Workplace Wellbeing

Workplace wellbeing covers both our physical and mental state. Things that have a direct influence over our body define physical wellbeing; items such as ergonomic furniture,temperature controls and lighting set-ups are great examples.

Taking an approach to mental wellbeing can help to improve our moods, help us to collect our thoughts and to strike up working and personal relationships with the people we work with every day. This is why office design elements such as breakout areas (for people to relax, refresh and connect with others in), collaborative working spaces and bringing a more natural feel to the office are proving popular in contemporary offices.

If balanced well enough, an office designed with workplace wellbeing in mind can:

• Increase staff morale; leading to an improvement in productivity, skills, rapport,job satisfaction and crucially, retention.

• Reduce profit-affecting absenteeism;work no longer will be seen as a 'chore', more of an 'exciting challenge'. This will motivate people, improving their mood and by extension, their general health and wellbeing.

• Create better relationships between staff and management; further working towards a harmonious team and a dedicated, sustainable workforce. Lowering recruitment costs at a stroke too.

Fundamentally, supporting (and balancing) both the physical and mental needs of the workforce can help to enhance wellbeing and productivity. Where to start though?

The caveat with successful office design is that there is no uniform solution that all businesses can use. As each business is different; in terms of its size,industry, products, location, aims, culture, branding, ambitions and budgets,the makeup of each design will (and should)differ vastly.

Then there are the people, of course. The very people whose workplace wellbeing will need to be looked after by what the environment of the office has to offer. Each person will have their own particular way of working, so shaping the environment around them (to work alongside them) will more likely get the best out of them. Otherwise, they may have to change how they work, which will not get the best out of their unique abilities and may even go on to affect their mood and eventually, their productivity.

Before undertaking any sort of wellbeing initiative, it is important to understand the requirements of employees and marry them with the aims of the business. By doing this, you'll be creating a bespoke design plan that will relate more to the business and the people who use it; a customisation that will more likely get the best out of everyone.