Healthy Office: Simple tricks to improve the working atmosphere in the office

Many ideas go into beautifying our own four walls, but many of us spend about 1/3 of the day in the office or working from home. Reason enough to take a look at the design of our workspaces, because a healthy and smart office design can positively influence the working and indoor climate and thus productivity.

Solid wood furniture for durability and fewer pollutants

With so many hours spent between office desks, shelves and chairs, these should not only be practical but also pollutant-free and thus contribute to an optimized indoor climate. Waxed or oiled solid wood furniture and materials that are as pure as possible are recommended. Certificates such as the Blue Angel help in the selection of the right furniture and guarantee healthy and ecological products. Shelves are often exposed to heavy loads from folders, files and books. Solid wood furniture also helps here. Particularly stable and durable, they reduce the amount of bulky waste from constantly discarded office furniture.

A good indoor climate creates a good working atmosphere

A study by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health sees a direct correlation between indoor climate and the health and satisfaction of employees. Poor air and deviations from the thermal comfort zone lead to reduced performance, dissatisfaction and health problems. Hourly ventilation ensures sufficient fresh air. During breaks, shock ventilation of 10-15 minutes is recommended. A humidity level between 40 – 60 % ensures that fine dust in the air is enveloped by a film of water and eventually falls to the ground faster. 

Active sitting against lack of exercise

Constant sitting can lead to health damage. Even short breaks, for example walking to the printer, protect the heart and figure and get the circulation going. Every opportunity for movement should be used. Be it walking around while on the phone, a walk during lunch break or small fitness exercises with colleagues. We also get support while sitting from the right office chair. Special mechanisms ensure dynamic and active sitting, maximum freedom of movement and even support blood flow in our body.

Living Office

If the office is almost our second home, then some design rules for a cozy home can also be applied. Warm colors, quiet rooms with armchairs for relaxing or decorations that counteract a cool office climate. Plants, in particular, are useful helpers. A study (Journal of Experimental Psychology 2014, Volume 20, p.199) showed that one plant per square meter of space can increase productivity by up to 15 percent. They provide oxygen and humidity. Some even bind pollutants. To counteract monotonous work, it is also important to create different rooms for different activities and the necessary change of scenery.

Light

The right lighting in the office has a significant impact on our well-being and productivity. The first and most important light source is, of course, daylight, which regulates our biorhythm. However, not every office is equipped with large windows, which means that artificial light must be used to help. A combination of direct and indirect lighting is optimal. This should always be equipped with glare protection to protect the eye from too bright light. At workplaces, a minimum illuminance of 500 lux must be maintained to ensure comfortable computer work. The Heliosity ® study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering and Organization even deals with dynamic light in the office, which changes throughout the day and thus simulates natural light conditions and times of day.

 Home Office

Anyone who regularly works from home knows that it requires self-discipline and structure. The furnishing of the home workstation is a decisive criterion. It is important not only to mentally distinguish between "work and private mode" but also to implement this spatially. This works most easily, of course, with a separate room, but if living and working take place in the same room, the challenge is somewhat greater. Shelves as room dividers and optimized lighting of the "work zone" are a few obvious tips. When choosing a desk, a legroom in the foot area of at least 80 cm should be observed to avoid circulatory disorders. Depending on the possibilities, a thinking niche can be created with the help of armchairs, a carpet and dimmed lighting, where new ideas and motivations can be gathered. Ultimately, the design of work and living islands is an individual question that can be solved depending on the space and lifestyle or work style.