How Office Environment And Hydration Shape Daily Productivity

The work world is increasingly fractionalized; people tune in to hybrid work environments, both from home and at the office. 62% of managers report that their teams are actually more productive when working remotely. Even so, many teams have adopted return-to-office policies. For a better office environment that encourages productivity, leaders should consistently ensure factors such as hydration, lighting, sound, and more are taken into account in the workspace.

Either way, nearly one in four (22%) of managers say that work location doesn’t actually matter all that much. Many leaders aren’t trying to boost hours or effort. They’re tracking productivity and performance.

So, how do you boost performance? What factors, whether at home or in an office setting, influence things like efficiency and productivity the most? Let’s look at how different aspects of office environments shape daily productivity and steps leaders can take to set their teams up for success, no matter where or when they’re working.

The Link Between Hydration and Productivity

It’s no secret that the majority of a person is made of water. When as much as 75% of your body is liquid, it’s important to maintain hydration throughout the day. There are numerous health benefits associated with drinking plenty of water — but did you know it’s linked to productivity, too?

The influence of water on productivity isn’t insignificant, either. Research has found that you can suffer as much as a 25% drop in performance at work when you’re dehydrated. And we’re not talking about a major shift in your body’s H2O reserves. You can lose up to a quarter of your productivity from as little as a 3-4% decrease in water intake, making hydration a top concern for office environment efficiency.

The Link Between Light and Productivity

Light can have a big impact on how well you work. Whether it’s mood lighting in a home office or harsh overheads in an office bullpen, the wrong illumination can hold you back and hurt your performance.

How much so? One study by Pacific Energy Concepts found that installing better lighting improved employees’ moods across an office by 33%. Mood wasn’t the only thing impacted, either. Happier people mean more productive people. As a result of the mood bump, workers were nearly 6% more efficient and had an over 8% increase in work performance.

The Link Between Sound and Productivity

What you hear is also a major element of your environment that can influence your productivity. Ciphr points out that higher noise levels often reduce productivity among employees. Overhearing other people’s conversations can quickly distract individuals and make it nearly impossible to maintain deep work for long periods.

At the same time, the HR software platform points out that remote work isn’t an instant solution. When you work from home, it’s easy to lose focus if you work in the same areas you rest, sleep, prepare food, or otherwise live other parts of your life.

The Link Between Space and Productivity

The way you lay out an office can have a big impact on how well people work. Often, the biggest issue here is fully focusing on collaboration or private workspaces to the exclusion of the other. If, for instance, a modern layout is in a bull pen format, it can be difficult for people to escape the sounds and sights around them when they need to focus.

At the same time, a traditional cubical setup (or, even worse, the modern equivalent of fully remote teams on asynchronous schedules) can create a sense of isolation that hampers productivity when collaboration is needed.

The Link Between Backgrounds and Productivity

What you see can inspire you. It can also depress you. A plain white wall, for instance, is likely to leave many people less focused or interested in their work. In contrast, when you take the time to intentionally decorate a space, you encourage creativity and energy.

A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology (via Business.com) found that visually enriched offices were around 15% more productive than when a workspace was left bare. That said, you don’t want to overdo the enrichment, or you can end up with visual clutter.

The Link Between Visual Clutter and Productivity

Lighting and visually enriched walls aren’t the only visual elements that can help or hinder productivity. Visual clutter can also be a negative factor, while a well-organized space can positively impact a team’s efficiency and focus.

A study by Yale University found that visual clutter is more than chaos that can get in your way. It can hamper the brain’s ability to filter irrelevant details, too. That means, the more things you have stimulating your workers, the harder it becomes to focus on the things that matter most in their work. This is important to balance against factors such as maintaining visually enriched walls and mood-enhancing lighting. At the end of the day, your office visuals require a sense of balance and order.

The Link Between Greenery and Productivity

Another visual aspect of your office environment worth considering is greenery. There’s nothing quite like adding a living plant into an office space to brighten the visuals and lift moods.

Time magazine shared a report on the long-term effects of plants in office environments. The magazine found that researchers measured what they termed “lean offices” — workplaces with a desert-like feel. These were spruced up with living plants, resulting in a 15% productivity bump.

Tips to Boost Hydration and Create an Office Environment That Fosters Productivity

From lighting and arrangements to visual clutter and basic hydration, there are many factors in an office environment that support productivity. Here are some tips to help you improve office efficiency in low-lift ways that produce results as quickly as possible.

Hydrate Your Team Better

This one’s easy. It also takes some thought, though. If your team is remote, consider gifting them Owala water bottles or something similar. By picking a premium container, you can encourage them to fill it at the beginning of every day.

If you have an office space, think bigger than water coolers and plastic water bottles. FloWater offers water Refill Stations that can keep up with commercial demand. This keeps high-quality drinking water your employees can trust on tap at all times, which is also ideal for a hybrid setup where in-person flow is unpredictable.

Improve Visuals Wherever You Can

There are a lot of options here. Start by encouraging both in-person and remote workers to move their desks closer to windows that let in natural light. Make sure windows remain unblocked as well, and talk to the maintenance and facilities teams about upgrading light fixtures to improve mood lighting.

From there, look for ways to declutter your employees’ spaces. Offer a “declutter” session to start remote team meetings. Don’t leave walls bare, either. And look for ways to incorporate greenery wherever and whenever you can.

Manage Audio Elements, Too

Audio dynamics are nuanced and multifaceted in a workplace. The best bet is to look for ways to accommodate as much as you can. Start with office layouts that include collaborative spaces and isolated areas for deep work.

If you have an office, invest in sound-control surfaces, such as rugs, upholstered furniture, and acoustic panels, to deaden sound. Also, create clear policies for when and where people should be quiet and when they should avoid interrupting deep work.

For work-from-home, encourage employees to designate their workspaces. Purchase noise-canceling earphones, and if they’re feeling isolated, suggest that they try a coffee shop for some creative white noise.

Investing in Long-Term Office Environment Productivity

A productive office environment isn’t a single-time investment. It’s an ongoing consideration. Lightbulbs that help today will need replacing down the road. Greenery needs to be watered regularly. Noise policies need to be updated from time to time as things change. Hydration, too, is a constant need in any office environment, as well-being directly impacts productivity.

Smart leaders know that investing in improving office environments to boost their bottom lines today is just the first step. Once your team is firing on all cylinders, set up times to regularly revisit your office productivity. Use end-of-quarter numbers, employee performance reviews, and other data points to see how things stand, collect feedback, and make sure you’re regularly invested in keeping your team operating at peak efficiency.

Image Credit: Photo by cottonbro studio; Pexels