Home office: how can colors influence your productivity?

A 2018 survey by the Akatu Institute found that Brazilians work, on average, 1,737 hours per year – which represents around 20% of a person's life time in a 12-month period. With the rise (and permanence) of home office , Human Resources sectors began to evaluate the need to transform the home into a welcoming environment that stimulates productivity and well-being .

What does science say?

At the University of California, a meta-analysis was conducted to understand how brightness, as well as color harmony, can interfere with mental vitality and productivity . According to psychiatrist Petrus Raulino, from Vera Cruz Hospital and Vera Cruz Casa de Saúde in Campinas, "striking and organized environments can create pleasant memories that help us experience mental states of rest, tranquility and peace . These mental states allow the professional's intellectual resources are directed more efficiently towards delivering the work".

The psychology of architecture

In view of this, in the field of architecture this was translated into a new area of study – neuroarchitecture , which studies how the physical environment impacts people's brains . According to neuroarchitecture, the creation of a project must go through three stages: biophilia , which consists of the connection between nature and human beings, whether through plants or natural objects; user experience , which consists of positively recording a certain environment in the user's memory; and the neuroscience of colors , which determines how the brain behaves when faced with information captured visually. “In neuroarchitecture, work environments are planned according to the activity that will be developed in each sector , so that this action is influenced and enhanced. Research shows that the human brain receives different stimuli when viewing warm and cold colors. While the hot ones activate areas responsible for emotional and instinctive behavior, the cold ones activate the rational and intellectual side", says Denise Moraes, project director and partner at AKMX Arquitetura Corporativa. >> Read also: Biophilia: what it is and how to incorporate it into architecture

Associated with balance and tranquility , blue activates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for working memory. This accesses acquired memory and retains the memory of the activity being performed – blue is therefore ideal for those who go through the day brainstorming in meetings , for example.

Green

Green is perfect for those home offices that require a lot of concentration and focus . Like blue, green also activates the prefrontal cortex of the brain; therefore, the color is great for stimulating interaction and the exchange of ideas in harmony. and affection .

White

The most neutral shade in the color spectrum, white is associated with purity and serenity. Generally used as a base for other colors, white is able to sharpen the senses and stimulate perception , thus increasing productive capacity. In addition to home offices, It is also great for study rooms and libraries .

Yellow

The color yellow activates the reward system , which is made up of three areas of the brain, two of which are responsible for emotional and affective behavior; and the last of them, the prefrontal cortex, is activated when a pleasurable action is performed. Thus , the color yellow can help those who need to make work more enjoyable and pleasant .

Orange

Warm colors, by definition, activate emotional and instinctive behavior , feelings and affective memory. Of all the colors, orange is the most dynamic because it combines the luminosity of yellow and the vigor of red. Therefore, orange is great to stimulate creativity and communication ; also very useful in coworking spaces.

Purple

Purple is responsible for activating the frontal lobe of the brain, an area responsible for planning actions and imagination . Therefore, painting the home office purple can be considered by people who perform more creative and imaginative activities , such as artists.