Even the friendliest and most laid-back workplaces can still be a source of stress. During the work day, employees are statistically getting fewer high-quality tasks done when they are stressed. In order to combat this rising problem in the modern business world, many companies are choosing to incorporate a quiet room into the workplace.
A quiet room can bring stress levels down and improve outcomes for not only individual employees but the overall business as well. Here’s how quiet rooms help reduce stress in the workplace, what goes into making a quiet room and how to set one up at your business.
What Does a Quiet Room Do?
The purpose of a quiet room is to provide a temporary reprieve from high-stress tasks and encounters in the workplace. It is not just a break room; instead, quiet rooms are specifically designed to reduce noise, eliminate excess chatter and distraction and provide employees with the opportunity to unwind and restore their mental, physical and emotional stamina.
As more businesses start to implement this idea, quiet rooms are showing that reducing stress in the workplace has tangible benefits. These locations allow employees to calm down and revitalize themselves by:
- Getting away from office noise, like phone calls, printers beeping, conversations in the hallway and keyboard clicking
- Providing the opportunity to focus the brain on a relaxing task for a short time
- Removing the obligation for employees to engage with others temporarily
- Offering a physical rest space, unlike break rooms where standing or sitting in uncomfortable chairs is the norm
A variety of benefits are possible when you incorporate quiet rooms into your workplace. It will all depend on how you set up the space. Soft furniture and low lighting are popular, as are acoustic wall art panels that help to absorb sound and keep the space quiet and peaceful while contributing aesthetic benefits as well.
The Benefits of a Quiet Room
Quiet rooms are not just for the purpose of taking care of employees’ most basic human needs—although that is certainly an important and worthwhile endeavor on its own. Businesses can also benefit on a more tangible level by incorporating this type of meditative space into the workplace. These advantages include:
- Reduced costs and boosted profits – Studies have shown that companies lose an average of $300 billion annually as a result of employees being absent. Stress is the primary driving factor behind absenteeism, with upwards of 40 percent of job turnover attributed to stress. When employees are able to de-stress appropriately, they will miss less work, boosting profits for the business. Less stressed workers also see a lower incidence of high blood pressure, stroke, heart problems and more—which means that the company health insurance is not bearing the brunt of the impact. Reducing workplace stress cuts down on unhealthy caffeine consumption and smoking too.
- Morale boosts – Employees with high morale who believe in what they are doing and have the energy for it produce better work. This is critical, not only to ensure that clients are happy over the long term but to avoid mistakes that can cost your company important connections. Additionally, employees are often more loyal to companies in which they feel their own well-being is valued. Installing and encouraging the use of a quiet room can help employees feel secure and taken care of.
- Increased at-work performance – Companies can encourage collaboration, teamwork and friendly competition all they like, but employees may find these scenarios less than helpful. If workers are surrounded by noise or constantly forced to be “accessible” by any member of the team who walks into their office, they may find themselves constantly distracted, interrupted and unable to create a continuous through-line of high-quality work from beginning to end. This can dramatically decrease their overall job performance, reducing the quality of work and making it take twice as long or more to complete. Quiet rooms provide reprieve from this type of distraction and can help employees return to their work refreshed and with a strategy in mind.
Of course, a quiet room may offer your business even more advantages depending on how you set it up!
Trust the Professionals to Help You Improve the Quality of Your Quiet Room
How you choose to set up your business’ quiet room will come down to the space you have available and your own goals. However, one common element in most quiet rooms is acoustic art panels, which visually appear as rich, colorful paintings, photos or art but also serve as highly noise-absorbent surfaces.
The experts at Tree Towns can help you determine the right size and thickness to keep your quiet room as peaceful as possible while sticking with an aesthetic that matches your company. Reach out to learn more or to get started on an order.