Environment Matters: How to Design Your Workspace for Productivity
There are only a few hours in a day, and employees need to make the most of their time if they're to finish their tasks. Yet being productive at work requires more than just managing an employee's time. A worker's environment has a very real impact on their mood and performance. You can't demand productivity. You have to design for it.
Environment Matters: How to Design Your Workspace for Productivity
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.- Steve Jobs
Lighting
One of the most important factors in staying focused and inspired is to have proper illumination. Yet unfortunately, this factor is one of the most overlooked elements in many offices. When an office has poor lighting, it can contribute to eye strain, headaches, fatigue, and overall irritability. Dark spaces can even trigger depression.
Nothing beats natural lighting for its effect on worker mood and performance. Opening the doors and windows can bring in some crucial natural light into the space. If not possible, however, offices need to consider using light therapy devices or natural light bulbs. For a large company office where employees might have no control over the general lighting, it is better for workers to bring their own lamps.
Colors
Studies show that colors can affect a person’s mood and behavior. Employers should take advantage of the positive effects of colors in a workplace. Painting the wall with colors that are calming, for example, can help improve an employee’s focus and productivity.
Here are some colors that will fit in an office setting:
Pink helps reduce feelings of aggression, irritation, and loneliness.
Red helps increase blood flow and heart rate while improving both energy and attention.
Orange helps boost enthusiasm and self-esteem.
Yellow increases creativity, alertness, productivity, and clarity.
Green helps promote efficiency and also aids in decreasing fatigue.
Blue is for enhancing feelings of stability, trust, calmness and confidence. It also encourages both focus and creativity.
Comfortable furniture
Besides lighting and colors, an employee’s productivity depends on how well their body can carry their performance. A long tiring day at work can cause headaches or back and muscle pains. Carpal tunnel is a total downer.
It is important therefore for companies to invest time, effort and money into selecting office furniture that will let the employees work comfortably.
Here are some quick ergonomic checks for the office furniture.
Desk
When buying a new desk, employers need to make sure that the desk is the ideal height. An employee’s feet must be flat and firm resting on the floor. Of course, employees can adjust the height of their seat, but it is better to plan these things ahead of time.
Chair
A comfortable office chair must have armrests. The armrest should be at par with the shoulders for it to relax and for the elbows to bend at least 90 degrees. Also, to minimize back pains and reduce pressure on the spine, it is best to use a slightly reclined chair.
Computer screen
For the computer screen, it's important that the eyes be 24-36 inches away from the monitor. Also, make sure that the top of the computer screen is below or at the eye-level.
Minimize clutter
Clutter contributes to anxiety, and so it's important that there be an established system within the office for reducing clutter as much as possible. You can create color-coded folders and files or establish organizational routines for each person to help organize documents. This can also help with time management and organization of tasks.
Employees must be responsible for getting rid of their own paper clutter. Companies can use the “touch it once” system. It is a system where an employee picks up a file or paper, and then decides what to do with it. Employees can either toss it, file it, trash it or shred it.
Takeaway
Productivity in the office is central to an organization's success, and one of the biggest factors that can affect an employee’s mood and performance is their surroundings. Be sure not to overlook the importance of environment. If you want to encourage productivity, design for it.
Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Military Dad of 4 Daughters Defends His Girls When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters. These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarksSaying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.