A breakroom is a sanctuary for employees to relax, gather, and bond to create company relationships and a sense of community. Some people use it as a chance for some peaceful alone time while others use it as an opportunity to socialize. Regardless of each person’s individual use, the breakroom is the getaway from work. It’s a place to go to refuel your body and relax your mind. Creating a well-balanced breakroom is key to keeping your employees pleased and productive. Here are some ways to improve your breakroom and boost productivity:
Provide Healthy Food & Drinks
Many people spend a significant amount of time in the office. With the office comes a large workload and stress, making it difficult for some people to resist the urge to grab a bag of chips or candy bar out of the vending machine. Multiple times a day. When unhealthy foods are in front of people who are experiencing stress at work, chances are they are going to take it.
Healthy eating in the workplace should be made simple. Provide employees with fresh fruit in the morning and offer things like mixed nuts, protein bars, oatmeal, baked chips, trail mix, freeze-dried fruit chips, popcorn and other healthy alternatives in the vending machine. When employees are fueling their body with foods that benefit their health and energy level, productivity is likely to increase. Along with healthy snacks, always make sure employees have access to water. A water filter and reusable cups are a preferred method of water drinking in the office to reduce plastic waste.
The last thing to remember is coffee and tea. Coffee is an energy booster and will have your employees feeling ready to take on their morning or the rest of their day after lunch. For those who don’t like coffee, tea can be a great alternative. Black tea, green tea, and flavored tea offer a treat for employees, and some even pack a punch of caffeine to keep them going through the day.
Comfortable Furniture & Workout Equipment
Sitting at a desk all day can be draining and lead to burnout, so when people go on break, they want a space that makes them feel relaxed and refreshed. You will want to designate an area strictly for employees to step away from their desks, so it’s essential to create a separation between the office and breakroom. There shouldn’t be desk chairs in the breakroom because people go there to get away from their desk chairs. Invest in comfortable furniture and make the breakroom feel inviting. The comfortability and atmosphere of the breakroom will be the deciding factor on how much employees use it. Giving employees space to truly relax on their break will make them more inclined to come back to work with a positive attitude—leaving you with productive, energized, and motivated people.
Another area of a breakroom that you could invest in is a workout area. Having a treadmill, elliptical, weights, and more could encourage your employees to move their bodies during their breaks. Physical activity improves depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It can also relieve stress, improve memory, help with sleep, and boost overall mood. Getting some exercise during a break from work is always a good idea because it gets the blood pumping, heart rate going, and body moving. Physical activity is likely to improve performance at work by boosting focus and energy levels. Not only will it improve concentration and energy, but it will also become part of their daily routine, which will help with overall health.
Natural Lighting & Greenery
Imagine walking into a building with no windows, skylights, or access to natural lighting. You no longer know what is going on in the outside world, whether it’s dark, light, raining, sunny or cloudy, and this can make for a long, dreary day at work. It can start to feel claustrophobic when you are secluded from the outside world, making it undesirable to focus on work. Natural lighting in the office improves employee satisfaction and productivity. People want to look outside and feel the sun shining through the windows, especially while on a break from work. Natural lighting creates a relaxing ambiance that people want to be in because it feels more—well, natural. Some benefits of natural light are fewer headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, and fatigue. Natural light keeps the atmosphere feeling positive and contributes directly to productivity in the workplace. Keep your breakroom well-lit with windows and allow your employees to access the outside world.
Along with natural lighting, greenery is a positive addition to a breakroom aesthetic. Plants can boost workplace productivity while adding some health benefits by removing bacteria and mold from the air. They allow workers to feel like they are in a different setting than their desks. Making workers feel like they are in a natural environment removes them from their working mindset and allows them to relax and fully recharge. Greenery improves the aesthetic of any room by adding some color and dimension, which is what you want from a breakroom.
Having a breakroom for employees to go where they feel relaxed, comfortable, and happy is essential to boosting productivity around the office. Follow these 3 breakroom tune-ups to help keep your employees motivated and productive around the workplace.