When it comes to productivity, it seems that most professionals are grasping on to any tip or trick that can help keep up their focus. If you’re one of the many people that struggles to stay on tasks 
throughout the workday, you can relate.
One tip that’s often overlooked is the paint color in your office.
You might feng shui your desk and arrange your office furniture, but what about changing up the colors of your walls? Could that really make a difference? The folks at The University of Texas’ research group think so.
The study found that women’s productivity sunk when surrounded by grey, white, and beige – the colors of most office buildings. On the other hand, men had poor productivity when surrounded by purple or orange. Ruling out those colors, how do you decide which color is best for your space? Here are a few tips to help.
Blues
When you think of blue, you might think of Mother Nature. Blues are seen in nature as relaxing and are generally the most well-received office color. That’s according to Sally Augustin, Ph. D at Design With Science.
Augustin says that blue hues have a calming effect on employees. They relax the mood without making it somber. This color inspires focus, keeping your team on task and productive. They’re the best for common areas where you want to please the most people.
Greens
Greens are fresh and vibrant without being overwhelming. They’re perfect for offices where teams work long hours because they strike up the perfect balance between calm and inspiration. Workers become less fatigued being surrounded by green, and therefore are able to stay on task for longer periods at a time.
There’s scientific proof to back that claim. In one study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, green rooms were found to facilitate growth through inventiveness. If you have a team that’s hard at work on a complex project, surround them with green to encourage their productivity and forward momentum.
Reds
Reds are known as action inspiring colors. They’re the color of blood, which brings out feelings of passion and excitement. Seeing red splattered on the wall can feel like a jolt of energy, which in some office rooms, is exactly the feeling you want to inspire.
Use reds in your conference rooms to keep meetings energetic and on task. Liven up common areas with red accents to spark excitement throughout the workplace. As a rule, if you want people to get excited when they enter that room in your office, incorporate elements of red.
What Color is Your Office?
If you’re still stuck with drab walls, or depressing colors, it might be time for a change. Mix up your paint colors and watch how your team responds. The results might surprise you.
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