Office work may not be as challenging as some jobs out there, but it definitely has its own hurdles. How you’ll deal with these hurdles partially depends on your approach to work, but also on the office you’re working from.
Setting up your workspace the right way is essential if you’re looking to achieve maximum productivity. Here are 6 office essentials that will help you with that mission!
1. Get Comfortable – Chair and Desk
Working from an office has its perks, but also its cons. One of the real but often overlooked risks of office work is sitting for long durations. We’re not built to be immobile for most of the day, yet that’s exactly what most office work requires these days.
Sitting can cause fatigue and potentially far more serious health issues. This is especially true if you’re using a chair that isn’t ergonomically suitable for long periods of use. Fortunately for all office workers out there, there are office chairs specifically built to solve this issue. Investing in one is a must.
As far as desks go, they also play a major part in your productivity. For one, they need to be the right height so that your arms aren’t under constant stress as you work. Then there’s the matter of space. Get a desk/chair combo that works for you and you’ll be much more productive.
2. Define Your Space
Humans are social animals, but we also value our own space and it’s important to make it our own. You could get a desk nameplate made by The Engraving People to personalise your office space. Naturally, this also depends on the type of work that’s being done in your particular office. Some industries, such as accounting and similar, can greatly benefit from office partitions. On the other hand, more creative niches where employees are constantly communicating with one another might benefit from a more open design.
The key is finding the type of office space layout that best works for you and your coworkers. It’s perfectly okay to have mixed offices, where one part is completely open while the rest is partitioned into cubicles.
3. Give Your Eyes a Break
Light is everything in our world. Not only is it necessary for life, but it also allows us to see the world around us. Just like it matters outside, the type and amount of light you get in your office also matters. Your office space should be illuminated to a point where you’re not straining your eyes. However, not all lights are created equal.
We measure the color of light in the form of a temperature reading. Cold lights lean towards white while warmer lights lean towards red on the spectrum. The sweet spot for an office sits somewhere between the 3500K and 5500K.
4. Find the Ideal Temperature
Setting the HVAC so that it appeases every single person in the office is a borderline impossible task. Yet, finding a temperature that works is one of the major conditions for a productive office environment. Set the temperature too hot and you’ll cause a wave of discomfort across the office. The same goes if you set the temperature too cold.
Believe it or not, people have done serious research on this subject and it was revealed that 71.6F is the optimal temperature for most offices.
5. Remove Distractions through Motivation
Every company depends on cohesion. It’s the only way to achieve goals on time and grow as a collective. Distractions are a massive hurdle that every organization needs to jump at some point. How you jump these hurdles can define how productive your employees will be. Those who choose to remove distractions through sanctions often find themselves in the same place.
However, if you give your employees a reason to commit to the work they’re doing, they will remove the distractions on their own. Deal with distraction through cohesion and positive motivation.
6. Get Rid of Clutter
Clutter is one of those things that creeps up if you don’t keep an eye on it. Clutter makes it extremely hard to find the things you need in a pinch. If you let clutter get bad enough, it can seriously impact productivity. Building and maintaining an office culture that promotes clutter-free workspaces is key to maintaining productivity.
Although these tips definitely exist for a reason, you should understand that every office is different. What works in one office may not necessarily work in another. Try different things until you find what offers concrete results. We strongly suggest that you start by applying all of these tips one by one. After going through these 6 tips, you’ll get a good idea of the direction you need to take in the future.
