As a creative entrepreneur, you’re probably already aware of the fact that your working environment can have a surprising effect on your productivity and inspiration. If you’re stuck in a grey, badly lit office booth with no access to sunlight and barriers between you and your work colleagues, you’re probably not feeling as productive as you could be if you were situated right next to a window with a view of the outside.

If you’ve noticed your staff lacking in motivation, try these four clever tricks to boost office productivity.

Swap the Aircon for Open Windows

During the summer time, many of us couldn’t possibly imagine setting foot in the office without the aircon blasting cold air into the room. However, aircon units aren’t really that great to our health and, chances are, you’ll always have someone complaining about it being too cold. Find a healthier compromise by opening the windows rather than turning up the aircon whenever you can. Fresh, natural air can work wonders on our productivity, as can the sounds of nature. It may not always be viable due to outside noises or strong winds, but whenever you can – open up those windows and let the outside world in!

Add Some Greenery to Desks and Walls

We all know how important nature is to our health and our overall well-being. And while we can hardly plant trees and invite birds into our office space, we can add some greenery to our desks and walls to cheer our staff up and keep them relaxed and grounded. Strategically placing potted and hanging plants around the office is not only attractive, it has a surprising effect on our productivity too.

Classical Music or Lo-Fi Beats

No one would be able to focus in the office if you had the radio on in the background all day – a constant jump between musical genres and hyper presenters chatting away all the time, won’t do anyone any favours. Classical music or YouTube’s popular Lo-Fi beats playlists designed especially for studying, working or relaxing, on the other hand, can work real wonders. It’s all about finding the right kind of music to spark creativity and productivity and either of the two will do the trick.

Sleeping Pods

You may not always have insight into the private lives of your staff, therefore it is important to remind yourself that, not everyone gets to sleep through the night: some employees might be parenting newborns, others may be prone to insomnia, while others may just feel a bit under the weather. Ensure their work doesn’t suffer due to a lack of sleep by setting up sleeping pods in the office. Whether people want to use them during their lunch hours or an employee decides to take a twenty minute nap before heading out on a meeting – give your employees the option to relax and recharge and you’ll soon come to recognize a real boost in productivity.