Affirmations that make your workplace a better space for you

Affirmations that make your workplace a better space for you. The workspace is the physical group or personal space where a company’s workers coexist. If you have been part of one, you know that annoying noise, an uncomfortable chair, or a lack of tools can impair your work.

For this reason, some experts have dedicated themselves to studying the importance of the workspace in labor productivity. Do you want to improve your performance? Learn about affirmations that will help you make your workplace a better space for you.

Importance of workspace in productivity

If you are part of a work team or lead one, you have surely heard on more than one occasion that a comfortable, safe, and optimal workspace increases work productivity. This statement is correct. In his book Economics, published in 2015, Steve Delfino asserted that “the design of the workspace can have a significant impact on worker happiness.” Already in 2014, a study had found that “people who identified themselves as happy were 12% more productive than those who did not.”

More recent studies reinforce this theory. Gordon Wright, from the HOK company, states in his article Workplace Strategies that Enhance Performance that three strategic components guarantee performance:

– The ability of a person to perform a task.

– The motivation that the employee has for the development of their work.

– The opportunity that gives people access to resources or facilities needed to carry out an activity or task.

In this last point, it is clear that the workspace is essential to maintain the work motivation of workers and, therefore, their productivity. Hence, experts promote using, in the constitution of workspaces, the same principles that make us happy and healthy in our lives outside of work.

Characteristics of a workspace that improves productivity

How can I make my workplace a better space for me? Some of the characteristics that you should take into account are:

· Good lighting, make your workplace a better space for you

A well-lit workspace will contribute to the comfort of your employees. It is advisable to have it placed with natural lighting. However, in these cases, the idea is to have blinds that prevent light reflections on computers. If you have artificial light, it should offer the necessary clarity. Using white bulbs contributes to good lighting and reduces heat. They also consume less energy.

· Acoustic isolation, make your workplace a better space for you

A workspace where employees must shout to communicate with each other will only detract from worker comfort and motivation. Therefore, sound insulation is recommended, especially in open spaces, coworking, or hot desking. This will contribute to pleasant and fluent communication.

· Good ventilation, make your workplace a better space for you

Provide your workers with well-ventilated workspaces. Whether natural or artificial ventilation, this is one of the main elements that workspaces need. Especially if a significant number of people work in them.

· Suitable temperature, make your workplace a better space for you

If it is very hot or cold at a worksite, likely, the worker will not feel comfortable and count the hours to leave the office. This aspect can be solved with a good temperature control system, which cools the workspace in hot seasons, but keeps it warm enough.

· Good maintenance, make your workplace a better space for you

Proper maintenance of a workspace is critical to keeping employees motivated. This element ranges from job site cleaning to facility care. You must keep an eye on the deterioration of the real estate or the stock of materials necessary for the work of your employees.

· A workspace that motivates, make your workplace a better space for you

Comfortable furniture, cafeterias, common areas… are all necessary elements to maintain work motivation in workspaces and thus improve productivity. Many of the major high-performance teams have offices that offer convenience for work and places for recreation. Make your work team feel at home, and they will surely work more satisfied.

Types of workspaces that generate innovation

The most modern theories of team management place more emphasis on the satisfaction of social needs. For this reason, new trends in collaborative workspaces have emerged, where employees of large and small companies coexist with independent workers from different areas.

Collaborative workspaces such as coworking and coliving offer significant benefits to workers, regardless of their area or condition. In them, they not only coexist with intellectuals who can contribute to the development of their projects. They also have the guidance of a community builder responsible for fostering synergy between employees and establishing relationships to be convenient.

¿How to organize your workspace to be more productive?

We already told you how the workspace influences your productivity and that of your team. Do you want to organize your workspace? Here are some tips for organizing your space and being more productive:

· Order is synonymous with productivity

A workspace where documents or implements do not have a fixed place can decrease your work productivity. Why? If you have to locate a folder, invoice, or documents of a client and do not know where they are, you will waste a lot of time looking for them.

To avoid this, you can buy special furniture for filing or organize everything with folders in the drawers of your desk. It is also important to maintain your work tools and the objects that are part of your position, such as cables, pens, or notebooks.

· Take care of your posture, make your workplace a better space for you

Suppose the posture you maintain in your workspace damages your spine and causes you pain. In that case, you will surely lose concentration frequently. An uncomfortable chair can cause headaches, back and neck pain, breathing problems, tight shoulders, and jaw pain.

Invest money in comfortable real estate, such as ergonomic chairs that take care of the position of your spine and that of your team. The result, according to experts, will be a worker with a better mood and, therefore, more productive.

· Stimulate the senses

One of the most frequent recommendations to improve work productivity is to include some plants in the office. Although it seems very simple, this aspect can make your team feel more comfortable in their workspace.

You can also use aromatherapy to stimulate the sense of smell. Some fragrances activate the areas of the brain that make us feel calmer. Being comfortable and at peace in our workplace can contribute to our good performance.

· Look for natural light, make your workplace a better space for you

We know that not all offices have the privilege of providing natural lighting to their workers. And, even if the artificial light you use is very good, it is always important to feel the sun’s rays. A 2014 study by Northwestern and Illinois Universities found that employees with windowless offices felt less well-being than those who received natural light.

Therefore, if you work or have a team in a workspace with these characteristics, you must promote some short outings in which they sunbathe. Walking is also good to reduce the sedentary lifestyle generated by long working hours.

Now that you know all the affirmations to make your workplace a better space for you, you can guarantee optimal conditions to improve your work performance and your satisfaction when doing your job.