6 ways to evaluate your remote workspace to enhance job satisfaction, health and performance.

Now that so many of us are working from home, we have to start to ask some of the same questions about our remote workspace that we ask about our office environments. Scientists say everyday surroundings can keep us in a state of low-grade stress. Its important to pay attention to stressors that we ordinarily might not recognize. Chances are youve become so used to clutter, noise, harsh lights and other environmental stressors that you dont notice they make you feel stressed. Studies show that under environmental pressure, your stress hormone levels can escalate even when youre not aware of it. Over time these hormone levels take a toll on your mental and physical health. After you check out the following 6 hidden low-grade stressors, take the work environment inventory to see if any of them diminish your job enjoyment, health or productivity.

1. Eliminate Environmental Pollutants

Scientists say that steady exposure to loud noises such as traffic, aircraft, and railway engines raise stress levels that can lead to high blood pressure even heart attacks. Plus lawn mowers, car engines, and loud music increase stress levels and interfere with your concentration. If youre surrounded by noise pollution, consider muting jarring news events or hard rock music from a blaring TV, radio or computer. Soundproof outside racket with insulation, window treatments, pleasant background music, and nature sound machines, headphones or earplugs. Air pollutants such as cigarette smoke, chemical smells, mildew, toxic odors and air qualityall can raise your stress level and lead to illness. Use humidifiers in dry areas and dehumidifiers in humid places. Ban tobacco smoke from your workspace. Rapid temperature changes also can trigger stress. Room temperature that is too hot or too cold can interfere with your concentration and escalate tension. Maintain a well-ventilated space with as much fresh air as possible.

2. Create Visual Rest

A disorganized, cluttered workspace can make your life chaotic and stressful. Clutter becomes a roadblock to finding things you need, cutting into valuable workflow and adding another level of frustration when youre in a hurry. As things pile up, your stress level can go sky-high. Chances are, your productivity wanes as you bounce from one task to another, paralyzed by where to begin. After a long day when youre trying to relax, the last thing you want is stressful visual reminders of what needs doing staring you in the face. If youre like most people, youre seeking visual rest. De-clutter by deciding what you really need and what you dont. Then toss, donate or recycle. Consider electronic billing and payment in order to eliminate excess mail and paper clutter. Theres something freeing and peaceful when your space is uncluttered, visually appealing and functioning smoothly: the kitchen bar is free of junk mail, and dishes are off countertops stacked in cabinets. Order conveys a feeling of calm and stabilitya feeling that things are under control and all is right with the world.

3. Make Stress-Free Zones

Its important to consider the environmental stress thresholds of other household members. Your family member or roommate might think blasting Lady Gagas latest hit is the coolest way in the world to work. But you might find it to be the most stressful activity on the planet when youre under deadline. What is environmentally stressful for one person might not be the same for someone else. Agree to certain common areas that are maintained to suit everyones needs. Separate work areas such as bedrooms or office spaces can be individually maintained based on unique work schedules and childrens home schooling activities. Whether you own or rent a house, condo, apartment or cabin in the woods, planning for everyones preferences can save a lot of animosity and promote harmony among housemates.

Having a special place to relax makes you more likely to hit your pause button between projects. Consider assigning a getaway where youre not allowed to think about, feel or deal with stressful job issues. This stress-free zone is a place of solitude where you have quiet and serenity. Your zone contains no electronic devices, no work tools, no hassles and no scheduling boards. Getting carried into a thought stream of worry, rumination and pressure is off-limits in this special place. If you dont have a room, find an area with minimum traffic flow. A corner of your den or bedroom where you wear earphones and listen to relaxing music can also work as a getaway.

4. Invite Mother Nature Into Your Personal Space

Another way to create a calm stress-free work environment is to breathe as much natural life into your personal space as possible. Studies show that a view of nature from your window reduces stress. You can capitalize on scenes of wooded areas, water, sunsets, landscapes or wildlife. Bring as much outside indoors as possible by arranging your living areas facing the views. If you dont have a view, nature photos or paintings will do. An opened window with a soft breeze and nature sounds add a natural touch. A tabletop waterfall that makes babbling sounds, an aquarium or fish bowl, or potted plants, fresh flowers or a terrarium have stress-relieving, restorative properties.

5. Accentuate Sensory Comfort

Its important to create a personalized environment that attracts your five senses in a totally different way from the sensory experience you associate with daily job pressures. Consider neutralizing your personal surroundings from the loud noises, harsh sights, rough textures, offensive odors, and strong tastes of your stressful world. You can actually use color as a stress management tool when you choose room colors that calm and relax you. Studies show that colors affect your emotional state and raise or lower your stress levels. Red excites and stimulates you and makes your heart beat faster, whereas more natural tones of green (think trees and grass) and blue (think sky and ocean) have calming effects that relax you. The use of soothing textures such as cushioned slippers, cozy blankets, or a comfy velvety throw creates sensory comfort. Certain scents evoke pleasant feelings and have soothing effects such as scented candles or a simmering pot of potpourri with whiffs of clove, cinnamon and ginger root. Dolling up your workstation with personalized itemssuch as scented candles, appealing paint colors, vacation memorabilia, photos of children and spouses dogs and friendscan warm a weary heart and lift your spirits.

6. Capture Natural Lighting

Artificial lighting is a subtle form of environmental stress, and limited sunlight can trigger depression and elevate stress. Studies show that artificial lighting such as fluorescent lights increases cortisol stress hormone levels. But you can turn a work area into a stress-free zone with natural lighting, which is more restful and lowers stress levels. Create a well-lit space while avoiding harsh lights, and use indirect lighting or capture as much natural sunlight as you can. Keep blinds and shutters open to create a sunny atmosphere. Remove window treatments, furniture or objects that block daylight. Wash the inside and outside of windows on a regular basis. Studies also show that full-spectrum lights give you the benefits of natural lighting and elevate your mood.

Does Your Remote Work Environment Contain The 3 Ss? Take The Test

I developed an inventory to measure my own home workstation and realized it needed a touch up. I de-cluttered my desk, installed a ceiling fan to cool warm summer days, and created noise buffers from my three barking Golden Doodles. The changes made my writing much more efficient, enjoyable and productive. Erasing these stressors enabled me to write my latest book in a much shorter amount of time.

What about your remote workspace? Notice if your surroundings contain the three Ss: Safe, Soothing and Stress-free. Rate where the needle falls on a scale from 1 to 2 (Bad); 3 (Mediocre); 4 to 5 (Good) on these 6 conditions:

Sum your 6 scores into an overall score: 6-12 (Red Light. Needs a major touch up); 13-19 (Yellow Light. Maybe some light touches); and 20-30 (Green Light. Youre in tip-top shape).

As I did, you, too, can devise a plan to raise your needle from a 1 or 2 on each condition to a 4 or 5, depending on the conditions that are Safe, Soothing and Stress-free. Suppose natural settings are soothing for you, and you rate Touch of Nature a 2 because you have a sofa blocking a large window with a wooded view and a bird feeder. Part of your plan might be to reposition the sofa so that the view brings more nature into your personal space and raises your needle to a 4.

Scientists say theres a link between mental and physical health and a safe, soothing, stress-free environment. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each of us has to determine what type of surroundings work best then personalize a workspace that fosters comfort, calm and ease. After taking the inventory, see if your workstation needs a touch up then give it one and watch your mood and productivity soar.

View original post here:

6 Hidden Low-Grade Stressors That Lurk In A Remote Workspace - Forbes