Alongside the correct equipment, tools, and support; your staff will need to be allowed to relax, revive, and recuperate themselves for set periods of time throughout their working day. Eating their snacks or lunch at their desk can make them feel overwhelmed and overworked. Therefore, it’s crucial that you provide a space away from the work environment, where your team can switch off somewhat, and regain the energy to get back to work again. The following are some ideas and inspiration for business owners who want to create a haven in their workplace, where staff can really chill-out.

A Place Like No Other

Obviously, the chill-out space, or room, will be a little bit like the rest of the office, as they’ll be in the same building. However, it’s vital that you separate the environment clearly so that your staff feels like they’ve actually escaped a little. You can have some more fun with the decor, and make the most of creative color palettes and prints.  The point is to be as light-hearted and chilled-out as possible, so bear that in mind when it’s time to decorate and accessorize.

Keeping It Comfy

If your team has been sat at a desk, on a desk chair for most of the day; they’ll want something more comfortable to relax on. Therefore, it’s worth investing in comfortable seating for your chill-out zone, and ensuring your employees can truly relax. Giant bean bags are great for sinking into, and they also provide the space with a sense of laid back fun. A quality sofa and plenty of cushions will allow those who prefer to sit-up a bit more, to enjoy a softer seat. Don’t forget a table and chairs too; many people prefer to eat, read, and chat at a table, so it’s worth providing them with space.

Homely Touches

Again, anything that can separate the chill-out space from the rest of the office or studio, is a great thing. Therefore, think about the little homely touches that will keep it fresh, stylish, and cozy. Plants and fresh flowers will make a great addition to surfaces, the floor, and window ledges. Festoon or string lights provide a cozy and snug touch, that will help people unwind with ease. As long as you ensure that space is kept clean and tidy; your team will benefit from the time they spend there, which will boost their productivity for the rest of the working day.

In designing a workplace, the most important thing is to make sure that it’s engineered for productivity. This can mean many things, and in fact, we’re still learning about how to optimize space for this purpose. Given an office carefully designed to accomplish this purpose, however, the next thing to think about is how to keep employees relaxed and happy. This isn’t simply a nice thing to do but actually plays into maximizing productivity. Happy, relaxed employees are less likely to give in to stress and more likely to put their energy to good use during the hours when they’re actually working.

It’s for this reason that some modern workplaces are providing employees with lounge-like areas where they can relax. These “chill spaces” are meant to feel separate from the actual office space, such that they allow people to disconnect during breaks or over lunch and recharge, to some extent, rather than eating or taking a few minutes off at a desk. All in all, it’s believed that providing a chill space reduces employee stress and, as a result, boosts productivity.

In addition to a chill space though, it can also be a productive idea to design more of a recreation area, where employees can achieve the same healthy disconnect from work for 20 or 30 minutes at a time, but can also have a little bit of fun and bond a little bit with co-workers.