How can I make my workplace a healthier, more welcoming environment?

If you can make the office an empowering place, you can improve your health and decrease your stress. Some ways to do that: Color: The U.S. Public Health Service did a two-year study of public buildings and found when they analyzed the room with additional lighting and color, they found when color was used there was a 5.5 percent production improvement. A combination of green and red seem to be the most productive.

So-called ugly colors - white, black, brown - cause a drop in performance even on IQ tests by as much as 12 points in one study. Light: Green light and blue light increase activity slightly, but a yellow light increases activity by about 30 percent. Artwork and Greenery: Keeping plants in the office gives us the feeling of living things, growing things; they're even healing and comforting, and empowering.

Artwork can be edgy in lobbies to set a tone of innovativeness but it shouldn't be edgy where people work because you want them to focus on the work, not on the artwork. Think natural and calming pieces. Air Quality: Sick building syndrome has been reported by 23 percent of U.S. office workers, manifesting itself in such problems as respiratory ailments, allergies, and asthma.

Push your bosses to make sure the office has proper ventilation and air. Temperature: Optimal productivity performance appears to be at 72 degrees. And going too much colder is associated with making more mistakes at work.

Humor: One of the secrets to a good office environment is having people who can laugh and have fun. Now, we're not saying you should be practicing your best Chris Rock jokes on your cube-mates (after all, everyone's sensibilities are different), but maybe you should embrace, not scorn, the office clown. He's just trying to make you happier and healthier.

Okay, maybe that's not his primary intention, but that can be the effect.

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