8 Helpful Ways to Improve your Workplace Energy

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You’ve been having a fierce staring game with your laptop for about 30 minutes now and neither seems to want to back down. All you hear in the background is the clickety-clack of your colleague’s keyboard and the never-ending ticking of the clock that says two in the afternoon. Your low energy makes you want to just lie in bed and binge your favorite series at home without a care in the world.

Sounds familiar? Don’t worry because everyone else has had the same experience at work.

We’ve all had sluggish and lazy moments in the office. More often than not, a temporary lull in energy levels could be an aftereffect of a heavy workload or a dip in your circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is basically a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. Once this hits you at a time when deadlines are just around the corner, you’ll have to brace yourself for that imminent yawn. And you wouldn’t want that to happen during a meeting with your boss.

So how can you best recover from energy lulls without having to resort to too much caffeine and sugary snacks? Better steer away from being at a low ebb at work as it can affect your productivity and output.

1. Enjoy the sunshine

When you’re working the early morning shift, it’s best to take advantage of the sunlight, receive its warmth, and bathe in its pleasant goodness. A two-minute walk around the block is always a great idea to relax your mind and unwind from work. Listen to your favorite mellow music and soak in the morning breeze. In a fast-paced environment, meditating is another important thing often passed up on. Deep breaths also help improve blood flow, develop a good posture, and detoxify the body.

2. Get your body moving

Get up every once in a while and stretch those muscles to keep your energy flowing throughout the day. If you can squeeze in a little workout and break a sweat during your free time, it can help you stay at peak performance until the end of the day. Exercising in the office isn’t an entirely new idea, but regular physical activities have such positive impact to employees as they provide an opportunity for them to connect beyond the workplace. A study also showed the benefits of exercising aren’t just physical; it also enhances mental abilities and develops creativity and focus.

3. Keep your desk organized

Your workplace is your personal space, and it sort of defines your personality. If it’s too cluttered and your stuff is in disarray, it’s likely that your mind is clouded as well. Pens, highlighters, and scissors should be in a pencil cup or any used cylindrical cup. Important files, sticky notes, stamps, and printer paper should be stored in a filing cabinet or a paper tray. Remember: clearing your desk can help you clear your mind. It can energize your entire system and give you a fresh perspective. Plants can also boost your productivity and well-being. Surround yourself with lush greenery and you will find yourself in a friendly, breathing environment conducive to a positive and revitalized workplace.

4. Check your to-do list

Always take a minute to prioritize your tasks. Stress leads to fatigue and even mental breakdown. Once you’re done with a certain project, tick it off your list. And you will feel a slight tingling sensation after that small achievement. Imagine being able to accomplish everything down to the last item on your list. Feels like you’re ready to do more, right?

5. Munch on healthy snacks

Sitting at your desk all day can already lead to weight gain and loss of muscle tone, so going for junk food isn’t really a great option. Eating healthy snacks not only balances out blood sugar, it also affects overall performance by providing the fuel needed to perform daily tasks. A combo of protein and carbs like yogurt with fruits and nuts is one example. Breakfast shouldn’t be taken for granted either. It kickstarts metabolism to help burn calories around the clock.

6. Share a laugh

Indeed, laughter is the best medicine—even to lack of energy. Its benefits extend to better mental health and a sign of healthier overall well-being. Apart from boosting the immune system, the act of laughing releases endorphins into the brain, providing happiness and an amplified sense of comfort. So don’t shy away from the occasional laugh with your colleagues. After all, it isn’t merely an escape from work, but a way to help you be more productive and cultivate a positive work environment.

7. Go for tea instead of coffee

Tea and coffee are perhaps two of the most well-liked beverages in the world, especially on rainy days. But how does one go about choosing which one to drink whenever their energy hits a low point? While coffee can improve short term reaction times and protect the liver against cancer, it can also cause tooth discoloration and decrease blood flow to the heart. Tea, on the other hand, contains fluoride which protects the teeth and can reduce risk of stroke, neurological disorders, and a heart attack.

