24 May, 2024

The Connection Between Your Mental Health And A Clean Workplace

Big businesses often focus on their products, services, innovation and talent acquisition. Amidst all this, they often forget about one of the most important core functions – cleanliness. Maintaining hygiene and a clean office should be the basic requirement at the workplace because it directly affects your employees.

Believe it or not, a clean workplace makes employees more productive, whereas a dirty one makes them lethargic. Productive employees are the key reasons behind a business’s
success. Thus, maintaining a positive environment and focusing on cleanliness can help businesses achieve success in different fields.

Know that it’s not just the smell or aesthetics but overall cleanliness that can promote better employee productivity, leading to fewer sick leaves. This blog helps you understand the impact a clean workplace has on the employee’s mental health.

Too Much Clutter at Workplace Can Negatively Affect Mental Health

Indulging in cleaning your workplace can positively impact your mental health. Research shows that cleaning or the lack of cleaning can affect mental health. Clutter and mess at the workplace can have specific negative impacts, such as the following:

Increases Stress

Living in a cluttered environment is directly proportional to stress. Chaos around the workplace will make you physically stressed and decrease productivity. For example, when you visit your workplace and your desk is cluttered, you won’t need help to focus on your work.

Poor hygiene at the workplace can prevent working efficiently. On the other hand, if the workplace is clean, it will positively impact mental health, thereby feeling calm.

Decreases Focus

Clutter and mess at the workplace will make it difficult for you to focus on your work. The visual cortex of the personal can be significantly affected when a particular item that is not supposed to be there is present on their desk.

As a result, it can lead to irritability, confusion, and tension, making it difficult to complete projects on time. On the other hand, organized desk spaces foster positive emotions like calmness and increased productivity.

Impact of Clean Workplace on Mental Health

A clean workplace is important not only for aesthetics but also for increasing employee satisfaction and productivity. Maintaining a clean workplace often has a positive impact on mental health.

Thus, some of the ways through which a clean workplace can improve your mental health are as follows:

Improves Concentration

When your work environment is cluttered, your ability to focus will eventually be impacted, having a negative impact on concentration. On the other hand, having a clean workplace can help to increase concentration. Clutter on your work desk will prevent the brain from focusing.

Visual attention and performance can improve due to better visual presentation with less clutter. If you are finding it difficult to focus on your work, it is advisable to clean and declutter the workplace. Dedicating a few minutes to organizing things can help avoid the mess and complete the work within the timeline.

Clears Your Mind

When the space around you is cluttered, your mind will become cluttered, too. Therefore, cleaning the workspace is essential in order to clean your mind. After all, when your mind is clear, you’ll be able to focus on your work and perform better in tasks.

A clear mind is extremely important in the workplace, especially for getting the tasks done correctly and avoiding mistakes. This can be fruitful for your job as your performance improves.

Boost Employee Morale and Job Satisfaction

A clean and organized workplace is one key way to improve employee morale and offer them job satisfaction. When the organization maintains and prioritizes cleanliness, the employees feel valued, which further increases their productivity.

When the employees feel seen and happy, they will stay with the company for a longer period. This is also important for customer-facing roles as better employee morale can offer the advantage of better customer service. Moreover, an increase in job satisfaction and employee morale will also allow individuals to engage in tasks and perform better.

Better Visual Appeal Increases Creativity

Studies by University of Arizona highlights how a clean and organized workspace can help to increase the productivity of employees by 15%. When a space appears visually appealing, it acts as the catalyst for increasing creativity.

When things are organized with reduced clutter, employees can focus on work more effectively. An organized workspace eventually fosters positive mental health, thereby promoting innovative thinking.

Creates Positive Work Ethos

One study by the University of Arizona found office desks to be 400 times dirtier than toilet seats, which often results in sick employees’ increased absenteeism. Businesses often lose a significant number of workdays due to illness, which can be easily avoided by regular cleaning.

Cleanliness can reduce germs at the workplace, which can lead to healthier employees and more productive workdays. Cleaning requires very little investment but helps generate significant returns, especially in terms of saving against lost workdays and healthcare cost loss for employees.

Asset Preservation

Most office spaces are carpeted, which can last a longer time and save money. However, dirt and dust can accumulate on these carpets, reducing their quality and the lifespan of the product. Regularly cleaning the workspace can be one of the best ways to improve the lifespan of carpets.

Moreover, dirt and dust are likely to accumulate on the furniture, thereby damaging its upholstery and aesthetic value. Cleaning the space can help avoid higher replacement costs for a very minimal value. Furthermore, a clean workplace is also important for preventing damage to the electronic components due to overheating due to dust accumulation.

Workplace Mental Health Risk Factors and Costs

According to the World Health Organization, one of the major risk factors that lead to poor workforce mental health is poor health and safety policies. Eventually, this led to a reduction in global productivity of around $1T annually, which can further cause mental, emotional and physical distress arising due to depression and unemployment.

The rising mental health concerns also lead to unemployment. However, going back to work can eventually lead to increased productivity. Poor hygiene and dirt at the workplace can have a negative impact on mental health, often increasing the risk of absenteeism, alcoholism and loss of productivity.

When the workplace encourages cleanliness, it also helps improve mental health, boost productivity, and drive economic gain.

Clean Workspaces Have a Good First Impression

A clean workspace is one of the most prominent things to consider while attracting new employees and retaining the older ones. A survey by the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) suggested that 91% of people avoid a business space if there are dirty restrooms. Whether they’re employees or customers, if the workspace is dirty, you won’t get anything.

Cleanliness is seen as a positive trait, so if the space is clean, the employees and visitors will associate it with a positive environment. This can help cultivate a positive impression, further driving associations with other traits of the business, such as professionalism and reliability.

Another study by Harris Interactive suggested that 86% of customers associate the restaurant restroom’s cleanliness with its kitchen. Similarly, if any customer or partner observes your workspace as clean, they will also trust your services and products to be good.

Improved Air Quality through Cleanliness at the Workplace

According to the findings of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air tends to be more polluted than outdoor air by two to three times. Cleaning the workplace on a regular basis can also contribute to better health of the individuals working there. Better air quality helps reduce the risk of respiratory disorders.

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) suggested that workplace efficiency is reduced by 40% because of dirty coils and blowers from commercial HVAC systems. Furthermore, it is important to use safer cleaning products that contain low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Low VOCs can also play an important role in improving indoor air quality.

You Must Read: What is Green Cleaning and What is Its Impact on Your Business?

Final Thoughts

Keeping the workplace clean can help increase productivity and efficiency. It is advisable to hire professional cleaning services like Sparkle Freshness to clean your workplace using low-VOC products. Our professional cleaners maintain the beauty of your workspace, keeping it clean to improve the focus and creativity of your employees.

Sparkle Freshness offers customized cleaning to fit your specific needs around your workspace, promoting orderliness and professionalism. By maintaining a clean workspace, you can foster a positive work environment while also boosting your team’s morale.