5 Tips to Bring Comfort To Your Workplace
5 Min Read
Tired of feeling fatigued and fidgety after working for hours on a project? Or feeling distracted as you sit in your beige-walled cubicle staring at spreadsheets? What if your workspace could be a comfortable, inviting place that encourages creativity rather than stifling it?
Why Comfortable Workstations Matter
Being uncomfortable isn’t ideal. You’ve probably experienced this yourself, becoming less productive and feeling a little blue when your workspace isn’t giving you the comfort you need. Thankfully, organizations are waking up to the importance of comfort on workforce productivity. Increased demand has in turn expanded the available options, making more enjoyable and productive work environments readily attainable.
There are so many ways to make your office a place that brings you inspiration and joy. Here are five to get your started:
1. Build a Solid Foundation with Adjustable Furniture
It may seem like a no brainer that an office desk and chair should adjust to the needs of each user, but office furniture that isn’t ergonomically designed is still a big contributor to workplace discomfort and even injury. At Watson, we design all our office furniture with simplicity and adjustability in mind. Everyone is different, so why should you have a one-size-fits-all desk?
The sleek, versatile Tia Office collection was developed with height adjustment at the push of a button, and a simple design that will look right at home as the foundation for any modern workspace.
Of course, you’ll need a chair to keep up with your sit-stand desk. Your adjustable desk will allow for raised sitting and perching positions, so make sure your chair does too. Sitting for long periods of time is bad for your health. But did you know that standing for extended periods is as well? The key is varying your position through the workday.
Check out our article on office furniture ergonomics for more information on finding the best fit for you.
2. Declutter with Workstation Organization
Does your desk feel like a black hole where papers disappear from existence? Workspace organization is essential to maintaining comfort and mental clarity. For projects great or small, proper organization will help you feel ready to take it on.
Everyone has a different work style, and the way you organize your workstation should be different as well. Use these steps as a guideline to begin your personal organization process:
1. Purge, declutter, and get rid of everything you don’t need or want. Tip: Try to go “paperless” by only printing documents when absolutely necessary.
2. Establish work zones: main workstation, reference/filing area, and a spot for supplies.
3. Place everything you use frequently in the closest and most convenient spot. The idea of easy access and versatility inspired our Tonic Storage Trolley, which is just one option to organize personal items or anything else you don’t want crowding your workstation.
4. Label where things go to help with long-term organization and accessibility for other users.
5. If you are having trouble with organization, try completely removing from your desk all but your daily essentials; everything else can be tucked away in storage.
6. Organize everything you can with desktop and drawer organizers, trays for paper, and desk cradles.
7. Tame your cables with a cable organizer that fits your needs and workstation. You will be surprised how much space is taken up by cables.
Once some order has been established it is much easier to straighten up at the end of each day. Imagine how nice it will be to start off the next day in a clean, stress-free workspace. You’ve broken the clutter-stress-repeat cycle!
3. Make Sure You Have the Right Tools
Most likely, your car, your home, and your personal style are not lacking in the accessory department. Your workspace shouldn’t either. The right desk accessories and tools can help you achieve greater comfort throughout your workday.
If your computer is your best friend at work, make sure you have a laptop or computer stand. Screens should be at eye level, and an adjustable stand will help achieve this. Once you’re staring at your screen straight on, address the other components of your computer. Your fingers and wrists will thank you for an ergonomic mouse and wrist rest.
If your job requires a lot of time on the phone, wireless headsets can provide you with the ability to sit in a comfortable, neutral position even while on the phone, and enables hands-free multitasking.
Certain office styles don’t always provide the amount of privacy you might need to stay focused. Privacy screens and panels can remedy the situation. Multipurpose privacy screens from Watson are easy to configure and offer a variety of different surface types to fit your needs.
4. Give Your Eyes a Break with Quality Lighting
The right light can brighten up your workday, in more ways than one. Mood, safety, and overall health are affected greatly by lighting quality. If your office space is poorly lit, you may notice yourself dealing with fatigue, irritability, and work disruption.
Ideally, offices should be designed to provide as much natural light as possible. Light-colored walls can help reflect daylight, but when your office does not allow for much natural light, it doesn’t hurt to supplement your workspace with some artificial light. Desk or sunlamps do a great job at providing you with that extra kick. But all desk lamps are not created equal. Remember to consider the strength of the light, ease of adjustability, size, and convenience of the on/off switch. If possible, choose an LED bulb, which uses 75 percent less energy than incandescent.
Proper lighting is just the first step in protecting your eyes while at work. Be proactive in protecting your eyes from strain by wearing non-prescription glasses that block the blue light from devices. And make sure and give your eyes a break now and then by taking your eyes off the screen.
5. Customize Your Workstation
To make yourself more comfortable, bring some personal elements into your workspace. Adding photos of your loved ones, or a few personal knick-knacks can help create a more relaxed, comfortable work environment. Fidget toys, mini-zen gardens, and other desk widgets can give your space a lot more personality and truly make it yours.
Plants are another great way to bring life to your desk. Many plants help to purify the air, helping to improve your health while taking away a little sterility from your workspace.
Creating a comfortable, healthy work environment is not a one-size-fits-all type of deal. Start by tackling the issues that make you most uncomfortable each day, and work from there. Comfort results in greater productivity and satisfaction. You might even notice yourself sailing through your usual afternoon slump.
Watson at Work
Scalability is an important strategy when crafting a human-centered office space. It is critical to wellbeing to provide a varied atmosphere that supports the diversity of activities that occur throughout the day.
Watson Furniture is dedicated to providing customers with furniture designed to increase focus and comfort, reduce stress, and encourage a positive work-life balance. The ergonomic features of our made in the USA furniture line are engineered to seamlessly integrate the newest technology and office space advancements. Check out our most recent addition, the C9, now available to order through your local distributor.