8. Keep a positive attitude

At the end of the day, how you handle stress and lack of energy is what matters most. Feed your mind with positive thoughts and only then can you approach things with an optimistic standpoint full of endless possibilities. Celebrate small wins to improve morale and inspire creativity and you’ll be surprised how this can also significantly influence the people around you.

Arch Offices Set To Open New Office in Ayala Avenue, Makati

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Arch Offices new haven for creativity, collaboration and innovation will soon open on December 1, 2017.

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5 Reasons You’ll Easily Fall In Love With Arch Offices

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Arch Offices has certain aspects that one can’t help but fall in love with. Discover them in this article.

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Neighborhood Pins: Arch Offices’ Guide to Food, Lifestyle and Entertainment in Paseo de Roxas

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Who are the people in your neighborhood? Discover the best spots where you can chill, dine and train in Paseo de Roxas, Makati City.

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5 Reasons Your Business Should Rent a Coworking Space in Makati

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Have you ever wondered how different your business would be like based on the type of office and location you choose to move in to?

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5 Habits To Maintain A Positive Work Culture

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People think cultivating a positive work culture is not at all fundamental; that as long as the employees are being paid and attaining benefits – it’s all good. However, that’s proven false.

Happiness in the workplace determines an individual’s step by step decisions with regards to their work. Individuals must find maximum joy and satisfaction in their workplace and these can only be provided by maintaining a positive work culture and here’s below are the habits that can perpetuate it:

1. Gratitude and appreciation is everything.

All good works must be recognized and appreciated. Whether it is in simple thank you tokens, small reward system or as big as a salary increase – employees must feel that their hard work and efforts are not in vain but is veritably acknowledged. Let them know that they are important to the company and that there is a certain future for them — that will surely affect their work habits and will result to an even bigger effort exerted from their end.

2. Compassion over criticism.

Whether you’re an influential team leader or an average team member, it is necessary to always put compassion above criticism. If there are mistakes and things that others can further at, voice it out in such a way that it will sound constructive and not destructive. Be generous in encouragement, in motivation and in pushing people to go beyond their limitations. Make it known to them that they can always take one step closer to success, every single day. Be sure to remind them that there will always be room for growth and advancement of their skills and abilities in the workplace, whether it is a virtual office or a physical one.

3. Always allot time to clean your workspace.

Nobody wants to work in a dirty space, in fact, it lessens an individual’s interest towards work. A clean space can invite productivity and enthusiasm in an individual as they face their day to day tasks. Cleanliness is also a sign of respect, to yourself and also to your fellow employees. Cleanliness should always be practiced especially if you’re placed in a co-working office.

4. Politeness goes a long, long way.

Whether you are working in a virtual office here in the Philippines or a physical one, politeness should always be observed. It must be within you every minute of the day, spreading it like a disease. Whether it’s in a simple ‘good morning’ or ‘please’ — it must be said and felt by your co-workers, all the time. It is proven to develop better teamwork and improve the professional and personal relationship with your colleagues as well.

5. Everyone should be aware of their worth and purpose.

People should be reminded that they play a vital role in the workplace. They should be waking up excited and motivated to fulfill their roles and attend to their purpose. Handing out tasks and responsibilities for them is never enough, these workers are not robots in which you can just tell them what to do, they are human with emotions and organizations must stir up positive emotions inside them. They must have a sense of belongingness and purpose in order for them to continue striving and achieving bigger things for the company. This said purpose will surely play an evident role in the workplace.

You see, maintaining a positive work culture is not as hard as it seems. It’s all about understanding people and having a heart full of trust, compassion and of course respect. If you are looking to start your very own corporate office you can start by looking through offices for rent. There are coworking spaces for rent here in the Philippines and office spaces for rent here in Makati which can ultimately kick-start your professional venture.

