Seek a Healthier Work Environment for Higher Productivity

Author: Angela Ash

Productivity is a never-ending effort. With all the ways to be distracted by pretty much anything during working hours, maintaining focus and staying productive is often a challenging task. Even though everyone is aware of the common issues — such as are, e.g., email notifications and social media browsing — there are other no less important factors to consider as well.

One thing that gets overlooked way too easily is a healthy environment. With only a couple of simple steps, everyone can make the office a more pleasant space for everyone.

Bring Plants Into the Office

One simple step you can start with is — bringing some office plants. As a matter of fact, this is one of the easiest ways to go green and remain positive in the long run. There are many plants that can thrive in various conditions, the most popular of which include ZZ plants, bamboos, devil's ivy, snake plants, succulents, cacti, peace lily and jade plants.

Be More Sustainable

Overall, sustainability is a great way to improve productivity and your well-being. If you can, think about investing in an electric car, as many companies are now even offering their own EV chargers.

In addition, you can also implement some of the other ideas for sustaining productivity and going green, such as:

  • Replace traditional printers with multifunction ones to eliminate the need to use multiple machines for multiple purposes. Choose the ones with energy-saving features for best results.

  • Refill used ink and toner cartridges.

  • Print on both sides of a sheet.

  • Buy green office supplies whenever possible. E.g., staple-less staplers and pens that can be refilled.

  • Use recycled paper.

  • Use recycled plastic products when plastics cannot be replaced.

  • Recycle used office supplies.

  • Keep computers and monitors updated. Newer models are more energy-efficient than older ones.

  • Turn off computers when they’re not in use.

  • Replace standard bulbs with CFLs or LED bulbs (they use ca. 75% less energy than standard light bulbs!).

  • Paint the walls of the office in light colors so that less lighting is needed.

  • Only use eco-friendly cleaning products.

Care for Your Physical Health

All of these efforts primarily serve one goal: to make employees feel better, which, in turn, boosts their productivity.

Maintaining good health is paramount, especially if you spend hours on end sitting in front of the screen. Have regular eye checkups when you're spending a lot of time on the computer, and stay healthy and free of pain with saltwraps for injury recoveries.

Add to that any other steps suitable for your specific circumstances.

Avoid Experiencing Burnout

Burnout seems to be one of the most difficult issues to cope with, due to the nature of the hectic times we live in. Not much can be done to change global trends, but even so, everyone can undertake some necessary steps to make their lives easier while staying productive.

I.e. be sure to take full advantage of any employee engagement ideas and watch over your mental health. Creativity boosts are what make serotonin go-round, making us happier and, in turn, healthier.

Take Your Time to Unwind

Being productive doesn’t equal being overworked. When done right, productivity boosts will allow you to increase your performance and get the job done efficiently while at the same time allowing you to spend your free time doing whatever you enjoy doing.

It is extremely important to schedule regular breaks and take your time to unwind - each and every day with no exceptions. Take a walk, enjoy a cup of your favorite beverage, and treat yourself to some nice food.

After Working Hours, Forget About the Job

Once the job is done, it is time to spend your free time in any way you see fit. Sadly many people bring their work home and overwork themselves on a regular basis, which is the surest way to kill productivity.

Even with the rising prices and the uncertainty of our times, there is still time to remember why we all work in the first place — so that we can afford a lifestyle of our choice.

That being said, if you have to do a gig from time to time, make sure to plan your time well. Never ever spend whole days focused solely on work. Find some time to take a break and enjoy walking, reading or working out.

Create Purpose

Finally, if you don’t see any point in what you do, it can be difficult to be content. Take a moment to consider a couple of basic questions that might have been lost in translation over time:

  • Why do you do the job that you do?

  • Which parts do you enjoy?

  • Which parts do you not enjoy? How can you make them more enjoyable?

  • What is the purpose of your actions? Which goals are you striving to achieve?

  • Which leisure time activities you enjoy the most and how can you most efficiently get a boost from them?

Once you have the answers, plan your time ahead to maximize on best practices, which can even include continued custom e-learning.

Conclusion

Even though it sometimes can be difficult to maintain a healthy work-leisure time balance, the fact that we work because we need money to afford a better lifestyle should never be forgotten. If you are underpaid and unhappy in your workplace and nothing that you do can change that fact, consider changing the outlook. Look for a new lifestyle (digital nomadism, freelancing, changing your job) or new practices that will help you achieve your goals.

No matter the conundrums of the hectic working day, never forget what your goals are. This is the only way to actually live like a human being in the times of information overload. Move towards your goals one step at a time all the while spending your free time doing what you want — not what has to be done.