02.12.2019
It would be easy to believe that with all the talk about artificial intelligence, big data and a changing global economy, that our uniquely human skills won't be all that important to our future. However, regardless of how much technology changes the way we work now, it is people that ultimately drive a successful organisation. How we share our knowledge, our creative instincts and our need to keep on doing things better, mean the future of work will be human. And the better the humans, the greater the potential for success.
It follows that the workspace will need to be a place for people to thrive, that it is a place that re-energises and recharges us. A place we leave feeling better than when we arrived. A place that doesn't just support work activity but rather human productivity. With this ambition in mind and driven by a passion for wellbeing, Amicus founders James Kemp and Andrew Holder set up the Future Human Co. early in 2019 with the late Nigel Hobbs. Based in the Amicus Sydney workspace, Future Human Co. is a live working environment to test and develop leading edge wellness products and solutions, and as a place we can invite people in to experience these products firsthand. We thought we would introduce you to some of the wellness solutions you will find at Future Human Co.
Recharge
Imagine a space close by you can escape to when you need to find a few minutes of calm or to close your eyes and stop fighting fatigue. This is a Recharge Room. Within the Future Human Co. Recharge Room you will find two great recharge solutions:
EnergyPod
Developed around the simple principle: a 20 minute nap is beneficial for wellbeing and productivity. The Energypod creates an environment for sleep within a snug space combining music, warmth and a gentle wake sequence of lights and vibrations. Provided naps are taken no later than mid-afternooon and less than 30 minutes they can improve our mood, energy and cognitive function without disrupting our night time sleep routine.
O2 Chair
The O2 Chair guides us through a deep breathing experience making our breathes more conscious, slow and deep. The chair gently warms and massages through this meditation, providing a circuit breaker for moments of high stress and anxiety. Research tells us that a daily mediation practice can improve our sleep, build resilience and enable us to be more present in each moment.
Nutrition
Making healthy food choices easier, Morsl provides both a wellbeing solution and an employee benefit. Morsl is an inhouse, self-service micro market of healthy food choices for employees. We know that less than 1 in 10 adults eat enough vegetables and only about half of us eat enough fruit. An on-site healthy food solution such as Morsl helps us make choosing healthy options just a little bit easier.
Light
With lighting aligned to our circadian rhythms, the indoor environment a little closer to nature. Circadian lighting installed within the Future Human Co. subtly shifts over the course of day in intensity and colour in line with the outdoor light. Our mood, sleep patterns, alertness and physiological functions are all set by our circadian rhythms so keeping these in sync provides us greater overall wellbeing.
Air Quality
People spend approximately 90% of their time in enclosed spaces - in homes, offices or other building environments. During this time, inhalation exposure to indoor air pollutants can lead to poor short or long term health impacts. Our Fellows and Dyson air purifiers provide advanced air purification clearing the atmosphere of vapours, particles and odours, thereby reducing the risk of exposure to potential air pollutants from indoor and external sources.
Fitness & Movement
Incorporating movement and exercise into the work day can be a challenge for many people, the key is often about making it as easy as possible. Using an existing meeting room with moveable furniture we have can created a fitness studio where all you need to do is choose a type of class, an instructor and the amount of time you have available. The Club W virtual fitness studio provides a full range of self-service classes on a large screen at the touch of a button. All you have to do is hit go!
So that is just some of our products. As the Future Human Co. has evolved over the past six months, we have also learnt a few lessons about how to implement new initiatives.
If you build it, they won't necessarily come
Wellness needs to be activated. It is not sufficient just to provide an initiative or feature such as the EnergyPod or fitness studio. We need to educate, inspire and lead to engage people in the benefits and build wellbeing habits. Ask us about our recent MD Recharge Challenge!
Everyone's an expert
We’re all humans, so people often think that what works for them will work for everyone. In truth, successful wellbeing interventions need to be targeted and diverse. You need to consider who your employees are, where they are at in their lives and what interventions will achieve the best wellbeing outcomes.
Sketchy data points
We won’t always have all of the data we need to fully calculate a return on investment or understand the value of an initiative. Leaps of faith and instinct may be necessary where cause and effect of wellbeing programs are be difficult to discern.
Like the future, the Future Human Co. is constantly evolving and looking at solutions and products that make us and our environments healthier. We would love to share the experience with you. Please contact us here to book a tour.
