The ‘bright side’: boosting workplace productivity through colour
Karen Haller, the UK’s colour leading psychology expert, provided HRD with some great advice on how businesses can use colour to beat workplace stress, and boost productivity.
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Karen Haller, the UK’s colour leading psychology expert, provided HRD with some great advice on how businesses can use colour to beat workplace stress, and boost productivity.
“When it comes to positive mental health, colour is often the forgotten part of the picture. But giving conscious thought to colour in the workplace could be the key to a happier, healthier workforce” says Karen Haller, the UK’s leading Colour Psychology expert.
With 15.4 million[1] work days lost to stress last year, there’s no time for grey days when it comes to positive mental health in the workplace…
Colour and mental health are inextricably linked. Colour defines how we are feeling, how we want to feel, and how we want people to interact with us. But we’re only 20% conscious of the colour choices we make. We’ve forgotten how to use colour with a purpose.
For businesses, this means giving conscious thought to using colour in a positive way to boost workplace morale and encourage better health and wellbeing. After all, new research has found that for 81% of office workers, the environment they work in and their mental health are inextricably linked. In fact, for 77%, a good working environment helps them to be more efficient and to achieve their goals.[2]
Using colourful plants in the workplace is a great place to start. Not only are plants great stress-busters – they have been proven to reduce sick days, increase productivity and enhance creativity[2] – but colourful plants are also a great way to elicit positivity and wellbeing.
With careful thought and planning, a welcoming yellow in reception or a calming purple in a breakout area will provide an injection of colour to stimulate happiness and positivity at the right moments. Plus, plants are living things, and bringing the outside in will help staff feel calm and relaxed.
Flowering succulents such as Kalanchoes are a great choice – not only do they come in a huge array of colours, but they are fuss-free, undemanding, and will bloom for 10 weeks with minimal watering, perfect for busy offices.”
What colour works? Karen Haller’s top tips for a positive & productive workplace
[1] http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress.pdf
[2] https://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/four-fifths-workplace-impacts-mental/