Wellbeing, Wellness & Workplace

The blog below was written way before the current Covid19 crisis. It is not that the information is not valuable anymore, but if you require advice for the current (May 2020) situation, we would advice you to check the folowing:

Wellness is now BIG business! It moves you one step closer to a new, and better you - a you that drinks green juices and rids your body of all lingering toxins, a you that enrolls into spin classes before 6 am and has more energy as a result, a you that plugs into head space every evening to calm the mind before your 8 hours of sleep.

For the past month at Amos Beech, wellness has been at the forefront within the office. By being provided with a conscious checklist, we've become more self-aware of our actions and routines within our lifestyle and how it affects us in the workplace.

Wellbeing & Wellness in the Workplace

Here are a few insights and examples that you can try to integrate into your workplace to get the Work/Life balance back on track:

Outside, Inside

Since our blog about Biophilia within the workplace, in 2017. We've all seen workplaces flourishing everywhere. But how about having greenery with a purpose? At Takahashi Hiroko, based in a former factory in Tokyo, redesigned by schemata includes an indoor garden with edible plants.

Fresh Foods

With your office-grown ingredients to hand, having healthy food options will fuel your employees and keep their cravings for sweet and fatty foods away. Even as simple as sharing good food at a decent table will work wonders for your firms' staff morale and community feel.

Workout While Working

Many Japanese corporations understood early on the importance of exercise for their employees. It grew out of their philosophy of kaizen, or “continual improvement.”  They appreciated that a workout could make their employees healthier and more productive, therefore began to schedule exercise programs during work hours.

We suggest dedicating a bit of space to being 'multi-use' area, where a variety of exercise classes and wellness workshops could take place. Consider offering something different from the standard yoga, perhaps something that also encourages teamwork. But if space is limited, try getting your employer to take a step in the right direction by contributing towards a gym membership or cycle to work scheme.

Personalised Technology

In other news, Scotland's first development has been accredited with a Platinum WiredScore Certification at 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, to assure future occupiers with the best connectivity. We've seen more products beginning to appear that allow employees control over their surroundings, but also products that understand and adapt to the needs of the employees throughout the day.

Philips has installed a system of LED lights in an office in Prague that fluctuate to the circadian rhythms of employees from morning through to night. This ideal is reminiscent of the Endless House, a conceptual work of architecture by Frederick Kiesler in 1924; “endless like the human body—there is no beginning and no end to it.” In the future, we will see smart buildings understanding the needs and wants of the inhabitants and adapting seamlessly.

Healthy Workstations

Until that point, we've seen a rise in technology being incorporated into furniture items keeping employees staying connected with air-charging and USB points. These small details make life just that little bit easier on the most stressful of days. Even by giving employees a choice with their desking, implementing sit-stand desking is more comfortable and healthier for the body.

Art for All

The Sculptor Nick Hornby past artist-in-residence was in an unlikely location - the London headquarters of law firm Pinsent Masons. He brought lawyers to his studio and curated his artwork around the office.

The art can play a part in the culture of the workplace, representing a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. As well as being thought-provoking and sparking discussions with other staff members. 

A Daily Pause

In Kiev, the Grammarly Office has a dedicated nap room that includes three sleeping blocks, with a weight sensor under the mattress that sends a signal to light with the indication of zZZ letters outside. The power of sleep and quiet reflection is becoming more commonly recognised as valuable, great opportunity to allow your mind and body to relax.

Happy Holidays

And we all know that a holiday is the best occasion to really relax and rebalance oneself. How about providing your employees with a 'wellbeing day' or have their birthday off on top of the standard holiday allowance to show your appreciation. Or go the extra mile, like FormRoom they are proud to offer a one month (fully paid) sabbatical for every 3 years your stay with their team. They reiterate the value of 'Let the company you work for, lift you up and push you forward; not drag you down or hold you back.'

Do you want to read more about how to improve your workplace? Check:

Blog and graphics by: Design Team

Publication date: August 14th, 2019

Working at a desk is just as bad as smoking?

So, once again there are some sensationalist press articles. This time telling us that working at a desk is just as bad for you as smoking!

And then we all start thinking how it must be true because we read it in a respected newspaper and the research has been done by a health organisation.

Now I am not going to rubbish research that has been carefully quantified, qualified and presented, but to blame it on sedentary work seems a little severe.

Genetics, diet and living conditions all play a massive part in our health and I would be interested too in which countries most of the 5.3m people who die annually actually come from.

Working at a desk

What we can say is that poor posture at work does contribute to more health problems than just back related.

When we go from standing to sitting in the merely average chairs that have been offered to the market since the synchro chair was first introduced in the 1970's, we have seen a massive increase in all kinds of problems and these have increased significantly as PC usage became the norm.

There are real alternatives although normally (in the UK) management teams and accountants have not seen the whole life cost and the productivity improvements in their true light. Were they prepared to spend another 20-30% on the task chair that their single biggest asset and investment sit on every day then the result would be more than seen on the bottom line results of their company.

Interestingly, as we move from the traditional 3 part office (desk space, meeting space, canteen) to the new collaborative, multi-functional and connected office allowing us to work anywhere, anytime, we are not sedentary any more.

True, there are some office workers who will never change their ways they are working at a desk and can get to work in their sleep, moving from bus to underground to pavement to desk through muscle memory but they are a reducing minority!

For the rest of us, collaboration, communication and sharing of ideas is the way forward because to survive in a global economy then change is the only thing we can be sure of and this also means changing our posture too!

Maybe, subconsciously we have returned to the hunter-gatherer work/life pattern that our ancestors enjoyed but without the sabre-toothed tiger on our back!

So good-bye sedentary, and if you are interested in bio-mechanics and how this can be integrated into 'proper office task chairs' drop us a line!

Oh and for some inspiration, watch very funny video that puts a humorous twist to it: