Constantly working leaves little time for rest and renewal. This is especially true in the office, where stress is often pervasive, and outlets for release are limited. A space to relax throughout the workday has many advantages for the organization and the employee.

An employee break room's primary function is to provide respite from the monotony of regular work duties. A little time spent in this stress-free zone may do wonders for a person's health and well-being, as it allows them to unwind and refocus on what's important to them outside of work. Building a pleasant and practical break room may boost morale, employee involvement, and output. 

Companies have taken the notion of employee lounges to the next level, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a day spa for their workers over lunch.

A developing movement is to design an office breakroom where one may do some light exercise, take a brief nap, or meditate in peace and quiet by including elements such as massage chairs, cushioned floor pads, plants, soothing music, and dim lighting. Playing games is another method of relieving tension and unwinding. Games like darts, air hockey, and pool tables may provide a physical outlet for workers' pent-up tension and help them restore concentration.

Depending on how well or poorly it's laid out, the workplace's energy may soar or plummet in this one space.

Social Interaction, Not Social Media 

Encourage your employees to communicate and connect with other people. Lunching in a quiet breakroom where everyone looks away from each other is about as socially uncomfortable as it gets.

Put that money into designing a fun break area where people want to talk to each other. How? Prepare the space by including Scrabble and other board games. It's an excellent way for team members to bond over lunch and use their intellect at the same time. 

Have sports simulators (Nintendo Switch Sports, Kinect Sports Rivals, Wii Sports, Zumba Fitness) and video game matches in the breakroom, too!

Games like Wii Sports are examples of sports simulators designed to get players up and moving. This sort of game is perfect for encouraging physical activity and healthy rivalry among workers in the workplace. Offer a wide selection of sports games, check that you have enough of the necessary controllers and hardware, and leave enough room around the breakroom for players to maneuver.

Connecting a gaming console or two to giant TVs is a common fixture in modern workplace breakrooms. Ensure a broad selection of games for employees to play in the breakroom, encouraging collaboration. To get the most out of it, have an office-wide contest where coworkers compete against one another at several popular video games. Inviting workers from different departments to mingle at these events may be a fantastic approach to get them talking to one another and participating in other team-building activities.

Freedom Wall

By providing a platform for individuals to express their artistic sides through writing and drawing, you open the door to a flood of new, innovative ideas. A wall painted with magnetic chalkboard paint, and the addition of fun magnets for displaying flyers are excellent alternatives to the traditional bulletin board.

A chalkboard wall is more than just a place to jot down reminders. Imagine it as an attractive accent wall in the breakroom area, and allow it to improve the visual attractiveness of your workplace as a whole. A black chalkboard-painted accent wall would be one of the best employee break room ideas to inject fun and whimsy into an otherwise serious, professional environment.

Similarly, your office's blues, oranges, yellows, and even reds all go well with black. Keep in mind that chalkboard paint is available in a wide variety of colors.

Recruit artists in your office and have them take turns making the chalk art of the week!

Weekly Or Daily Encouragement

Speaking of the week. Do something fun in the breakroom daily or weekly to keep everyone motivated. You can boost staff morale when they have something to anticipate each day or every week. 

Perhaps every Monday, have a coffee of the week tasting event and give your staff a chance to try a cup of coffee of a new blend if caffeine is a major motivator in the workplace. 

The world is your coffee bean, ahem, oyster. Suppose you could start by going through every state's most popular coffee flavor. After that, have employees try the best coffee from each continent or country. 

On humpday Wednesdays, post a question of the week on your chalkboard wall for everyone to respond to and let the employees marvel at the answers instead of mindlessly browsing on their phones during their breaks. Questions could be “would you rather,” “get-to-know-you,” deep, funny, or random.

Selecting the appropriate questions for your breakroom is crucial since if you don't connect with your group, they can feel uncomfortable or uninterested. It would be best if you chose which of the many questions available to you is most appropriate for the work week and the audience you're speaking to.

Maybe Fridays could be a snack-sharing day, and you can ask employees to bring treats to be shared. Designate a communal space or put together a basket where everyone can leave goodies for the team. Promote it as a place where you can only leave pre-packaged or store-bought items.

Peace & Quiet

While the items above are fun employee break room ideas, it is also vital to have quiet spaces where people may relax in solitude. After all, not every worker has the same idea of what constitutes restorative time. Simple partitions or dividers can help insulate your space from ambient noise and create a quieter zone.

Also, think about creating a small office library where employees may borrow, exchange, and discuss books. People can relax and creatively express their individuality if craft supplies and adult coloring books are available, too.

Lastly, consider providing a work break room where workers can relax and sleep if needed. This is the perfect opportunity for those workers who need a moment of peace and quiet to reflect on their day. The goal is to ensure that nobody goes without what they need; thus, the office break room should be comfortable for sleeping if that's what people choose to do. It's essential to cut down the noise level to a minimum; therefore check the soundproofing of the walls.

Take Several Seats

One office break room idea that should be high on anyone’s list is to pick out cozy and practical pieces of furniture. If your workers spend most of their time at their desk, they may not like having to take a break on an uncomfortable chair at a cramped table. Consider providing not just comfortable seating options but also some benches and picnic tables in the breakroom. Modular furniture is a great choice, or on wheels so that employees can rearrange the room as they see fit.

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