Workplace Mental Health | Office Design
Workplace mental health is a top priority in most countries. Yet it is severely underserved even today.
Fortunately, you can make some simple changes to ensure your staff gets what they need. And the great thing about it is that changing your office for the better takes no effort at all.
Designing Your Office Around Workplace Mental Health
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Ensure the Workspace is Inviting
A workplace needs to be somewhere your employees feel proud to work, feel safe, and want to attend. So you must make it inviting for people of all mental states. For the most part, this means making it comfortable enough to address well-being.
You can try using natural materials with new commercial handrails, LEDs to help with Seasonal Affective Disorder, and replacing PCs for laptops or mobile devices to reduce overall fan noise for aural-sensitive workers.
Create Separate Wellness Areas
Just being at work for a couple of hours can be too much for some people. And some of your workers might need a break. This doesn’t mean they are lazy. It’s just that some people are sensitive to certain things, such as sounds, light, and other people.
You can really help with wellness areas away from the busy work. This can be as simple as a comfortable, sound-proof room. Or you can offer stress reduction activities such as yoga, meditation, and stimulation.
Address Workplace Mental Health Head-On
It’s a sad fact that many people with mental health issues are harassed, bullied, or rejected by peers at work.
First, you must take a zero-tolerance approach to any kind of abuse at work since bullying itself increases the chance of developing mental health issues by 75%.
But the most effective method is to communicate the idea of individual mental health issues. Mandatory training and newsletters addressing the issue can help spread awareness of major problems.
Consider Hot Desk Areas
Most offices have desks, and workers are assigned a desk where they will use a computer usually for the rest of their employment. But one principle that more modern offices are taking on is hot desks.
Hot desks are the idea that you sit anywhere you like, and no one is assigned their own desk. This allows people from different areas to socialize. And the shared experience has been shown to improve mental health through new relationships and deeper understanding.
Use as Much Nature as Possible
Any psychologist will tell you about the massive benefits of nature. In short, using plants and natural light has been shown to improve mental and indeed physical health across the board. People who are exposed to natural light at work often work longer and with more enthusiasm.
Additionally, plants help facilitate oxygen which provides more energy. And there is a mental health benefit to natural stimuli in that it helps people feel calmer by lowering blood pressure.
Summary
You can help your workers by designing your office around workplace mental health.
First, make the space inviting with colors and lighting and comfort. You can also help spread awareness of mental health issues at work. And use nature such as plants and sunlight in your design.
Over to You
We sincerely hope you’ve found these suggestions helpful. Have you made any design changes to your office to improve workplace mental health?
