Written by: James Ponds
Do you run an office? Are your employees having problems with productivity or are they getting sick often? Consider how you can make a healthy workplace and how that can help relieve some issues and grow your business.
Add Natural Light
One way you can make your workplace healthier for your employees is by adding more natural light. Open as many windows as you can to let more light into your office. While artificial light can be good, natural sunlight provides vitamin D and can make employees feel happier. Even if vitamin D deficiency isn't a concern, having some sun can help improve everyone's mental health.
If possible, move the workspace to a room with windows and leave interior rooms for breaks and short meetings. That way, no one has to go that long without getting some natural light during their workday.
Stock Your Break Room
If you have a break room, consider stocking up on healthy snacks for employees. You don't have to have a ton of snacks, and you don't need to spend a ton of money on them either. Consider using Gundry coupon codes to save money on the healthy snacks you get. Look for snacks that fit a variety of dietary needs, or ask your employees about their diets so that you can find stuff that everyone can have.
That way, employees don't have to bring in snacks that may make them tired or less productive. You can provide everything from fruit to nuts to snack bars. And if the snacks are easy to eat, employees can take the food to their desks and avoid a longer break.
Encourage Breaks
Speaking of taking breaks, small breaks can help your employees. It can give them time away from their computer screens, so they can limit eye strain. Taking breaks can also give people a chance to socialize and learn about their coworkers. And while it may sound good to work through the day without stopping, that doesn't work for everyone. Instead, be flexible and give employees the choice to work in a way that helps them stay productive.
Don't force people to take breaks they don't need. But also don't be afraid to let someone take a break when they get tired or just need time away from a project.
Get a Water Cooler
You should also consider getting a water cooler for your office. Then, you can stock it with cups or have employees bring their own cups or bottles to use for the water. A water cooler can help you and your team remember to drink water at work. Getting enough water can help you feel better when you're sick or not. It can also help replenish the water you lose when sweating or expelling waste.
Water is also useful for cushioning your joints and spine, so you can limit your risk of injury. While supplying water can be expensive, a cooler is a great alternative to stocking the break room fridge with water bottles.
Do Team Building Exercises
Social and mental health is equally as important as physical health. Consider scheduling part of a day each month for your team to do team-building exercises. You can have everyone work together and learn to trust each other. It can also be something that your employees look forward to after a long week or month. If your employees like your team building days, it may encourage them to focus on their work so that they can get stuff done.
Then, you and your team can enjoy some social time even earlier in the day if you finish early. But even if you don't finish something early, it can give everyone an excuse to step away from work for a few hours, and you can choose physical games to get people active.
Running an office can be stressful, and it can be easy to let your office environment get to be unhealthy for you and your employees. Keep these things in mind next time you want to change your office setup.