Eco-Friendly Ways to Reduce Sick Building Syndrome

A comfy place to sit, ample desk space, and bearable temperatures, yet despite all this, your work space still makes you feel uneasy. Your relationship with food and exercise isnt completely healthy, nor is it unwholesome either, so whats the reason behind the way youre feeling?

Sick building syndrome , or SBS, occurs when youve spent an unhealthy amount of time in a particular building. SBS may be mistaken as an allergic reaction since some of its symptoms include: headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, dry cough, dry skin and rashes, nausea, fatigue and sensitivity to odors.

Whats there to do to avoid feeling gloomy and unmotivated? Making an office anti-SBS and eco-friendly is not just about adding plants on your desk and relying on solar panels for power.

If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old Peter F. Drucker

Change of Scenery

Although LED light bulbs are extremely energy efficient, less use of artificial lighting is encouraged. Aside from lamps, artificial lighting also comes from sources like laptops, mobile phones and TVs. Bid goodbye to nausea by toning down the brightness of your electronic devices. If theyre going to be used for long periods of time, this is one way to lessen eye strain.

Give everyone a chance to peek at the sun, snow, rain or fall faade every now and then by installing skylights . Allow more daylight into the room to make the spaces automatically feel and appear wider and brighter. Exposure to sunshine releases serotonin (happy hormones) and boosts alertness.

Daylight comes at no cost, and you cut down on your electrical expenditures as well.

Take advantage of sunshine while we still get plenty of it throughout the day. Those skylights will surely impress your office visitors. Hopefully it also encourages them to create an innovative workspace of their own.

Unless you would rather spend weekday afternoons slaving away under incubator-like cubicles

Reduce Radiation Presence

Encourage the use of environmental friendly appliances in the office. First, reduce the amount of machines in the office. Aside from making it harder to maneuver around the area, too much technology can feel overwhelming . Set a time span for some devices that function just as well without electricity.

Set a general shut down/sleep period for devices. Leave equipment unplugged unless its used every other minute, including projectors, TVs and photocopying machines. Water dispensers, for example, can be turned on at a later time, when everyone has arrived, rather than leaving it plugged in all day and night. This can also be turned off in the late afternoon, once everyone has had their daily dose of caffeine.

Before stepping away from your desk at the end of the day, make sure youve turned off your computer thoroughly. There should be no blinking lights and electrical outlets left occupied overnight. Putting a device on standby for too long isnt efficient; contrary to what most believe, leaving it on sleep mode is energy consuming , too.

Upgrading computers and printers may save you more money in the long run. Old monitors and systems may be consuming more energy (and emitting more dangerous radiation) than updated models. Look for brands with energy efficient ratings and reviews.

Minimize Airborne Sickness

Dry cough and the presence of cold symptoms despite the fair weather is a sign that indoor air quality needs improvement. Utilize natural ventilation methods. Air conditioning and heating take up more than half of the total energy consumption in an office space.

When it comes to cooling down a small room, leaving windows open should be enough to allow fresh air to circulate and cool down the area in a shorter time. After all, air conditioners serve little purpose during winter season. Clean ventilation systems regularly to improve air quality.

On the other hand, during summer days, high ceilings are more beneficial since they provide more space for the air to circulate. Lower ceilings give the impression of feeling like youre suffocating.

Out of clutter, find simplicity. Albert Einstein

Finding or creating greener, cleaner pastures dont necessarily mean having to relocate. Sometimes all you need is a few tweaks and redecorations here and there. Raise awareness among staff so you can work together on making the office a pleasant place for all.

We spend almost 90 percent of our time indoors; were bound to get sick of being enclosed within the same four walls sooner or later.