You may work at home or in the office, however, it is equally important how your workplace is arranged. Your workspace can both positively and negatively affect not only productivity but also mental health. What is more, the recent pandemic contributed to mental health disorders, and that is why you need to be aware of what you can do to maintain your mental health.
According to statistics, about 14.7% of employees experience mental health problems in the workplace. This already says a lot, and since you are reading this article, it is the right time to put your workplace in order and take care of your mental health.
Top 5 Tips on How to Design Your Workplace to Maintain Mental Health
Before we get into the top 5 tips on how to build your healthy workplace, there are a few things to talk about. Here are the main points to keep in mind:
- If you feel depressed in the collective and you are constantly worried about it, then the question of a healthy office environment should be raised. Managers must not only monitor the success of employees but also implement measures that will contribute to the emotional stability of each employee.
- Never take what is happening at your work to heart. As soon as you leave the office, all the questions and problems that are related to work should remain outside the door.
- If you feel that you don’t like something at work or the office becomes a place where your mental health crumbles, then this is a real call to action. You can find a lot of useful information on how to maintain mental health here.
Now let’s move on to tips that are simple in practice but very effective. There is no doubt that after the implementation of each, you will feel emotional harmony and maintain your mental health.
1. Keep Your Workplace Clean
Whether you work in the office or at home, your workplace should always be in order. Psychologists have repeatedly emphasized that a cluttered desktop leads to a destructive attitude. And this, in turn, will negatively affect your efficiency and even well-being. Here are some basic tips to help you keep your workplace tidy:
- Remove all unnecessary things. Photo frames, decor elements, and a hundred notebooks are not the best set for a healthy workplace. Think about what items you use all the time and get rid of everything else. The following set is considered ideal: a computer, a notebook, a pen/pencil.
- Never dine at your workplace. Lunch should take place in a specially designated location (yes, in the kitchen, you are right), otherwise it will be much more difficult for you to tune in to work later. Plus, having lunch at the workplace will bring a mess.
- Don’t leave cups in the workplace. Most people like to drink tea or coffee at the workplace, however, such coffee breaks lead to eternal chaos. As soon as you run out of coffee or tea, it will be advisable to take the cup to a designated place.
- Never leave a chaotic workplace. Make it a habit to clean your workplace at the end of the day. Then your next working morning will energize you for productive work.
1. Fix the Lighting
The issue of light is very important for mental health and health in general. Lack of light will lead to reduced efficiency and even health problems. Daylight has a significant impact on productivity and the perception of complex information. Therefore, if there is a lack of light in your room or there is no daylight, then you urgently need to fix it.
Why choose daylight? There is a fact that cold and white shades concentrate attention, but yellow relaxes the body. If there is no way to replace your ceiling light, then you need a table lamp. However, choose one that will capture more territory, otherwise there will not be much sense from a small lamp.
P.S. Keep in mind that the lighting should not give glare to your screen monitor!
2. “Organize Thoughts” In One Place
“When all your tasks are in front of you and you constantly see them, there is simply no chance of forgetting something. Our entire team uses magnetic boards, where they write tasks and motivations. Since we have a creative team, their extraordinary motivation notes are already enough to create a blog of super quotes from our team. ” – shared the CEO from the Best Writers Online custom writing service.
It has long been no secret that the brain is more likely to perceive visual information better. Therefore, if you have problems concentrating, organizing a workflow, or you are faced with multitasking, then the magnetic board will be an excellent solution. Place the magnetic whiteboard at eye level so you can easily take notes and structure tasks. Or, you can attach stickers with tasks.
3. Get Rid Of Noise and Irritants
You should work productively since your productivity has a direct impact on mental health. That is why you need to take care of noise isolation. If you work in an office, the hum can be constantly distracting and annoying.
The only way to escape from it is to use earplugs. These are great solutions if you are on a budget, but you may well consider noise-isolating headphones that will perform essentially the same functions as the aforementioned tool.
If you work from home, then you need to talk to your loved ones and ask them not to distract you during your working hours. Also, get rid of your music or TV. Many people mistakenly think that back noise contributes to performance, but in fact, without all of this, you will get your work done many times faster.
4. Make a Healthy Workplace with Plants
“Green plants can calm you and give you a breath of fresh air in the midst of a busy day. Since we work with content creation, we often need an object for a change of scenery, and our office plants are what we need.” – the Online Writers Rating writing services reviews’ team shared a secret.
Houseplants harmonize and heal the space around a person. Moreover, plants purify the air and increase the oxygen content. Plants in the office will contribute to increased performance, mood, and overall health benefits. According to research from Exeter University, plants increase productivity by 15%. Agree this is a significant figure when it comes to a mentally healthy workplace with the help of just one plant.
For example, the most common office plants are pipal and cactus. As you know, pipal does a very good job of purifying the air and absorbs wave radiation. The cactus is suitable for those who do not really like plants and especially caring for them. In fact, a cactus has the same effect as a pipal. Ideally, you should place the cactus right next to your computer.
The Final Words
Now you know how you can easily tune in to work and be even more productive with simple actions. Do not underestimate all of the above mentally healthy workplace tips, as they have been tested by many people and should be a must-do for every person. So if you haven’t done this before, it’s time to take action.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