3 Ways On How Workplace Environments Affect Productivity

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A workplace environment is not something you just can ignore. No. In fact, it plays such a big factor when choosing an effective place for work.

Your workplace environment must veritably be a sanctuary for focus and concentration. Whether it’s a virtual office or a coworking space in the Philippines – it must be a domicile for dynamic learning and prolific work. There are office spaces for rent in the Philippines as well as office spaces for rent in Makati that can serve as sound spaces for productivity and efficiency.

Here are some of the ways in which you can make your space a friendly, rewarding and fruitful environment for work, work, work!

1. Know the significance of privacy

At times, brainstorming and open plan spaces are beneficial especially for growth and constructive criticisms, for the continuous flow of ideas and concepts – yes. But ultimately, every single employee is entitled to their work privacy. Employees, when overheard or interrupted can result in a less productive work. They all need time on their own, time to hear no one else but themselves and their creative juices. They all need a certain space where they can breathe, relax and not feel pressured to talk or voice out there opinions and ideas. Whether it is a virtual office in the Philippines or an office for rent – privacy provides productivity. Employees need a place where they are definitely alone and can think to themselves. That interestingly adds productivity and positive work attitude.

2. Realize that loud music and an even louder chitchats equal to distraction

A noisy environment can never qualify as a sound workspace. You will never be able to concentrate and focus on whatever you have to do, on your responsibilities if there are constant noises surrounding you. You cannot dedicate your full mind in your presentation if your colleague’s gossip is louder than your thinking, or if that party song keeps playing at the third row. Yes, millennials have grown up in such high sensory environments, they can multitask but still, they are not immune to loud distractions. There is a study in cognitive control that furthermore suggests that habitual multitaskers find it harder to gain their focus back after being distracted or interrupted. So, a workspace must be an environment that doesn’t curate distractions and interruptions toward focused employees. It must be a place where they can freely finish their to-do lists and attend to their workload in a quiet and serene space.

3. Allow your employees creativity and control

Give importance to the creativity, energy, and wit of your workspace. Striking wallpapers, adjustable desks, lighting options, temperature control and variety of workrooms – all of which tremendously help and bring improvement to efficiency. Keep in mind, nobody wants to work in a closed cubicle. Employees nowadays want fresh air and space to inhale good vibes, that’s why some employees prefer to work outside, in a coffee shop perhaps or at home where they can control their space. Allow your employees mobility when possible and the ability to design the space they would stay in for 8 hours or more. Allow the resources as well in order to reach their maximum productivity.

Arch’s co-sharing offices bring Seattle charm to the Filipino workplace

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Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — Hardwood floors, lush greenery, brick walls, and furry friends are just some sights that wouldn’t be out of place in an office based in Seattle, a city known for bringing the natural vibes of its parks and forests indoors.

Arch Offices in Makati has all of that, albeit with the absence of the dogs (due to building restrictions) and some of the greenery (it was hard to maintain real plants, so fake ones are on the way).

Arch was started in November 2015 by the husband-and-wife managing team of Jamie and Carmen del Rosario Booth with the intention to lease out part of their expansive 20th-floor office space. The former Seattle residents originally took up space to house their outsourcing business, Booth and Partners, but found it to be too large for their team.

Arch Offices lockers

Lockers are installed along one side of Arch’s open floor for the personal storage of the company’s clients and employees. Photo by SONNY THAKUR

Eventually, they came up with the idea for Arch, a business that provides office and staff leasing services to interested clients who need desks to work on or a staff to work for them. The company currently has 52 employees on the staff leasing side alone, with 60 to 70 percent of the office being used by clients who pay to use its private rooms and desks.

Bridging the gap

The Booths struggled to find the creative work environment paired with the technology they required to operate their BPO. In fact, it took the Booths a year to find the right space, which they then renovated to include the infrastructure they needed to run their business.

