The secret to turning an office into a happy space? Design it like a spa, says this workplace wellness expert

In her new book, Well At Work: Creating Wellbeing In Any Workspace, Dr Esther Sternberg asks readers to imagine their happy place. Chances are it is not likely to be your office, or the workspace where you work.

The good news is that it is possible to turn that workspace into a happy place. “What if it felt more like a spa than a row of cramped cubicles?” she asked.

Dr Sternberg is not advocating that offices should literally be like spas, although getting paid to have a massage at work sounds blissful.

“Offices can be designed to make its occupants feel like they are at a spa, from the shape of the building to the choice of colours and textures for the walls, floors and furniture, down to details such as the lighting, humidity levels, views and access to nature,” she said.

The 73-year-old would know, having spent decades on research in the science of mind-body interaction in illness and healing, and the role of place in well-being. She is also a pioneer and major force in collaborative initiatives on mind-body-stress-wellness and environment inter-relationships.

As the number of companies requiring their staff to head back to the office increases – think Grab in Singapore, and Starbucks and Amazon in the United States – workspace design is now more crucial than ever, and especially after the pandemic.

DESIGNING THE WORKPLACE POST COVID-19

The research director at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, was in Singapore in October to speak on wellness in any workspace at the Design Futures Forum 2024 at Singapore Design Week. She is also the director for the university’s Institute on Place, Wellbeing & Performance.

She told CNA Women that “we can think about building design as bricks and mortar, or we can think about the people inside the building and how the building makes them feel. Or we can think about both.”

Increasingly, she noted, that “property owners are thinking about a building’s physiology, the system that keeps everyone inside functioning and comfortable”.

Dr Sternberg recalled how pre-pandemic, wellness for occupants was low on a building owner’s priority list. Armed with her research, she would talk to organisations and C-suite leaders, who appreciated her suggestions on how to improve buildings but stopped at allocating a budget for it.

“It was just not a priority on their spreadsheet,” said Dr Sternberg.

It’s a different story now. “Post-pandemic, corporations are desperate for ways to attract people back to work, and they see the need to spend that money,” she said.

“It is now a business imperative to design for wellness – and it goes beyond having good ventilation, which is not going to bring people back.”

BACKED BY DECADES OF RESEARCH

Dr Sternberg’s interest in a building’s physiology stemmed from her two-decades long research with the General Services Administration in the United States, using wearable devices to track health and well-being in the built office environment.

She tracked the stress responses of workers in two office buildings – one which was dark and musty with no natural light, had poor airflow and in which workers were constantly surrounded by loud mechanical noise.

Then she compared the readings to the workers in a new space, an open office with views to the surroundings, that was quiet and had lots of natural light and airflow.

Having worked in hospitals where there was constant stress, Dr Sternberg didn’t think that there would be differences in the stress response from being in the two offices. But she was wrong.

“The difference in stress response was huge. People in the old space were more stressed and they weren’t aware of it. More surprisingly, they still felt stressed even when they went home and were asleep,” said Dr Sternberg. “You may not know it, but you bring your office space home with you.”

INCORPORATING INTEGRATIVE HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE

So how do you bring wellness into a workplace? Dr Sternberg advises merging the principles of integrative health – resilience, environment, movement, relationships, spirituality, nutrition and sleep – with building design and operations.

“You can apply these principles to any space, where you live, learn, work or play,” she said.

“These are activities that everyone has to engage in daily to remain physically healthy and emotionally well, but it is really hard to consciously engage in them,” said Dr Sternberg, which is why it is important that workspaces are designed to encourage wellness.

OPEN OFFICES, SLEEP PODS AND A RECHARGE ROOM

One element for the workspace that Dr Sternberg advocates for is the open office.

“Most people have the misconception that the open office is one with rows and rows of desks,” said Dr Sternberg.

She prefers to call it the active office, a term coined by American inventor Robert Propst, which is often regarded as the precursor to the open office layout.

“The ideal open office should be one with moveable furniture which allows people to adjust the way they work. Workers should have lots of choices of other spaces they wish to go to for different types of work,” said Dr Sternberg.

“There should also be different-sized gathering spaces, and it should entice people to use them. Uninviting places will keep workers glued to their chairs.”

Through her research, she noted that office workers could walk up to 1,000 more steps in an open office, and that these workers were 32 per cent more active during the day, compared to working in a private office. They were also 20 per cent more active than those sitting in cubicles. “The office can be the new gym,” she added.

Open office layouts can help build relationships among colleagues. “Open office design increases informal interaction between workers, which is needed for creating a strong culture and successful teams,” said Dr Sternberg.

Those in the open office were also 14 per cent less stressed when they went home. “A daily reduction of 14 per cent stress can lower your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke,” she added.

With more movement during the day, workers also tend to sleep better at night. Sleep pods in offices are also good to have. “The best way to stay alert after a sleepless night is a nap, but only for 10 to 20 minutes,” said Dr Sternberg.

The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine is currently testing a new addition to their office space – a recharge room.

This is a darkened room with a projection of nature, such as a quiet mountain lake, on the wall, with sounds of nature.

“Just 15 minutes of such immersive nature exposure can help reduce anxiety, stress and burnout,” said Dr Sternberg. So far, the room has been a hit with centre users and visitors.

Dr Sternberg is also a strong advocate of office workers being close to nature for its calming effects.

“Singapore does this so well, bringing the greenery indoors,” she said. She was particularly impressed on her visit to CapitaSpring, and liked how office workers could enjoy the rooftop garden as well as the pockets of green spaces.

Dr Sternberg, naturally incorporates the seven domains of integrative health into her life. She swims daily and starts her day with a cup of green tea on her patio, as she finds it a meditative experience.

She eats well by making her own meals, and regularly connects with her family. She wears a health and fitness tracking ring, which she finds helpful to remind her to get enough rest during the day. She is also in bed by 9pm. “I try to balance stress with relaxation, which is the key to resilience,” she said.