We’ve all had those days — it’s 10:00 am, and we still haven’t managed to get any tasks done. We make another cup of coffee, sit down and stare blankly at our screen, but nothing happens. Luckily, something as simple as changing up our work environment can drastically improve our mood and performance. Below let’s explore four ways to revamp your shared office space for work productivity.

Plants

Beyond being a beautiful addition to any coworking space, plants have an actual beneficial physiological effect on employees. From cleaning the air to reducing stress, having plants has been incredibly helpful in a work environment. Even the soil helps produce cytokines, which facilitates serotonin release, making you feel calmer and more cognitively aware.

Lighting

Whereas nobody wants to be blasted by fluorescent lighting 8 hours a day, the correct lighting arrangement can positively affect your coworking space. Natural light has been proven to be the most beneficial, increasing energy and productivity and reducing depression. If you are unable to access natural light, however, blue light is the next best option. Blue light helps increase mental clarity, reduce fatigue, and even helps lower melatonin so you can stay awake and focused on the task at hand.

Declutter

It’s hard to stay focused in a chaotic environment. A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review found that our physical environment can affect our mood, cognition, behavior, and even relationships with others. A clean, organized environment helps boost our productivity and reduce stress levels significantly. Something as simple as tidying up can be the push we need to perform our best and achieve our productivity goals. 

Comfort

A little counterintuitive, having a comfortable workspace can be a great aid to productivity. A decent desk and chair can instantly reduce stress levels and strain, taking away these subconscious distractions. Also, setting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature can greatly aid production as warmer office environments have been shown to make people more productive. The less you need to get up and adjust position or temperature, the better and the more you will accomplish.

 

Conclusion

Our environment has a more significant influence on us than we often realize. By simply making a few changes, we can go a long way towards revamping our coworking space for productivity and make our goals a reality.