Is our mood and health linked to our environment? You don’t need to be a psychologist to know that your surroundings can have a profound role on your well-being.
On the serious end of the spectrum, you have conditions like the hostile work environment. Authorities on the topic, like the experts on sexual harassment in the San Francisco workplace at Pasternak Law, will be quick to tell you such office conditions make it nearly impossible for an employee to concentrate on their job, since they’re often in fear and on guard.
This is an obvious way in which your workplace environment might affect you however, and what you may not have realized is that there are also less glaring and more subtle factors at play—and they can have a serious impact on how you feel and perform on the job.
Color And Mood
Color is one of the first things we notice when we enter a room, and for good reason. Those colors can have an influence on your mood and can even impact your ability to think creatively:
- Red — A stimulating color that can spark the mind and body to action.
- Yellow — Bright and loud, yellow screams at you to wake up.
- Orange — This is a healing color that can boost your energy levels.
- Blue — Calm like the ocean, blue will put you into a state of tranquility.
And so on and so forth. You’ll want to make sure you’re minding your color choices if you’re in charge of the office decorating. And employ a bit of colorology to help you match the tones, shades, and hues that will best motivate you and your coworkers.
The Importance Of Light
Humans need light to survive, so it makes sense that its inclusion within the office would have an impact on our overall performance. Workplaces that have ample amounts of natural light will often have healthier employees with higher energy levels. This means the more windows the better, and the better designed those windows are, the more light they can let in.
The Air We Breathe
Every breath you take is precious, but the cleaner the air the better you’re going to feel. This is why air quality is so important, and why, if you’re working in an office building, you’re going to want to have plentiful ventilation and access to a source of fresh air. Without it, indoor pollution and elevated CO2 levels will start to hinder your cognitive processes and ability to create.
A Touch Of Teamwork
We’re social animals, mostly, and when we’re able to collaborate is when most of us do our best work. If you’re stuck in an office space without the quiet spaces necessary to join up with your fellows and concentrate on solutions, your teamwork will suffer and your business will soon follow. What’s more, an emphasis on collaboration within the workplace also gives your employees a reason to move around the office—further enhancing their health and energy.