might also encourage the creation of a stimulating and nurturing office environment.
Changing the shop environment you work in is most likely going to be a lot trickier, but discuss the idea with the owner and you might be surprised.
When working out of Sharjah, I designed a creative office for my graphic design agency, where only the outer walls of the office unit were angular. The rest were curved and organic. They were painted in bright, strong colours that were highlighted by effective down and directional lighting. There were no fluorescent tubes anywhere, not even in the kitchen or bathrooms.
The studio area was designed by my creative staff members, thereby boosting employee involvement. It had a bar that doubled up as a meeting place/table at the same time. The studio definitely had a different character than my personal office space, but so did all the other offices, each one with input of the person(s) using it.
Recently I gave a shop a total makeover, combining strong bright tones with very neutral colours such as white and grey, while the outside of the shop was totally covered with white back painted glass panels. The contrast from the outside to the inside is stunning as the warmth of the inside is highlighted by the cool and stark panels outside.
I’m not necessarily a fan of strong bright colours to be used always, I believe it is more important to reflect the mood, the energy and the personality of the shop or office and therefore equally so, a home.
Here are six areas which can really help you to make a difference, although pushing the facilities management team in the right direction won’t hurt.
1. Colour me bright
We all know that the use of colour on our walls not only creates a mood but also creates emotional reactions. Even the ancient Egyptians knew of the importance of colour therapy.
Although people have different reactions and attitudes towards individual colours, some points are worth noting. For example: orange stimulates creativity. Yellow heightens motivation and intensifies intellect. Red is energising. Blue is caIming, Black is depressing. Grey is neutral and boring.
Combining these will create a totally different energy and atmosphere. For example, you can bring about a sense of balance by using bright
colours in combination with a neutral tone.
In other words, select colours that you happen to be attracted to as those are the colours which eventually
will be of benefit to your personal health.
2. How’s the air in there?
Studies by the American Environmental Protection Agency showed that 60 per cent of office buildings are sick and indoor air quality can lead to poor environmental health. This is mainly due to the bad maintenance and irregular cleaning of air ducts. Too many times have I seen central air conditioning units of which only the outdoor unit gets cleaned. But think about the filters that are washed only once or twice a year. Is the ducting system being cleaned as well? The answer is almost always no. Does all this air, be it clean or polluted, not go via the ducting into the air you breathe?
Ionising a room can lead up to 52 per cent less dust in the air and 95 per cent reduction in airborne bacteria, according to the US Department of Agriculture. An ioniser is relatively cheap and can quickly improve indoor air quality.
3. Lead, kindly light
Natural daylight is best as studies show that it increases productivity, while reducing fatigue and stress. Unfortunately, most office and shop environments still need to use artificial light, even during the daytime.
Start by requesting the management to replace fluorescent tubes with full-spectrum tubes — and give them reasons why it enhances your wellbeing and that of your colleagues. Full-spectrum light tubes emit a more natural and balanced spectrum of light and are the closest to indoor sunlight.
Other health benefits are a reduction of stress, cortisol levels, eye fatigue and the aging of the retina, as well as improving your mood. The white light from fluorescent tubes makes everything feel cold and unsympathetic, while balanced light creates a positive mood and atmosphere that in turn is good for your well-being and enhances creativity and productivity.
4. Green my world
A bit of greenery does more than just liven up your environment or the beauty of your direct surroundings. Plants have a built-in air purifier that provides oxygen and humidity.
A close friend of mine hates plants as she finds them just as cumbersome as pets, but although they do need a bit of looking after every now and than, you don’t need to have endless conversations with them. A bit of water is enough and in return they will help to improve your mood as well as your health.
Recent research by National Aeronautics and Space Administration has shown in a test over a two-year period that common house plants are indeed capable of converting polluted air pollutants into harmless substances. Ivy, chrysanthemums, philodendrons, parlour palms and dracaena are the best of polluting sucking plants.
If your offices are based on an open plan or have low partitioning, think of your options. Potted plants at strategic locations or even within the partitions — the framework is designed to allow plants to grow along the inside — can allow privacy and improve general health. Surely, this must be a lot better than having to stare at drab grey fabric or post-it notes.
5. Music’s charms
Now this is going to be tough to implement in a multicultural environment alright, but it is well documented that music can effect a person’s emotional well-being, physical health, the way we communicate and therefore social functioning.
Piped music might be great for some, for others it can be very annoying indeed. But if played softly enough so it does not bother others surrounding you — or over headphones — it can positively help your personal and emotional well-being. You may even hear your colleague next to you whistle along to the song, surely bringing a smile to your faces.
6. Sitting pretty
Perhaps more important to general workplace health is an ergonomically correct chair. Start with a chair in which you can sit comfortably and has adjustable height and arm rests.
How you sit is crucial. Although I can’t see an entire office sitting on Swiss medicine balls, sitting up straight is elementary. I know, most of us tend to slouch, we never sit up straight, but should train ourselves to do so. While having your feet flat on the floor, your knees level with your hips and your arms at a 90-degree angle and level not with
the table, but with the computer’s keyboard.
Check out first how you sit and work and really observe your habits for some time. Straining or stretching out to reach your keyboard will bring stress to your back and shoulders. An ergonomically designed chair can be rather expensive, but so are visits to the spinal specialist. Surely, this should be a good argument to be put in front of your line managers.
— Hink Huisman, CEO of Image Creators, is a designer with wide experience in Europe and the Gulf
