Do sore eyes and throat, dry skin, mental fatigue, headaches, coughing and wheezing sound familiar? If you work in an office or building that has low circulation, mass air-conditioning, no natural light and computers on every desk, you’ll most likely know these symptoms intimately. It’s simply part of working in a modern world. Most of our buildings are unhealthy and are not only making it difficult to be productive but affecting our overall health and wellbeing.

According to Mark Bunn, natural health coach specialising in Maharishi Ayurvedic medicine and author of Ancient Wisdom for Modern Health, the environment we work in has an enormous role in our health and wellbeing. “The best way we can improve our work environments, and therefore our own health and productivity, is to figure out how to bring the natural elements into our offices.” That means bringing the five fundamental elements of Ayurveda — space, air, fire, water and earth — into your workplace. It’s through balancing these elements that you can begin to reverse the damage these unhealthy environments have on your mind and body.

Space — clutter and direction

A cluttered workspace means a cluttered mind. In Ayurveda, it is clearly stated that we don’t just metabolise what we eat, we metabolise everything we experience through our senses. Put simply, a messy environment influences the way we think and behave. “When our bodily channels become blocked, we become physically sick,” says Bunn. “When our personal space becomes blocked or cluttered, we can also become physically sick.” Therefore, the first thing Bunn suggests to improve your workplace and your health is to clear the space around you. When you are physically cramped or your living space is full of “junk”, you can feel stressed and lack creativity.

“Ancient cultures had a ceremony called ‘space clearing’, where they would actually clear the space around them and reconfigure it to start afresh,” Bunn says. These space-clearing ceremonies have been performed as an integral part of life among people from the Celtics to the Tibetan Buddhists through to Native American tribes.

Once you’ve cleared your area of anything old, unwanted and messy, Bunn also suggests considering which way your desk faces. The very latest research in the field of neuroscience has found that facing a certain direction is critical for integrated brain functioning and maximum mental performance. While this may not be straightforward for some office workers, if you’re struggling at work with concentration or decision-making, the benefits you could reap mean it’s worth considering a bit of office shuffling to try to get the best out of your location.

Based on the principles of Maharishi Ayurveda’s sister science, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda (MSV), studies of peak brain function show that the firing patterns of neurons in the part of the brain that regulates sensory information and levels of awareness are significantly different depending on which direction a person is facing. Face one way and a specific set of neurons activate. Look the other and another set fire. So what is the best direction for optimal brain performance while you work? The answer is east, but if east is not possible, the next best direction is north, while south and west are considered “unfavourable”.

Air — bring the outside in

For anyone working inside an artificially ventilated building, breathing fresh, pure air is simply not possible. While air purifiers and humidifiers can provide some benefit, one of the best ways to naturally improve the quality of air you breathe is to use Mother Nature. As Bunn explains, “If the wind is Mother Nature’s breath, the plant kingdom is her lungs.” A study by Professor Margaret Burchett from the University of Technology in Sydney found that pot plants inside can reduce air toxins by as much as 20 per cent. Burchett’s team also demonstrated how various plants can reduce volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, by up to 75 per cent. Another study of houseplants showed they reduce fatigue, sore throats and cold symptoms by over 30 per cent. Studies in Europe have shown that potplants in a workplace can reduce sick leave by 60 per cent.

A plant also helps counteract the hot, solar energy of the computer and absorbs pollutants in the air. The air inside an office can be 5–10 times more polluted than that found outdoors, but a simple plant on your desk can purify some of those toxins and give you fresher oxygen to breath. Bunn suggests palms, ferns and spider plants are good choices for offices as they are excellent for air purification as well as being easy to maintain.

Fire – seek sunlight

It’s amazing how little sunshine some people get in a day. So many of us now arrive at work as the sun is rising and leave after it has set, without stepping outside to get some of the sun’s rays during the day. Bunn says one of the most important things we can consider in terms of creating a healthy workplace is getting enough vitamin D. It might be beneficial to get a blood test to assess your vitamin D level (serum 25 OH or hydroxyvitamin D3) and find out exactly how much vitamin D you are getting.