How do your surroundings impact your productivity? We all want to be more productive in our lives. There are many common sense tools that make you more productive like creating to-do lists, managing processes or staying away from social media. But interestingly, studies have shown that there are many additional factors that can contribute to lack of productivity.
Whether it’s details like interior design, colours and airflow, your environment has a lot to do with your overall productivity. Luckily for you, science can help you conquer some of the influences that make you feel sluggish and boost your performance to your peak capacity. This is not to say that productivity does not depend on your personal behaviour. Your personal motivation and behaviour to be productive can be influenced by your environment.
Sattva Community Lounge
Here are 10 Environmental Factors that you Should Start Paying Attention to Increase Your Productivity:
Natural Light
Let the sunshine in! The quality of light in your living spaces and workspaces greatly influence your productivity. Studies have shown that people who experience natural daylight are likely to be healthier and regulate their moods better. It is suggested that architectural design should place more emphasis on sufficient daylight exposure to promote wellbeing.
People in proximity to large windows that provide an abundance of natural light have been reported to get an additional 46 minutes of sleep at night. This helped them feel more energized during work hours and reported a higher quality of life scores than those without it. It also has a big impact on your metabolism which can be crucial when it comes to how our bodies regulate the use and storage of food.
Air Quality
Businesses today spend a great deal of money in various interventions such as skills training, to ensure business productivity. A study done by Harvard Business Review shows an additional yet surprising effect on productivity: clean air. Being exposed to bad air even for a day affects your emotional state. It also reduces your cognitive ability to make good thinking decisions. These two factors can reduce your overall appetite for risk, and low-risk tolerance is associated with lower returns.
Proximity to Greenery
Did you know that a plant can send your brain messages that subliminally help you focus? A study done by Washington State University, which traced the benefits of adding plants to a windowless workplace, showed that people who were exposed to plants reported to feel less stressed and more productive. Researchers took a group of participants who worked in a computer lab and monitored their emotions and blood pressure rates while they completed timed computer tasks. Those in the presence of plants were reported to have blood pressure that was significantly reduced and had quicker reaction times to tasks. They also left the room feeling more attentive than those who didn’t have any proximity to greenery.
A Study conducted by Columbia University also found that effective management of the water you drink and the air you breathe can help you become healthier and more productive as a result. The poor air quality indoors can lead to everything from headaches, dizziness, and fatigue in the short term to respiratory disease, heart disease, and even cancer in the long term. This is why Svasa Homes puts an emphasis on the air quality in its common spaces by adding plants and allowing fresh natural air to easily flow through its large glass windows.
Model Apartment – Type B
Noise
This may not come as a surprise but noise resulting in interrupted focus, thought patterns or sleep, can affect your ability to be focused and productive. Not all noise is bad though, the proper amount of ambient noise, like the sounds of nature, can trigger our brains to think more creatively.
Consider your home office versus a coffee shop or coworking space. Which one helps you focus more? None of the above is completely silent, yet some places are subliminally designed to fit your needs. The lesson here is that the ideal space for creativity and productivity is not about freedom from noise, but about freedom from interruption. Finding a space that is curated to fit your needs no matter how noisy it is, is the best strategy for making sure you get things done.
Workplace Environment
There are many factors that affect work performance. To achieve an efficient work life, the design of the space in which you work matters. It is said that nothing kills innovation more than a cubicle.
This is why we’ve seen the rise in more non-traditional workspaces amongst entrepreneurs. Coworking spaces like the Karya Lounge can provide amenities such as flexible work stations, private conference rooms, and invigorating breakout spaces. Our community provides you with unique accommodations and amenities to help you drive innovation as you work from home.
Karya Business Lounge
Experience Design
Another important factor that affects productivity is, of course, the design and layout of your living space. Spaces that follow Vaastu guidelines can not only ensure positivity, but also provide more balance, and productivity. Colours and directions you are facing are said to have an effect on your concentration, decision making, and also increase your respect for your work.
You’ve probably heard of ergonomic design or experience design. It is, in short, design that considers the human experience, your wellbeing and overall performance in every aspect. Every touchpoint our senses have with our surroundings reflect how our environment affects us. Svasa Homes uses experience design to create spaces that people are not only happy to live in but also supportive of their vision for life. In our Commonhouse we have designed a space that is accommodating for every resident’s individual needs. Some work better in quiet spaces, while others are looking to network and interact with likeminded people.
Your Community’s DNA
Your ability to make a positive impact, have an active social life, and learn from others depends a lot on those you surround yourself with. A sense of community is said to increase productivity. Even thorough working from home has its perks, being surrounded by productive people can have a positive effect on your life.
Productivity is contagious. Especially as an entrepreneur who is working from home, you might find that surrounding yourself with an impactful community was just the thing you’ve missed. Living in a community can give you the opportunity to meet productive people who bring you a new perspective. Sharing with each other, motivating each other and learning together can make a large difference. Svasa Homes’ mission is to build a community that is innovative, creative, and can better themselves and the world around them.
Sattva Community Lounge
Time and Space for Leisure and Physical Activity
Taking time for yourself to do activities unrelated to work can make a huge difference in your performance. It’s recommended that people don’t work for more than 8 to 10 hours a day, because after a certain point your mind cannot produce anymore. Sometimes, even a change of scenery can be a big help in boosting productivity and creativity. Head to Svasa Homes Bodhi Library or the Sattva lounge to get quiet and bask in natural light. This can help spur new ideas or shed new light on an old problem.
Ease of Daily Life Activities
Running a household, especially in the face of a pandemic, can get complicated fast. Many of us have become more hands-on with our chores, laundry and grocery shopping. Much of our free time is spent doing these daily activities. Productivity starts at home, if it means becoming more organised and sharing tasks, or scheduling in time to do specific tasks every day.
Sometimes your time could be more productively spent homeschooling your kids or learning something new. This can be done in more than one way, and at Svasa Homes, we understand the importance of ease in daily life activities. This is why we provide you with support in every aspect with Svasa concierge services. From onsite domestic help, home delivery services to interactive virtual classes we ensure our residents are not only safe but happy and productive in their homes.
Model Apartment – Type C
Proximity to Art and Culture
Want to immediately boost your creativity? Try surrounding yourself with beautiful art, vintage artefacts and storytelling murals. Art and culture can stimulate your creative ability to think imaginatively, to challenge the conventional, and allow the development of a new vision, idea or product. This type of creativity is closely linked to the artistic contribution, it’s spontaneous, intuitive, and can enrich the society around you.
Art and culture can strengthen the bonds within communities and nurture your self-esteem and well being leading to increased productivity. They allow for lifelong learning because they stimulate your imagination and creativity. Being creative allows you to be more flexible, and open to new things and adapt quickly. It helps you see things in a new way and have the courage to face the unexpected.
Find an Environment That Works For You
Designing the perfect environment is expensive and time-consuming and probably not something you would want to spend too much time doing. However, ignoring the importance of it can come at a real cost. At Svasa Homes we’ve combined the best of heritage, luxury, and community to boost your productivity and innovation. With a variety of spaces designed with environmental perks, places to learn, network and be inspired, we provide you with a curated home to ensure a happy and balanced life.