When they found that space — the empty, “funky” one in the penthouse of the Citibank Tower — they knew that they wanted it to have a vibe similar to what they saw when they lived in Seattle. “We wanted to bridge Seattle and Manila office environments,” says Jamie. “The Arch in our brand name is a symbolism of bridging the gap — like on a bridge over a body of water.”

Located right in the heart of Makati’s Central Business District, Arch occupies an entire floor with its six private rooms, meeting room, common room, and open floor furnished with fully equipped workstations.

Heim Interiors, the design firm behind Ride Revolution and Sunnies Specs’s Glorietta store, was responsible for taking the Booths’ Seattle-inspired vision and transforming the former empty space into what it is now. All of the interiors follow the rustic color scheme of brown, green, and black, along with a red-brick finish — a deviation from the usual white, which Carmen explains is due to their desire to keep their employees motivated. “We were trying to insinuate a certain culture with our BPO,” she says. “We didn’t want the standard cubicles and white walls. We wanted something that everyone was really proud of going to work every day.”

One standout example of this is the common room, which doubles as a picturesque lounge. There are modern table and chair sets placed atop the turf grass floor, with a Flying Pigeon bicycle resting by the wall, which makes for a nice backdrop during lunch breaks.

Arch Offices Booths

Arch’s managing partners, Jamie and Carmen del Rosario Booth, with their newborn baby. Photo by SONNY THAKUR

Clean and green

Caring for their employees is definitely big on the couple’s agenda. Naturally, part of that extends to the fields of health and wellness.

Everything at Arch looks clean and shiny, with hand sanitizer dispensers placed in the common room and the reception area. Jamie and Carmen are adamant about keeping their workplace clean, as they used to work in an office building that wasn’t very concerned about sanitation. “I think it’s really important in shared offices because it’s really easy to get sick, obviously,” says Carmen. “If the space is not sanitized and one person has the flu, everyone will get the flu really quickly. So it’s really important that that’s maintained.”

With regard to body wellness, they promote healthy eating and exercise. Aside from encouraging their employees to bike to work, the couple also jokingly say that their location on the 20th floor also helps in that department. The elevator of their building only serves until the 18th floor, which means that all employees have to climb up two flights of stairs to get to work.

Right now, they’re working on a collaboration with the Salcedo-based fresh convenience store Sprout — whose owner, Erwan Heussaff, is one of their clients — to provide discounts for their employees.

Arch Offices shelves

Green is a highly favored color in Arch, from its workstation dividers to the floor of its meeting room. The company plans to fill its shelves with greenery, albeit of the artificial kind. Photo by SONNY THAKUR

Community building

It’s not all work with no play for the people at Arch. One of the advantages of being on the highest floor is that they have exclusive access to an open balcony that overlooks the Ayala Triangle and the rest of the Makati CBD. It’s where they occasionally hold after-work socials complete with beers and house music.

Carmen and Jamie stress that this is just one way for them to let loose and foster a sense of community among their employees. “We wanted to encourage collaboration among our team members as well,” says Carmen. “It’s not like, ‘Raise your hand,’ ‘I have a question for my manager.’ It’s, ‘How can we collaborate with the teammates around us to solve problems,’ etc.”

Arch Offices common room

Arch’s common room doubles as a picturesque lounge, with modern table and chair sets, and a Flying Pigeon bicycle resting by the wall. It leads to an open balcony that overlooks the Ayala Triangle and the rest of the Makati Central Business District. Photo by SONNY THAKUR

In fact, the Booths don’t have their own office rooms. Instead, they work from the open floor’s dedicated work spaces. “We like to feel like we’re also clients of the office and not feel like we’re running it, and like we’re tucked away in some office away from everybody,” says Jamie. “We want to feel like we’re part of the community that we’re trying to create.”

The Booths are constantly trying to find room for growth for both their business and their clients. They’re looking forward to expanding to their new branch that’s currently in the works at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Set to open in the third quarter of this year, it’s designed to have all the same amenities and the same flair as the original Arch — but with a few additions, including a space for standing desks and more meeting rooms to accommodate more clients.