For a lot of us going to work can be a struggle, especially in the winter months when it feels like we go to work and come home in the dark. Setting an early alarm and commuting to work is something most of us dread but once we arrive at our place of work, we all like to make the most of the day and be as productive as possible.

A large portion of the working population call an office their place of work and many people aren’t aware that the design and appearance of your work space has a big impact on productivity. Although most employees wouldn’t consider office design as a key factor for working at a particular company, statistics show that the well-designed office can increase productivity by around 20%.

So, what does make for a well-designed office environment?

Have a sort out

Working in an overcrowded environment can be a big distraction so having a declutter every now and again is a must. As well as making you feel a lot better, a cluttered office won’t look particularly good for potential clients. Any bits of scrap paper or unwanted documents need to be disposed of but for any important documents you can always file them away. Investing in cupboards or filing cabinets from companies such as Furniture At Work means all of your important documents are organised and the office looks tidier.

Choose the correct lighting

We may think lighting is obvious because the majority of us want to work in a dark room. Working in a badly lit room can cause headaches, eyestrain and has been known to cause depression. Making sure the room is well lit is really important, not only for your health but also productivity.

Introduce a scent into the office

This may not go down very well in most places of work but certain scents can affect our mood and productivity. For anyone who has a home office or works in a smaller office you may want to research what scents can affect your mood and introduce them into the working environment. For example, studies have shown that peppermint can lift your mood, lavender can help you relax and cinnamon can improve focus.

We can increase productivity in a number of ways; the above points are just some of them. For any of us who work in an office it’s worth researching some others ideas and hopefully boost not only your mood and productivity, but your colleagues’ as well.