Ten Signs of a Healthy Work Environment

Do you feel as if your job is sucking the life out of you? Does it leave you exhausted, even if there is little physical exertion involved? When you get home, do you want to do nothing but immerse yourself in your virtual computer world?

Maybe the problem isn't the job or the tasks involved. Maybe it is your environment. Workplaces can be unhealthy environments due to many factors. Some are obvious, but others are quite subtle. Going to work can expose us to toxins - toxins to our bodies, our emotions, and our spirits. Much of the time, we aren't even aware of the toxicity that exists.

Of course, toxic physical environments are often easy to identify. If the place is dirty or dusty, or if it smells of chemicals or paint, it is easy to notice the toxins.

But there are more subtle forms of toxicity.

The air can be stale and lifeless due to a lack of circulation. It's not enough in an enclosed office to just have heat and air conditioning - the air must be moving and circulating for people to be comfortable. Stuffy air in an office is deadening. Meeting rooms notoriously have poor circulation. Notice how people tend to be drowsy in meetings. Sometimes it is not because of the content of the meeting, but because of susceptibility to stale air,

The sounds we hear can be toxic. Are there frequent arguments and raised voices that you hear or are subject to? Is there destructive gossip? Is there an excessive level of machinery or equipment noise that doesn't contribute to your productive work? These are all toxins that attack our senses.

Here are the 10 signs of a healthy work environment.

1. The air is healthy. Smells, dust and stuffiness are eliminated. The temperature is comfortable in every area of the space.

2. There is natural light that everyone has access to. The quality of the light in an indoor space affects the energy of the place.