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Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

The invisible forces of Feng Shui may not have convinced you yet, but there is definitely something to be said for the benefits of small adjustments to your environment.

An independent study in Pakistan, 2009, showed that a comfortable and ergonomic office “Motivates employees and substantially increases their performance.” That research is supported by numerous complementary studies. Instead of delving too deeply into the puzzling science of it all, check it out for yourself and try some of the functional suggestions below.

Bring in the water cooler

A recent survey of office workers in Europe found that warm relationships between all levels of employees increased “Work environment and productivity.” This means focusing on more than just getting employees to chat in a meeting. It means encouraging idle chatter at the water cooler and increasing conversations with maintenance staff.

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

If you work remotely, having “out of context” chat rooms on team collaboration platforms 10+ No-Log Collaboration Tools You Can Use in 10 Seconds 10+ No-Log Collaboration Tools You Can Use in 10 Seconds online can save you and your team both time and money. Collaborating quickly can save a little more. These tools are ready to go when you are. No registration required. Read More If your team uses Slack, use some of these techniques Get more from Slack with these 7 tips Get more from Slack with these 7 tips With a smart user interface, Slack makes a potentially complex workflow simple and intuitive. Communication has been redefined. Make better use of Slack with these tips. Read More If you simply use email, the occasional personal message should be allowed.

Extend that lunch table

Since the Atlassian software company was expanding rapidly, they decided to conduct an experiment. This experiment showed that software developers who ate lunch in large groups wrote 10% more code. Sales staff performance also increased based on the size of the lunch group.

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

By investing in a larger lunch table (round ones are best) and carefully selected free snacks to attract more people to the food areas, Atlassian's productivity (and therefore profits) increased substantially.

Donate to charity

Instead of making teams work solely for profit or salary, they introduce a philanthropic side to their work. By introducing a more benevolent aspect to work, such as linking performance to a contribution to charity, productivity can increase by up to 30%.

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

These social incentives can be distributed in various ways, including lump sum and performance-based. Both methods appear to be equally effective in increasing performance. Not only that, they also give something back to society at the same time.

As an idea, higher returns could be linked to offering small loans to disadvantaged communities in Kiva (Kiva overview:Chage lives by lending money to other people Kiva:Chage lives by lending money to other people Read More), Zidisha, or one of many alternatives 5 easy ways to be charitable in the year ahead 5 easy ways to be charitable in the year ahead Read more loan platforms. Otherwise, employees could vote for a specific charity to receive a performance-based donation at the end of each month.

Buy some plants

The presence of plants in the workplace has been repeatedly shown to help workers reduce stress, recover more easily from difficult tasks, avoid fatigue while performing difficult tasks, and improve air quality What is there to discuss?

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

In general, the presence of plants in work environments has been shown to increase productivity by 15%, in addition to increasing the happiness of workers. These results can be replicated in your own home office, or even by having a window that overlooks greenery.

If you're not gifted with green fingers, there are several devices that can help you keep plants alive. 5 Smart Devices to Help Manage Your Garden. 5 Smart Devices to Help Manage Your Garden. It turns out that a smart garden is entirely possible thanks to the devices that we are going to take a look at today. Read More

The freedom to customize

For a long time, many offices have chosen to keep decor minimalist and stagnant to avoid distraction. Fortunately (for employees and employers alike), the results of a 2010 study suggest this is the wrong way to go.

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

By giving workers the opportunity to take control of the appearance of a section (or all) of their workspace, productivity can skyrocket by up to 32%. This "freedom" includes arranging pictures and plants, rearranging furniture, and simply adding a little more personality to the office. And if the increase in productivity isn't enough to sway you, this opportunity also resulted in higher levels of happiness and health in workers.

To help plan for changes to your online office (even if they're small) The Best Compact Home Office Desks The Best Compact Home Office Desks have this tendency to take up space, easily accumulate clutter, and usually don't mix well. lacks room to be creative. Read More When it comes to choosing colors, be sure to research the psychological effects of various hues (ie, blues and greens have been shown to help spark new ideas).

