For many workers, decluttering the workspace is a daily chore, or at least a daily wish. When we finally get around to it, we realize the many benefits there are to having a tidier workstation. The key benefit to decluttering the desk space is efficiency, which yields productivity, and makes more money for your business. When you are groaning about this chore, consider ways to make this task a permanent solution. Learn more about how to make your office as efficient as possible.
Open It Up
When you want to improve the efficiency of your office, opening up the space is a great place to start. One very common way that workspaces are becoming more efficient today is through opening up space. Humans have an innate desire to be around other humans. When they are, the increased social energy will lead to increased efficiency.
This is a concept that is being applied in the freelance workspace with the advent of new co-working spaces. It is estimated that there will be over 6,200 U.S. co-working spaces by 2022.
These spaces are cropping up all over the country as remote workers leave their homes to enter open spaces where they can work and network at the same time. It’s the answer for today’s freelancer who is making chronic cubicle jokes, but secretly wishing they had an office of other humans to connect to.
If you take this concept into the office, tearing down cubicles will have a positive impact on the workers in the office. It will help them to feel less enclosed. Feeling enclosed often leads to a burnt-out and depressed feeling. Opening up office space is healthier for everyone in it, which makes for a more efficient office overall.
Bring Comfort to Work
We all want to feel a little more comfortable when we are working, it makes the workday feel less like a workday. The traditional ways of doing this are bringing pictures to have on your desk, or putting up little momentos around the office to make the workers feel more comfortable in the space.
There are ways to bring comfort to work that go beyond the tradition of photo frames. Find more comfortable furniture for your employees if you are in an office building. If you are creating a more comfortable office at home, put a little money aside to create a more comfortable office space. Be creative and bring more character into your office, and you will be more inspired to be efficient.
Invest In Your Tech
Technology is useful in the workplace because on its own it makes the workday more efficient. If you are having some sluggish moments at the office, or in your home office, invest in a technology upgrade.
Go towards the laser printer if you have an inkjet printer for example. Inkjets may cost less money to start, but they will only last you three years, while a laser printer will have a shelf-life of at least five years.
Encourage Breaks
Breaks are needed in every office for a number of reasons. The human brain can not stay on one task for extended periods of time without a rest interruption. Without a break, the brain gets tired, and the day becomes more sluggish and longer. The longer we go without a break, the lower our efficiency becomes.
Whether you are in your home office working remotely, or running an office at work, make sure that breaks are incorporated into the workday. It is estimated that approximately 4 in 5 older adults will deal with a chronic condition such as a heart disorder, arthritis, or osteoporosis. Approximately 50 percent of adults will have two of these chronic conditions at some point in life.
The human brain, body, and heart, need a break in order to feel healthy and satisfied. When we get it, we are more efficient workers, no matter where our workspace is. Having a break to stretch the legs and get the circulation moving would be great for all office employees.
Make Work More Efficient Today
When you are trying to bring more efficiency into the office, consider the impact changing the physical space of it will have. Tearing down cubicles and upgrading technology makes workers happier and more productive, and this will bring more money into the business. Include breaks in the day for the same effect. Use these tips and see the difference in efficiency for yourself.