When you are running a business, there are certain things that you will have to think of as your company continues to grow. Your office is a much more important piece of the puzzle than you may have first thought. An office can have a great deal of stress if you are not able to find a good flow for you and your employees. However, there are many different office layouts that can help you make your space stress-free. Once you start learning more about these stress-reducing office layouts, you will be able to create a system of success that will push your office to all new heights. The amount of work and progress that will be able to take place at your office will give you the ability to go further past your competition and have an organization of employees that love to work together.
Let your employees customize their spaces
Employees love to feel like they have a say in the way the office is run. This is why it is important for them to be able to customize their spaces. Bringing in pictures of their families or other decorations from home can be a great way for them to finally have a way to feel more at home in the office. It is important for your employees to stick to the rules of your office but also that they have the ability to put their own personal spin on the way things are done in their personal workspace.
Create common work and recreation areas
When you have common work and recreation areas for your employees, they are going to be much more willing to work together on projects and get to know each other while they are on break. It will be much easier for your employees to get important projects done when they actually like each other. It is a good idea to have common workspaces when you have creatives in your team. Collaborations are where some of the best work takes place. When you have strong teams being built in your organization, you will be able to see the completion of amazing projects.
Make your office a place for motivation
While the random motivational poster on your walls might seem cheesy, it could be the start of something great. The more you are able to promote positivity and general motivation in your workplace, the easier it will be for you to keep everyone on an upward spiral. It can be easy for workers to start feeling burnt out or unmotivated when they are working day in and day out on difficult projects. However, when they can see where they are going with a positive vision, it will become easier for them to create a more streamlined work environment. The use of motivational materials will really make a big difference in the long run at your office.
Give your employees a chance to switch it up
Working for eight hours a day may not seem like a lot to some workers, but for people like writers, it can be very difficult to stay motivated and creative for eight hours straight. You need to be able to give your workers a chance to switch things up. Different office spaces with different lighting fixtures can be a great way to get into a new environment that can help stimulate the senses once again. Having different furniture available or even different music playing can be just what a creative needs to not feel cooped up in their office environment.
Bring nature into your office
Bringing nature into your office is a great way to help your employees feel like they are outdoors. When you have plants in your office, they can also act as a natural air filtration unit. There are many different plants that you can have in your office. Looking online at the different plants that will work best in your office will be a good place to start. You could also talk to a professional at a local nursery to find the types of plants you need for your office needs. Plants will also give your office a great look that your clients will love when they come in for meetings.
Have very quiet areas dedicated to focusing and getting work done
During certain times in the creative process, there are those who just need to grind it out and get their project done. While office chatter can create a fun and loving environment, a quiet place is very necessary for certain employees. When an employee just needs to grind a project out, there should be a study room style area where they can go and have complete silence. Creating this space doesn’t have to be difficult. Turning storage rooms into office spaces can be a great way for you to push yourself to the next level of success in your office without having to spend too much money. Simply putting a desk and a lamp in your unused storage room can be a great way for you to create an extra office on a budget.
Have a great aesthetic geared towards your goals
The aesthetic of your office can say a lot about your company. If you are looking for an upbeat and energetic look, there are certain ways that you need to go. Bright colors and open windows could be a great way to go with this look and feel. However, if you are looking for a more relaxed or professional feel, softer colors and windows with blinds could be the answer. If you are looking for that darker more professional look, you will be able to enjoy your space with bay window shutters. By using shutters, you will be able to avoid harsh natural light during the brightest parts of the day.
Have comfortable chairs to work in
It is going to be difficult for your employees to have any sort of success working if they are uncomfortable the whole time. This is why it is so important to invest in comfortable chairs that are used in the office. There are many office supply companies that will be able to help you pick the very best chairs out there for your office use. With the right chairs in your office, your employees will have a much more enjoyable time at the office while feeling relaxed at their desk.
Allow some spots for quick power naps
Bean bag chairs and couches can be a great place for your employees to catch a quick nap during their break. With everyone’s busy schedules, it is important to understand that a nap might be just what they need. Even having some blankets and pillows at the office might be a good idea when it comes to giving your employees the rest that they need. However, you need to make sure that you aren’t creating a break room that will cause your employees to slack off and sleep through their shifts. Instead, you should be regulating the use of these nap areas around your office.
Have a makeshift kitchen handy
It is very difficult to work when you are too hungry. This is why you need to have the right type of food readily available in your office. Little snacks that are ready-made or easy to cook up should always be on hand. A microwave and fridge should always be essential in just about every office. Having some frozen burritos or chips to munch on could be just what some of your employees need to make it through a long day at the office or a difficult project. Make sure that you also have a healthy selection of snacks that won’t cause your employees to crash.
Create a fun game room
There’s nothing quite like a quick game of ping pong to revitalize you after a long day of work. A quick game on the PS4 could also be a great way for you to feel like you are ready to hit up the day again. Having just a few fun games in your company game room would be a great way for you to keep your employees relaxed, happy, and content. Investing in an old arcade machine would be a good way to bring some nostalgia into your game room. A good old fashioned Street Fighter battle would be a great way to settle and office dispute in a comical way.
Lighting makes a huge difference
If you just simply have fluorescent lights in your office, your employees are going to feel worn out regularly. While fluorescent lights are an effective way to light your office at an inexpensive price, they are not going to help set a good mood in the office. Track lighting and other dimmable options are going to help create a stress-free environment in your office. Colored lighting could also be a fun way to set a certain mood in specific areas of your office. When you are looking for the right lighting, there are many resources online that could point you to the right lighting that could still fit within your budget.
Take advantage of natural lighting
In any office, you need to take advantage of natural lighting. This is going to help your employees not feel so cooped up. If you can invest in an office space that is going to help you utilize natural lighting, you will have a much more productive team at your office. Make sure that you set up your office to utilize this natural lighting. You don’t want to have furniture that is blocking the windows in your office and restricting the natural lighting that could be making your office a much more enjoyable place.
Incorporate music into your office
Bluetooth speakers and other forms of playing music will be a great way for you to create a much less stressful environment at your office. Having certain areas of your office designated for playing music will be a fun way to keep things fresh and to boost employee morale. You should always make sure that the music that is being played is not too offensive. Instead, you should encourage music that will be well received by most of the employees at your office.
Bring some basic work out equipment into your office
While you might not have enough room in your office for a full gym, it can be a great idea to bring some basic workout equipment into your home. Dumbbells, yoga mats, and resistance bands are just a few examples of the many smaller workout items that you can bring into the office. Letting your employees workout at your office will give you the ability to keep the energy levels high at your office.
Get rid of unnecessary clutter
There might be a lot of clutter and unneeded items in your office that are causing stress to your employees. It is important that your employees feel great about the office that they are coming to every morning. Getting rid of the junk in your office is going to be a freeing experience for you and your employees. If you feel like this is something that is just too overwhelming for you, there are junk removal companies that can help you get rid of this clutter in your home.
Having a great office layout is going to make a big difference in the future of your business. It is important to get with your employees and ask for their opinions on how you can create a workplace that is going to help everyone succeed. You will be much less effective in your office redesign if you try to do it all by yourself without the input of any of the members of your organization. Remember, you don’t need to redesign your office layout overnight. Finding the right office layout is something that is going to take time. Be patient in the process and allow yourself to have a flowing design process that will allow for the most stress-free environment.
