According to a study by the American Institute of Stress conducted in 2018, the resulting price of stress in the workplace comes in at about $300 billion dollars for the U.S. industry alone. Accidents, absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity, insurance costs, and compensation awards contribute to this number.
As work-related stress continues to climb throughout industries, we must ask the question, “Is it actually possible to find balance in the office?” 45% of individuals lay awake at night due to stress and 74% of people feel stress every single month. As a result of statistics like these, from 1983 to 2009 stress levels increased by 10-30% across all demographics in the USA (source: American Psychological Association).
Firstbeat Data Processing
So how do we manage stress and recovery levels throughout the day?
Interested in discovering that balance, Framery, teamed up with Firstbeat to conduct a study that measures stress levels before and after users have experienced a Framery pod. Advanced performance analytics were used to monitor the stress and recovery of 54 office workers over the course of three days, two of which were workdays. Firstbeat stress assessment is based on measurement of every heartbeat to analyze heart rate variability, which opens a window into the body autonomic nervous system and its sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (recovery) branches. Firstbeat tracked stress levels while employees slept, worked within and outside of pods, took breaks, and went on with their normal daily activities.
The noteworthy results indicate that employees experience a sense of recovery while working and taking breaks in Framery pods, and are ultimately happier throughout the day given their lower stress levels.
41% of office workers had moments of relaxation during the work day after having rested in the pod, and 35% felt energized after they had done some work inside a pod. So what does this mean for the modern
office? The study reveals a few key things employees can do throughout the day to maintain a sense of happiness:
- Including embracing human rhythms
2. Seeking out the proper spaces to take breaks
3. Allocating the right amount of downtime
Leveraging Framery’s Pod Technology
This study empirically showed that using pods at work benefits the stress level of employees. In general, reduced stress can lead to many business benefits, such as increased retention rates and boosted morale. In addition, lowered stress levels can more likely improve the quality of sleep and the motivation of employees. This makes pods an investment in the wellbeing of employees, and ultimately, a driver for business growth.
The study reveals a few key things employees can do throughout the day to maintain a sense of happiness including embracing human rhythms, seeking out the proper spaces to take breaks, and
allocating the right amount of downtime.
As additional background, Framery is a leading manufacturer of soundproof pods that seeks to enable and reinforce happiness in the workplace. With a strong focus, investment in research, and a commitment to “practice what we preach” attitude, we are determined to find solutions that provide positivity in the workplace and beyond.
As a brand, Framery connects to more than just architecture and design
firms—we are on the ground with all of our clients and business partners, and are actively working to improve the happiness of inhabitants that work in open offices across all industries. Because noise
pollution and low employee morale ultimately result in internal failures and a lack of company growth, we began our journey to eliminate the greater obstacle of sound and privacy in the workplace.
We are continuously operating toward fulfilling our mission, to bring happiness to our clients as well as inspire each other to create healthier company cultures. In this way, we can all continue to grow as good, sustainable businesses, together.
