Our previous blog post mentioned that Jam Jar aims to be a ‘healthy space’.
‘Healthy space? What’s that?’ you say.
There’s research to say that certain office qualities help keep office-workers happy and healthy, which improves work efficiency and creativity.
Here’s some of the ways you can make a healthy office and some examples of how we’re doing it.
#1 Grow plants – Studies say just one plant in a 3-person office reduces anxiety, tension, depression, illness, hostility, fatigue and carbon dioxide by around 40-50%, and increases productivity and creativity by 10-15%. Indoor plants also have air-purifying effects – they reduce dust, bacteria, mould and manufactured toxins in the air and increase humidity. This means less air-con is needed, so your skin stays moister, so you’ll look younger for longer and get fewer tickly, throaty coughs. That’s why we try to grow plants …
#2 Get a dog – Dogs in offices apparently increase productivity, reduce stress, set a positive tone and bring calm, balance, appreciation and perspective. It’s hard to maintain high stress levels when you see the dog trying to find a sunny spot to lie down. Offices are good for dogs too. Rather than being home alone, they get human interaction, walks and pats!
#3 Colours and materials – Studies say colours affect mood and impact productivity. Green (see Jam Jar’s carpet) and blue can improve efficiency, focus and a sense of wellbeing. (By contrast, the traditional grey, beige and white office palette induces sadness and depression). Also, red inspires passion (see Jam Jar’s vinyl floors) and yellow inspires optimism and innovation (see Jam Jar’s logo!)
#4 Give yourself options – Sitting at your desk all day is the new smoking, apparently causing organ damage, muscle degeneration, obesity, foggy thinking, and neck, shoulder and back pain. So Jam Jar has different spaces for different tasks that encourage our coworkers to move their bodies through different setups across the day – the lounge to read, the outdoor deck to listen to a podcast, the kitchen table to handwrite some notes. Mixing it up also improves productivity and creativity – quiet spaces to concentrate, social spaces for team work and relaxed spaces for less intense work.
#5 Add other interests – Adding books, artwork and personal items to the office boosts productivity, lowers stress and increases wellbeing in an office. Ideas in books remind us that there’s more than one way to crack an egg in business. Art offers escape and contemplation and gets us to think. And our favourite things remind us of our significant lives, health and the world beyond our immediate work.
Wherever you work, it’s easy to do even one of these things for a healthier office-work experience. Or, see it all in action at Jam Jar by getting in touch with us here.