The beauty routines of everyday work inspire to shape the work environment: “Even the smallest thing can revolutionise the working experience”

The aesthetics of everyday work is the art of seeing something special in the ordinary. Small, joyful things can be used to create new habits in everyday life aka everyday beauty routines, which increase wellbeing and work motivation. The employer and offices play an important role in enabling routines.  

According to Johanna Kiesiläinen-Riihelä, a developer of working environments and a reformer of work habits, the aesthetics of everyday work means, at its simplest, noticing the things around you that make you feel good by using different senses and giving them space in the everyday life. 

“When the senses are taken into use holistically, you can find things that radically change the experience of working. “We have numerous research results on how aesthetics and positive sensory experiences can contribute to the increase of joy and wellbeing at work and the improvement of performance,” says Kiesiläinen-Riihelä. 

Think of the morning in a new way

Kiesiläinen-Riihelä refers to the habits formed based on joyful things and insights as everyday beauty routines. These routines can be related to, for example, starting a work day, commuting to work or dressing for work. 

What if you replaced the bus with a bicycle and timed the commute for sunrise? The commute takes on a completely different meaning when you plan a route based on its beauty rather than its efficiency. 

 

“One can find a new way to tune in to the working day, for example, in meditation or tennis. Another can create their own playlist for commutes, and at some workplaces, the morning can be started together by having overnight porridge for breakfast or a yoga class,” Kiesiläinen-Riihelä illustrates.  

Small insights can significantly increase the joy of work and improve performance. 

The expert says that workwear-related routines can change the atmosphere of the entire workplace. 

“If the office has the opportunity to wear, say, bright-coloured wool socks during the winter frosts, the atmosphere of the whole company will become more relaxed. In a company that requires more formal dressing, the joy could be that the office would have a separate room for representation clothes and getting ready, in which case everyday work could be done in more relaxed clothes.”

Small things can have a surprisingly big impact on the workplace atmosphere. “In one company, employees were provided with pink fuzzy slippers. They brought so much joy that they were also offered to guests arriving at the office,” says Johanna Kiesiläinen-Riihelä.

Cute work supplies improve performance

You can also brighten up your own working day by changing where you work. Are there inspiring libraries, cafés or communal spaces nearby – or could the office spaces be used in a new way?

“We have been used to working in our own workstation or room for decades. What if the office also enabled creative handicraft moments or would have a pet-friendly workspace? Or the company could have its own designated table on a scenic terrace nearby,” Kiesiläinen-Riihelä suggests.

What if, during the working day, you could organise your thoughts by painting? “As concentration difficulties become more common, there may be an increasing need for sensory-free, handicraft spaces in offices,” says Kiesiläinen-Riihelä. 

Tweaking your own operating environment or tools can also create strong positive sensory experiences. 

“Beautiful office supplies have been proven to increase performance, the aroma of grapefruit removes anxiety, and nature sounds and greenery have an empowering effect. The organisation of the work environment or the digital cleaning of the work computer can again increase the sense of achievement and bring clarity to daily life.”

Do your co-workers have green thumbs? What if the workplace had its own conservatory where everyone could bring their favourite plants? In an oxygen-rich space, the mood is brightened and the thought travels faster.  

Small things have a big impact

According to Kiesiläinen-Riihelä, one of the key beauty routines of everyday life is the observation of the environment. 

“The appearance, history or small details of the office building can also significantly increase the appreciation of one’s own work. One might find joy in that someone has also grabbed the same door handle 100 years ago, for another, an aesthetic sensory experience can arise from the quality of the building or offices.”

There are many people in working life for whom everyday aesthetics is a great motivator.

An aesthetic working environment is also a way for employers to show appreciation for employees. Inspiring art, well-equipped toilet facilities or healthy snacks at meetings also tell customers that employees are valued in the company.

The office building plays a major role in the construction of professional identity. The attractive location of the office building, beautiful architecture or historical details can also create pride in one’s own work. 

Small, joyful things also have a surprisingly big impact on the attractiveness of the office. Fresh, free, and healthy snacks served daily have been shown to be the third most important factor in attracting remote workers to the office after free commutes and a designated workstation or room. 

A good working environment enables innovative experiments and moments of fascination.

Kiesiläinen-Riihelä also encourages to think about the feelings and sensations associated with meetings and break rooms. Does the space solution in the conference room favour chair meetings or joint activities? What does the conference room smell like and what do its chairs feel like? Would the atmosphere of a meeting change if it was held in a park or on the terrace? 

Aesthetics offers the employer a great way to make employees happy and to engage them. Healthy and free snacks served daily have been shown to be the third most important reason for attracting remote workers to the office.

Offices play a key role

According to Kiesiläinen-Riihelä, employers have an important role in enabling everyday beauty routines. The company can, for example, arrange theme days that focus on different routines, or the employer can offer personnel supportive facilities or employee benefits.

“It is easier to tweak everyday life and create routines, the more opportunities your own office building and the environment offer – and the more ready the employer and property owner are to listen to employees’ wishes and implement small everyday dreams together,” Kiesiläinen-Riihelä says and smiles. 

Fabian 21 – the best breeding ground for beauty routines

The office block in Kaartinkaupunki offers unique opportunities for tweaking your everyday life with its location and services.    

  • Cycle to work along Finland’s most beautiful waterfront routes.
  • Tune in to the workday by having coffee at the Market Square or by going for a morning swim at Allas Sea Pool.
  • Get inspiration from Rikhardinkatu Library or the creative Design Museum.
  • Do Pilates or yoga or go for a gym at lunch break – or create a new kind of sports moment for your everyday with the help of a Personal Trainer.
  • Have a culinary journey to Italy (Ristorante Scolare) and time travel to a 1950s bank milieu (Restaurant Bank) at your own office building.
  • Spice up your day with a lunch date or enjoy a different lunch experience every day of the week. 
  • Take a walk in the Esplanade Park – buy an ice cream and lay down on the lawn. 
  • Get away from problems by climbing the stairs of the Cathedral or Observatory Hill.
  • Experience the ease – order a massage, tire change, or bike maintenance from the lobby service. 
  • Get the most out of your day by visiting the Esplanade luxury boutiques and five-star restaurants.
  • Stay in one of the boutique hotels in the area and start the morning with an inspiring hotel breakfast.
  • Appreciate the beauty of the historic Art Nouveau area – find the most beautiful building on the block and the most intriguing detail of your own office building.
  • Ventilate your thoughts and head to a walking meeting in Suomenlinna.
  • Charms the customer’s senses with the experiential in-house meeting rooms, top chef’s dishes and inspiring sporting experiences.
  • Become empowered by the office building’s sustainability and clean, 100% renewable energy.

Step into a prosperous workday – visit Fabian 21 office building >>

Johanna Kiesiläinen-Riihelä: Työarjen estetiikka – virittäydy ilolle ja ihmeille työssä (in Finnish) >> 

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