Recent studies have shown that taking breaks for silence revitalizes your nervous system, bolsters energy levels, and allows your mind to be more receptive and creative, and therefore more productive.
However, isn’t it tough for most of us to find a place for this silence throughout the workday? There are usually people everywhere meeting, talking on the phone, etc.
Enter, a zen room.
Zen literally means a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation. Zen is also a practice that simply pulls you out of your routine, and trains you to live more mindfully. But how does that translate to the workplace?
What’s a Zen Room?
In the workplace, a zen room, or quiet zone, is meant to create peace, tranquility, and focus. The type of break we could all use, right? The purpose of having a separate room for this is to provide your employees an escape and a chance to gain some clarity on their work. It’s a place to get away from the emails, phone calls, meetings, and constant distractions.
Creating a zen room eliminates the possibility of distractions and provides an area for ample focus on more complex or time-sensitive tasks. You should designate an area of your office where no distractions can take place, and allow employees to find the privacy they need to be productive.
Creating a Zen Room
Creating a zen room can be as simple as converting an underutilized room in your office into your new, serene space.
Here are 4 things you can do to an extra room in your office to make it a tranquil space:
- Embellish the space with artwork, and focus that artwork on positivity.
- Add soothing music to the area, but make sure you keep it low and calming.
- Provide dimmable lighting.
- Add comfortable furnishings for employees to relax.
The more relaxed your employees can be in this space, the better. Your options are really only limited by your creativity, and you don’t even need a brand new space to do it. You can also implement things like gratitude journals or walls, daily office yoga, aromatherapy, and so much more to harness the power of zen.
Improve your employees’ well-being and boost the productivity of the entire office with the power of zen and a room free of distractions. Balance the demands that growing a business places on people, and give your employees the break they need.
Have you tried a zen room in your office? We’d love to see pictures and hear how it’s working for you. Reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook.
