If you’re responsible for managing an office and overseeing a team of people, or even if you’re just in charge of your home office and responsible for managing yourself, you’ll want to ensure that the office space you’re operating in is as healthy as possible.
“Healthy” in this context is a multi-dimensional measure, encompassing physical health, healthy social dynamics, and a wholesome effect on a person’s overall well-being and productivity.
Without further ado, here are some ways you can set about creating a healthier office environment today.
Take steps to remove all contaminants from the environment
One of the great scourges of the modern world is that we are constantly bombarded with toxic chemical contaminants which have a profoundly negative effect on our physical and mental wellbeing.
Xenoestrogens found in everything from the food we eat, to the water we drink, are associated with disruption of the endocrine system, leading to severe hormonal imbalances, and also to various forms of cancer and other health maladies.
Mold spores that are allowed to proliferate can contribute to chronic inflammation in the body, which is in turn connected with poor mental function, brain fog, and a host of associated health disorders.
Clearly, ensuring a de-contaminated work environment is of the utmost importance, for a variety of reasons. To tackle some of the most common irritants and pollutants that might be present in your office, investigate BPA free forms of printer paper and the like, as well as investing in a strong HEPA filter, for starters.
Maximize lighting in the office
Poor lighting may seem like a “merely” aesthetic issue, but there are ramifications for operating in a dim environment that you might not have realized.
For starters, it is often estimated that a majority of people in the developed world suffer from chronic vitamin D deficiency, due to insufficient sun exposure. Vitamin D is essential not only for the proper functioning of our immune systems, and the proper creation of various hormones, but it also mediates processes in the body which tie in directly to our mental acuity and mood.
In addition to that, many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and fall into a state of depression in the colder, darker months of the year. Vitamin D supplementation may play a role in combating this condition, but it seems that light itself plays some vitally important role in boosting mood. Hence why SAD lights, featuring full-spectrum white light, seem effective at treating the disorder.
The ideal for your office would be to have an array of skylights and large windows, allowing the morning sunlight to stream in whenever it was available. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to undergo such a large remodeling operation on the spur of the moment.
The next best thing is to fill your office with full spectrum white lights.
Consider investing in adjustable standing desks and even treadmill standing desks
Recent research has painted a grim picture about the negative health consequences of excessive sitting. Sitting for too long each day appears strongly correlated with a higher chance of all-cause mortality, and it appears that the harm done by sitting around too much isn’t offset by working out vigorously for an hour in the gym each day.
The solution? Standing and walking more during the course of the day. It’s generally recommended that office workers stand and walk for at least 5-10 minutes per hour they’re sat in their chairs.
As employers typically don’t like the idea of their staff spontaneously strolling laps around the office as the mood takes them, some of the more daring have begun investing in adjustable standing desks — and even standing desks with added treadmill features — to improve their workers’ health.
The benefit of these desks is that a worker can easily switch from periods of sitting to periods of standing as the mood takes them, without abandoning their work in the process.
Allow sufficient time for lunch
Ideally, a “lunch hour” should actually be a lunch hour, not a “lunch-20-minutes”. It seems to be the case from what researchers have discovered, that eating more slowly and mindfully, and chewing food more thoroughly, has potentially striking benefits for a person’s health.
Among other things, eating in such a manner seems to reduce hunger to a greater degree, for longer, while also improving digestion and satisfaction. This, in turn, can lead to stable blood sugar levels, which in turn results in improved energy levels and concentration and better focus and mental clarity.
Allow your employees — or yourself — sufficient time to enjoy their lunch.
