The area of work itself does not matter, fatigue is visible in every office building, in IT, logistics or management sectors. As long as there are employees and workers around, there will be fatigue.
Whatever the job description, the employees are bound to feel the effects. This will, in turn, reduce their productivity.
Understanding fatigue is the first step towards minimizing its negative impact.
It cannot be said that fatigue is the same as just “being tired”. This particular state is reached when a person becomes exhausted and weary at all levels.
This includes both physical and mental exhaustion, oftentimes feeling emotionally drained as well.
When employees start experiencing fatigue, minimized efficiency is not the only cause for concern. It is also the question of its long term consequences on productivity and contribution. This condition cannot be dealt with simply by relaxation and resting.
It’s Simple to Overcome Workplace Fatigue
One of the simplest ways to stop workplace fatigue might not be to everyone’s satisfaction. If employees are not in their work environment and contributing, employers cannot have the expected results. Therefore, something else must be the solution.
There are actually several ways to minimize fatigue at your workplace. The best part is that it doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part.
Our suggestions here fall under one phrase: “Easy ways to minimize workplace fatigue”. This means that you can take the edge off and still get some results.
These are only some of the ideas that you can try out:
1. Exercising While At Work?
This idea may sound ambiguous to most people. On the one hand, we’re talking about fighting fatigue and on the other we’re proposing exercising while at work.
Isn’t it logical that employees would only become more tired? Both assumptions are correct. However, research has shown that moderate exercising indeed helps in fighting fatigue.
Of course, employees should not be forced to walk or run around the office whenever they feel tired. This would be counterproductive. The whole idea is about getting them to appreciate regular and short exercise. A 15-minute exercise can go a long way.
Making a decision about exercising is strictly personal. The employer should configure a workplace in such a way that employees are encouraged to work out. Of course, there are a lot of creative ways to make an exercise area within the workplace.
In San Francisco, people at Autodesk’s Pier 9 facility, came up with one of the craziest ideas out there. They created a kind of hamster-wheel-work-and-work-out-area. There is a special desk which allows an employee to work while walking or even running! Who would have thought – it does the job. A worker can exercise while working.
If you don’t think that people in your workplace would be fighting over who gets to use a giant hamster wheel, there are other equally creative ideas that you can employ to make them burn some calories to fight fatigue, like moving the washroom to a different building or disabling the elevator. Just kidding!
2. No Dehydration Or Starvation Allowed
Taking a decent break has always been the top solution for tired employees. It is also important that a workplace is designed so that workers can easily relax. There should be a cafeteria for employees to eat and drink so they can get a rest during their breaks.
If employees work a night shift, there should be areas for them to take a nap if they are feeling too sleepy to work. The workplace shouldn’t be based on the model of some labour camp.
Try providing hardworking employees with a place to take regular and proper breaks. This can help minimise workplace fatigue and maximise efficiency.
3. A Posture To Be Proud Of
An improper posture for those employees who are required to sit all day long can lead to fatigue. It can also lead to back pains and other more serious health problems. However, bad posture can be prevented. All you need is a workplace set up in the correct way.
For example, ergonomically designed seats maintain proper posture. Also, employees should be taught how to perform exercises to promote and keep a good posture.
4. Standing Up for Yourself
Preventing employees from getting too tired to be efficient at their work doesn’t demand that much effort. The employer can make provisions for workers to perform their work while standing. For example by giving them standing desks to use at their workplace.
Workers maintain proper posture while standing. They should also keep on moving so they don’t start suffering from the effects of fatigue. One of the leading ways to ensure this is to use a range of products, such as anti-fatigue floor mats that can be rented.
Also, here is an infographic from SnackNation.com on how to stay healthy at work.
Total prevention of fatigue is most definitely impossible. Still, at least some of the ideas mentioned in this article can help fight it. More employers need to realize that their employees are humans and not robots. Fewer people would suffer from the downsides of workplace fatigue. Most of the ideas listed here should be able to help out employees stay productive in the workplace. In the end, employers can look into the products offered by Alsco. They serve the above-mentioned purpose in a work-friendly way.
Photo courtesy from Freepik Images by freepik
Photo courtesy of Flickr Images by A Healthier Michigan
