Hi *|FNAME|*,
Holy moly, next week is October, Workplace Health and Safety Month, and as the 10th of the 10th is World Mental Health Day we thought this was a great opportunity to help you understand how to create a physical workspace that promotes mental wellbeing.
After all, 1 in 5 Australians is affected by mental illness… yet there is so much we can do to promote our own mental fitness and that of our colleagues and employees.
Bookings for October are filling up so if you’d like to run a morning tea or lunch and learn that promotes mental wellbeing let us know pronto by replying to this email.
You cannot underestimate the impact of the office environment on staff happiness (and subsequent productivity) and it has long been accepted that quality workspace design reduces stress and improves productivity.
As this Forbes article spells out “Employees need to feel comfortable and calm in their physical work settings to produce their best work.”
While not every business can provide their people with an office environment to die for, there are a number of feasible things any office can do to promote mental wellbeing:
- Make the workspaces adaptable and allow staff to have a say over their environment and personalise their workspace. Encourage ideas to be shared on preferences for the physical space, and share ideas if you have them. Speak up about problems.
- Ensure office furniture is physically comfortable, and ideally provide standing desk options.
- Ensure other aspects of the office environment, such as temperature and acoustics are also comfortable. If there are only open-plan options perhaps consider creating quiet spaces for hot-desking when more privacy or concentration is required.
- Encourage physical activity and movement, from commuting options (showers really help here) and throughout the workday. Encourage walking meetings where possible.
- Ensure natural light where feasible and suitable artificial light where it isn’t.
- Ensure adequate ventilation.
- Provide clean drinking water.
- Nature reduces stress so incorporate views of nature and indoor plants, which improve air quality and allow pets in the office.
- Ensure the office space is aesthetically pleasing as this will go a long way to ensuring happy staff members and to foster a sense of pride in the company.
- Provide space/s for relaxation, both for one or two people where meditation can take place, and larger spaces for social occasions which should be encouraged.
If you want to delve deeper, check out the International WELL Building Institute (IWBITM), an international organization that has established requirements to create productive and comfortable indoor environments.
The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) is the premier standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness. The standard incorporates seven concepts for healthier buildings:
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Lastly, and this is simply a personal preference, but I really believe that beanbags are a great investment for the workplace. They can be hidden away in cupboards when not in use, but they immediately bring a sense of fun and relaxation to a space like nothing else.
The sessions I have had the pleasure to facilitate where beanbags are the furniture are definitely the most relaxing!
Speaking of which, I hope health and safety month is a most relaxing and productive one for you.
Warm regards,
Susie
PS You may have seen our posts about opportunities for tree planting – so if you’re sick of feeling helpless in the face of climate change, get involved, and reduce your stress levels while you’re at it! For more info go here.
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Lilo Wellness
susie@lilowellness.com.au
www.lilowellness.com.au
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