In the 1950s biologist and doctor Jonas Salk was working on a cure for polio in a dark basement lab in Pittsburgh. Progress was slow so Salk decided to travel to Assisi, Italy, where he spent his time in a 13th-century monastery. Suddenly Salk had new insights including the one that lead to his successful polio vaccine.
Environmental psychologists have identified some things you can do to your work space to keep yourself mentally happy:
- Minimize the amount of red you can see while working. Research examining the influence of color on behavior found that red makes us feel anxious and hinders our work.
- Position your chair so you’re able to see the entrance or the majority of the room. Research shows that we feel safer when we can see what’s coming.
- Get a plant. Research proves that workers with plants are less stressed and more productive than those without.
- Add personal touches to your desk. We feel more comfortable when the people we work with have a sense of who we are, and people with personalized work spaces are happiest with their jobs.
Remember that your mental health at work is important. Mental health is more than the absence of illness. It includes having a positive emotional attitude based in reality. It allows you to enjoy life and maintain balance during life’s ups and downs.
What do you do to make sure your work space makes you feel the most productive?
