Working in this type of office could make you less sleepy and improve your cognitive abilities according to a new Harvard and SUNY study
If you feel sleepy or your brain feels foggy when you're at work, take solace in the fact that you might not have yourself to blame.
A new study from Harvard University has found people who whose offices were located in green certified buildings had 30 per cent fewer "sick building symptoms", which include headaches, nausea, fatigue and poor concentration.
The latest research adds growing weight to the idea that a healthy office environment is key to productivity and success.
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Respondents who worked in "green" buildings with enhanced ventilation compared to a typical building also reported six per cent higher quality sleep scores, suggesting that the benefits of a healthier office environment can extend beyond the bounds of a normal working day.
Participants in the study, conducted by Harvard researchers, SUNY Upstate Medical University and supported by United Technologies, also tested 26.4 per cent higher in a cognitive function score.
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When broken down, green building workers had a 73 per cent higher crisis response rate, a 44 per cent higher score in "applied activity levels" (which reflect ability to gear decision-making towards overall goals) and 38 per cent higher "focused activity level" score (which reflects capacity to pay attention to situations at hand).
"Based on their latest findings, the research team believes a holistic approach is needed. We're advocating for what we call 'buildingnomics' – a new approach that examines the totality of factors in the building-related environment," said the study's principal investigator and assistant professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Healthy, Dr Joseph Allen.
If all else fails and even working in a green office building doesn't tickle your fancy, there are some persuasive arguments to be made to ditch it all and become an artist.