Play some nature sounds

There is no denying that certain sounds and music make it more difficult to work. But when it comes to natural sounds, like flowing water, the overall results show that mood, cognitive function, and refocusing ability all improve. This is in part because, as open-plan offices become more common, background noise is needed to muffle the distracting sound of speech.

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

For the past 40 years, this background noise has generally been “white noise” (playable via mobile apps) 3 White Noise Apps to Help You Sleep, Focus and Relax 3 White White Noise Apps to Help You Sleep, Focus and wind down if you're trying to sleep or work and incessant background noise isn't keeping you up, these apps will help Read More), but Jonas Braasch's research is proving that natural sounds can be just as effective, if not more so. .

If you have a speaker system set up in your office, give it a try and play some ambient nature sounds. 6 Ways to Make Nature Sounds a Part of Your Day 6 Ways to Make Nature Sounds a Part of Your Day Scientific studies have shown that nature sounds can significantly reduce anxiety, stress and the pain. The next time you're bursting with stress, try relaxing with the sounds of nature before automatically popping a pill. Read More

Get up

“Sitting is the new smoking.” is the recent catchphrase making its way into the fitness industry. We've written before about how to stay fit at your desk. 8 Simple Exercises To Help You Stay Fit At Your Desk 8 Simple Exercises To Help You Stay Fit At Your Desk It really is possible to stay fit at your desk. Here are some exercises that anyone can do. Some don't even require getting up, others take no more than 10 minutes of your daily routine. Read More 4 Serious Health Problems From Sitting Too Long &How To Avoid Them 4 Serious Health Problems From Sitting Too Long &How To Avoid Them in that position for eight to nine business hours... Read More .

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

These issues are obviously a major inconvenience to the worker, but they also lead to absenteeism, lower team morale and, necessarily, lower productivity. An increasingly popular remedy for these problems is to introduce standing desks into the workplace. Google and Facebook are encouraging the use of standing desks in their offices, while LifeHack claims that standing can be twice as productive as sitting.

There Are Many Different Standing Desk Designs Your Spine Will Thank You:6 Great Standing Desk Designs Your Spine Will Thank You:6 Great Standing Desk Designs Sitting down can kill you or at least cause serious health problems. Unfortunately, many jobs require us to sit at our desks for many hours each day. Read More 10 Accessories Every Permanent Desk Owner Must Have. 10 must-have accessories for every permanent desk owner, whether you're planning to buy or build your own standing desk, or if you already have one, a permanent stand. the desk is not the only thing you need to improve your health in the office. Read more . If needed, you can even build your own sitting or standing desk. Read more.

Exercising at work

There is a large body of research on the productivity benefits of exercise. The consensus is basically (and not surprisingly) that physical health is very important for cognitive functioning. Despite this, it is often difficult for employers to justify employees having time inside your work day to exercise.

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

Recent research from Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet, however, has found that spending time in your workday It is likely to have a direct and positive impact on productivity.

Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz and Henna Hasson, the researchers behind the study, explain;

To introduce this into your own workplace, there are plenty of fitness channels 7 Best YouTube Workout Channels For Working Out At Home 7 Best YouTube Workout Channels For Working Out At Home Gyms and personal trainers help the wealthy to get up straight from their beds and gym. We lesser mortals have to call on our powers of self-motivation and discipline to chase down the few... Read More Stay Fit:The 5 Best Quick Workout Apps for Android Need to find the time to work out? These apps can help you with just a few minutes of your day. Read more, and guides to working out without any equipment How to Work Out Without Going to the Gym How to Work Out Without Going to the Gym It's hard enough to carve out time for actual exercise, but add in your commute and it can add up to a lot of wasted time. Try these effective workouts without leaving your home. Read more.

Promote your goals

Todos sabemos que trabajar en equipo puede ser difícil, pero las investigaciones realizadas en 2013 nos dicen que asegurarnos de que el equipo sepa exactamente qué Su objetivo puede ser muy motivador. Cuando cada miembro del equipo sabe a dónde se dirigen, las percepciones de “Cooperación, confianza y expectativas compartidas.” se ha demostrado que aumenta.

