Over the years, we’ve seen a huge increase in the overall importance of mental health and maintaining or supporting the well being of employees. If you’ve read my post on The Evolution of the Open Office, you know that there are many strategies to achieve this through design.
The American Psychological Association (APA) tells us there are 5 ways to achieve a healthy workplace:
Work-Life Balance – Oh so important right?! It turns out, a lot of us still struggle with this one. It’s not uncommon to set aside your health or relationships all because you’re required to be chained to your desk;
Health and Safety – Most companies (really all should!) take this very seriously. There are many outlets companies use, whether it’s seminars, newsletters etc., to ensure their employees are aware of the health and safety protocols as well as ensure their employees are arriving to a safe workplace every day;
Employee Growth and Development – it’s so important to understand your employees career goals and how you best help to achieve them at your company. Regular performance reviews can help to determine this as well as help to track the employee’s goals and if they are on track to achieving them;
Employee Recognition – something that gets overlooked all the time am I right? It’s so simple to overlook someone’s hard work but a simple verbal praise can go such a long way! Timing on this is key, you want your employees to know they are appreciated and telling them so right after a task was performed well is key.
Employee Involvement – no matter what level, employees want to know that they’re a part of the greater good of the company. Be transparent, be honest, and allow your employees to be involved in the conversation. You will be surprised at work you can learn from one another!
Now that we know this, what does it have to do with Interior Design? Well, surprisingly, a lot! As designers, we have the ability to control the well-being of a workplace and, ultimately, the employees of the workplace first-hand. By making human health the focus of our designs, this allows companies and their employees to thrive. Instead of being stressed, over-weight, and over-worked, by providing a healthy workplace, we are assisting in maintaining overall company productivity and success. According to Soma Analytics, studies have shown companies that prioritize employee engagement and well-being to outperform ‘the other guys’ by as much as 10 percent!
Several research studies have proven the relevance of natural daylighting and artificial lighting, views to outdoors, and air quality to be significant factors to overall employee productivity, and even brain function. Nature and sunlight exposure alone can work wonders for productivity, job commitment, and satisfaction. Without the presences of these factors (i.e. Poor lighting) health issues such as eye strain, headaches, and overall tiredness take place. Take this disaster cocktail a step further, and you have your leading contributors to stress, anxiety, and depression (no bueno!)
So how do we break this cycle of poor health through design? Well, besides good indoor air quality, exposure to nature, and natural lighting, there are many other factors involved as well:
Color. Believe it or not, color has the power to impact our mood and can influence our overall physical and mental well-being. Research has shown relationships to color, ours brains, and our hormones and how this directly relates to our mood and overall behavior. With that said, it’s so important to consider the colors we surround ourselves with on a daily basis – especially the workplace as this is where we spend the most time! Light is made of colors, and when it strikes our retina, it converts into electrical impulses that passes onto the hypothalamus, which in turn affects our hormones. Different colors have different wavelengths and therefore they affect the endocrine system and consequently our mood and stress levels in different ways. Using color to create a healthier work environment can be done by introducing greenery into the space via plants, views to nature, wall color, etc. Green is that powerful color that has been proven to enhance mood and relieve stress (Go green power!).
Creativity. This is an amazing strategy that can uplift the workplace! You know the term ‘Get your Creative Juices Flowing’, well we literally transform into a state of ‘flow’ when performing creative tasks or participating in a creative activity. This ‘flow’ gives us clarity, leaving us with overall positive and happy feelings. Many companies achieve this through creative workshops, team activities, and the like to increase team morale and communication amongst employees. This directly relates back to the point on employee involvement as well!
To promote this type of creativity, it’s imperative, as designers, to provide collaboration spaces to encourage creative interaction. At the same time, we want to be mindful of heads-down time when required and provide for those quiet reflection spaces. While coming together as a team provides for amazing, innovative thinking, we also require the time to reflect on our own thoughts and determine our own solutions (it’s all about the balance!). Giving back to your employees by providing these types of spaces are letting them know that their thoughts and creativity are important to you.
Well-being can often be considered an afterthought but, having experienced the benefits of providing healthy environments that encourage well-being is truly rewarding. It goes to show the power of Interior Design and how far it can really go! As Interior Designers, we’re not just providing designs for our own sake, we design spaces that shape businesses and shape employee well-being. Mental health should always be considered for any workplace design!
