Eight ways to refresh your workspace

It doesn’t take much to refresh your workspace. Here are eight quick wins that you can implement right away to breathe new life into your work environment.

1. Let in the light

Countless studies have found that natural light can help to prevent eye strain, headaches and migraines and seasonal affective disorder. Daylight helps to boost creativity, energy levels and positivity. Prioritise desking at window points and move quiet areas and breakout spaces further inland.

2. Free workspaces from junk

Workspaces that are free from clutter can prevent stress and improve overall employee performance. Encourage people to clean up their work areas for heightened focus.

3. Add a little colour

Colour stimulates different areas of the mind and can be used to great benefit throughout the workplace. Yellow increases creativity, green creates calm while red can affect the body. Remember that colour also solidifies the brand image within your workspace, so even just one or two colours of your main brand colours could really make a difference. Could add some examples here of recent projects.

4. Comfort is key

Take the time to show your people how to configure their workstations for optimal comfort. The ability to raise or lower your chair and desk, align your computer screen and adjust brightness levels will help employees to avoid injury and stay comfortable all day. Make sure you encourage people to take a break, stretch and walk away for their screens on occasion for their own wellbeing, too.

5. Lock down your room temperature

Almost half of people suffer from reduced productivity once temperatures exceed 25 degrees Celsius, according to studies. Colder conditions can result in lower productivity too. Canvass opinion across the business and find a temperature that suits the line of best fit.

6. Follow your nose

The Takasago Corporation in Japan conducted research that found that certain scents improve typing accuracy. 54% made fewer mistakes when they could smell lemon, 33% fewer with jasmine and 20% with lavender. Some smells can also be distracting for employees; encourage eating away from your work area and disallow food in meeting spaces to avoid distraction and get people away from their desks.

7. Go green

Incorporating plants into the workplace can increase people’s attention span, reduce stress and improve productivity and mood. Some studies have even found that biophilic design reduces absence by up to 50%, and minor illnesses by as much as 33%. Link to some case study examples

8. Dynamic spaces

Ensuring people don’t feel restricted to a single working format is essential for helping them tap into their creative side. Installing robust Wi-Fi that is reliable across your entire workspace and implementing breakout areas sparks creativity, helps employees to feel trusted and valued and helps to build a community-first culture.