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

Este sentimiento de compartir un objetivo común e identificable se puede mejorar aún más si los equipos trabajan en “Cuartos de guerra.” Según ScienceDaily, “los trabajadores se sientan en estaciones de trabajo sin paredes en una sala grande y abierta.” Esto es similar a la idea de Larry Page de “Disparos lunares,” donde los equipos expertos de Google trabajan en forma aislada del resto del equipo de Google en un problema muy específico.

Hay muchos consejos para ayudarlo a establecer objetivos específicos. 5 Errores críticos que deben evitarse al establecer objetivos. 5 Errores críticos que deben evitarse al establecer objetivos. La configuración de objetivos es una excelente manera de reducir la dilación y aumentar la productividad. Si no tienes metas, no tienes dirección. Sin dirección, es fácil que te sientas perdido y confundido. Afortunadamente,… Leer más. Pero en términos de lograr esos objetivos, crear un tablero de visión Cómo crear un tablero de visión y cumplir con sus grandes objetivos Cómo crear un tablero de visión y cumplir con sus grandes objetivos Puede llamarlos grandes gemas o objetivos grandes, peludos y audaces. Some call it a bucket list. Emptying that bucket requires action. This is where a visual tool like Trello comes in handy. Leer más es una manera fantástica de mantenerse motivado. Y si trabajas solo, configura un grupo de expertos Cómo un grupo de expertos puede ayudarte a lograr más objetivos Cómo un grupo de expertos puede ayudarte a lograr más objetivos El término "grupo de expertos" se está difundiendo mucho en la esfera del desarrollo personal en estos días , pero ¿qué son exactamente? ¿Funcionan? ¿Cómo podrían configurar su propio grupo? Leer más es una gran manera de ir.

Arrojar algo de luz sobre el tema

Todos hemos escuchado que la luz natural puede ayudarnos a sentirnos más saludables y aumentar nuestra productividad. Esto se debe en gran parte a los efectos fisiológicos que el sueño tiene en nuestros cuerpos. Al exponernos a más luz natural, tendemos a dormir más profundo y por más tiempo..

Boost office productivity with 10 science-backed tweaks

Junto con esto, Northwestern University ha encontrado “evidencia cada vez mayor de que la exposición a la luz durante el día, especialmente en la mañana, es beneficiosa para la salud a través de sus efectos sobre el estado de ánimo, el estado de alerta y el metabolismo.” En el otro lado de la moneda, las luces tenues pueden tener efectos profundamente negativos. Al forzar a los ojos a esforzarse, la luz tenue en la oficina provoca dolores de cabeza, fatiga, somnolencia y falta de concentración..

Por supuesto, la luz natural que ingresa a una oficina a través de las ventanas es la opción preferible, pero si esto no es factible, existen varias alternativas. El popular Golite de Philips ($ 199) produce una luz azul que imita el cielo, permitiéndole disfrutar de los efectos de la luz natural cuando lo desee. Full Spectrum Lighting ofrece una mejor alternativa de iluminación a, por ejemplo, la iluminación fluorescente (aunque no espere los beneficios de salud prometidos). Si ninguno de estos es posible, siempre existe la antigua caminata al aire libre para su dosis diaria de luz solar..

La ciencia aumenta la productividad

Aunque muchos consejos de productividad deben tomarse con una pizca de sal 4 Consejos de productividad populares que deben ignorarse 4 Consejos de productividad populares que deben ignorarse Algunas de las ideas de productividad que se nos venden a veces son infundadas y, a menudo, erróneas. Vamos a refutar algunos de estos mitos de productividad mostrando que lo opuesto puede ser cierto. Lea más, hay mucho que decir acerca de la ciencia detrás de muchas de las sugerencias anteriores. Si usted o su equipo necesitan un aumento de la productividad, considere la posibilidad de adoptar algunas de estas sugerencias en su lugar de trabajo. Nos encantaría saber cómo te llevas!

Que otra oficina “hacks” Y las alteraciones te han ayudado a aumentar tu productividad.?