Even if you absolutely love your work, it can still cause fatigue. If you don’t love what you do, the exhaustion of the daily grind can add up more quickly.
Working from home often gives you more flexibility to design a workspace that really feels healthy and good for you to work in.
While you may not have as much design flexibility when working in an office setting, this can have perks too, especially for social interaction.
Whether you have a lot or a little say about the space you work in, there is always something you can do to improve the ambience, spark your creativity, and make your work day healthier and more enjoyable.
This is especially important in the shorter, darker days of the winter season here in Canada, so read on for timely tips to detoxify, purify, and perk up your workspace!
1. Clean air is energizing air
Your brain needs plenty of oxygen to stay sharp. All the cells in your body gobble up as much oxygen as they can get.
When you spend a great deal of time in a space and the ventilation and air circulation aren’t ideal, the air can get stale too quickly. Brain fog, fatigue, body aches and pains, and headaches are some signs you need a fresh infusion of air.
Bringing in house plants is a great way to share your air space! Since plants “breathe” in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, instead of a constant depletion, you get an even exchange and both of you get exactly what you need.
If you share space with co-workers who smoke or vape, or who burn toxic candles or use commercial air fresheners, you may have more troubles than just oxygen depletion, because now your air is literally transporting toxins.
Here, a portable air filtration system or a portable ultraviolet air purifier can nip that problem in the bud!
Aromatherapy can also help keep you energized naturally without risking exposure to toxic chemical scents. Citrus scents can be particularly energizing to give you a lift mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
2. Your eyes get tired too
Looking at a screen all day is naturally going to get tiring for your eyes. Today, Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, is estimated to affect 60 million people around the globe.
Changing your workspace lighting can offer much-needed respite. Overhead fluorescent lighting in particular can be harsh and glaring. Try bringing in a desk or floor lamp and switching to a full-spectrum daylight bulb.
Use a screen to filter out the blue light coming from your laptop or tablet. And be sure to reposition your computer to avoid morning and afternoon glare from sunlight streaming in any nearby windows.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends stopping every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This can greatly reduce wear and tear on your eyes.
3. Stretching eases soreness
It’s now common knowledge that sitting all day is not healthy in several ways. Standing and treadmill desks are popular. Many employers are now hosting morning or lunchtime yoga, tai chi, or stretching sessions to improve employee health and fitness.
For many workers today, the best happy medium is stopping at least once an hour to do some simple stretches that get circulation flowing again and help you take a few deeper breaths to re-oxygenate.
4. Hydrate your aches away
It is so easy to forget we are made up of 60 percent water!
Water makes up 73 percent of our brain and heart and 80 percent of our lungs. Water flows through our skin, our muscles, our kidneys, and even our bones.
Not only is it good for your body to get up and get water every hour or so, but your brain will reward you with greater focus, health, and creative energy!
5. Clear space for clarity
The more clutter invades your workspace, the more work your brain takes on, trying to keep track of it all.
Even if you have lots of paper to manage in the course of a day, finding a way that flows to organize it all will pay off both in terms of productivity and mental clarity.
See if you can have some fun with all that paper! Try colorful hanging wall files or rolling file cabinets that you can push back against the wall to open up more space when you are done with them.
6. Eat and snack mindfully
Eating at your desk may seem like a time-saver, but it often costs you in other important ways. In fact, just the act of getting up to go get lunch can reset your brain and body, helping you to make healthier eating and lifestyle choices.
Otherwise, the foods you choose aren’t always your work day allies. If you crave sugar in mid-afternoon, try choosing natural sweets like dates instead of candies. And swap out the non-stop infusion of caffeine for natural energy-lifters like ginger and citrus.
7. Give your indoor air a makeover
When the air quality gets really poor inside a space, it can literally make its occupants sick!
Adding indoor air quality solutions to your workplace can pay off with improved employee health, fewer sick days, and increased productivity.
Today’s sophisticated yet simple indoor air quality solutions can work with any type of cooling and heating system.
Right now, purchase any indoor air duct cleaning package and save $50. Plus, save 20 percent on all whole-home solutions, including HEPA air filtration and UV air purification systems.
