With the flexible working model gaining popularity around the world, many companies are adopting modern designs to build their office spaces. The concept of breakout areas is one of the best aspects of modern offices as it offers amazing benefits for both employees and employers. It promotes employee well-being thereby ensuring higher productivity and retention.

Did you know 89% of employees are more likely to recommend a company that supports well-being initiatives as a good place to work to their connections? 

Breakout spaces have become a necessity in current times. These spaces are designed to allow employees to relax and disengage from work for a short time thereby ensuring they stay refreshed and motivated at all times. They have a positive impact on employee well-being and enhance job satisfaction. 

Hence, most companies are changing their office design to create space for breakout zones. Some of them are setting up offices in coworking spaces as these spaces offer excellent amenities, such as breakout zones, cafeterias, gyms, and more that support and promote employee engagement and well-being.

In this post, we will understand what breakout spaces are, their benefits, and how you can create one for your office.

What Is an Office Breakout Space?

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A breakout space is a space where employees can rest, recharge, and relax for some time during their work days. These spaces are designed to allow them to take a short break away from their desk to unwind, thereby helping them to get back to their work with fresh minds.

Breakout areas are used for a variety of purposes.

• Relaxing minds during a hectic workday
• Holding informal meetings and brainstorming sessions
• Eating lunch and snacks
• Making tea or coffee
• Catching up with colleagues
• Celebrating events, such as staff birthdays, project success, and more

You do not need a large space to incorporate a breakout zone into your existing office design. A small corner of your office can be converted into a breakout space. All you need is to install proper lighting, add comfortable furniture, and create an atmosphere that encourages relaxation and comfort.

5 Benefits of Breakout Areas for a Business

1. Enhances Employee Wellbeing

Work can sometimes be stressful for employees. Hence, employees need a little escape or downtime away from their desks. Breakout areas offer this safe space to pause and come back to work with a positive frame of mind. These spaces give employees the freedom to move around the workspace for a change of scenery thereby reducing stress and elevating their mood.

2. Improves Informal Team Collaboration

Breakout areas offer employees a chance to connect with their coworkers, share thoughts and ideas, and build lasting bonds with them. It increases team chemistry and enhances communication between colleagues which is essential for seamless team collaboration and productivity.

3. Boosts Employee Productivity

Being glued to workstations can be mentally exhausting and impact employee productivity. Breakout spaces encourage employees to take short breaks at regular intervals to refresh their minds and prepare them to do their best work when they arrive back at their desks.

4. Promotes Creativity and Innovation

Allowing your employees to rest and recharge just for a few minutes in a day or during lunchtime gives their minds a much-needed break. It reduces the mental blocks to give way to creativity and innovation. Employees can reflect on their work and think clearly to achieve the best results.

5. Offers a Place for Celebrations

Breakout areas can serve many purposes besides providing employees a space to relax and rest. You can use these spaces to organize various office events, such as workshops, staff birthdays, awards, and more. This boosts employee engagement and builds a happy workplace.

Different Types of Office Breakout Spaces

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• Pantry and Kitchen Area – Create a pantry area where employees can eat their lunches or snacks. Equip them with basic appliances, such as a coffee/tea maker, microwave, and more. Install dining tables so that they can eat their food comfortably. Offer healthy snacks, fruit juices, energy bars, and more to your employees, if you have the required budget.
• Games Area – Create a games area and include popular choices of games (game suggestions included in a later section) to instill a fun company culture in your organization and also, promote team bonding. 
• Workspace/Breakout Zone – Convert your breakout zone to an additional workspace by installing power ports, wifi, and other amenities. These spaces offer a perfect balance between work zones and comfortable breakout spaces.
• Breakout Pods – Introduce breakout pods in your office space design for employees to get away from their usual workstations and work out of these comfortable spaces. These spaces are ideal for conducting inter-team meetings and can double up as recreational spaces as well.
• Lounge Area – Create comfortable lounge-style breakout zones to offer your employees home comfort along with the office experience. Choose the right furniture for the lounge area such as a sofa, coffee table, or something that integrates comfort with technology. 
• Outdoor Gardens – Convert your open outdoor area in your office into a garden and place some chairs and tables allowing employees to work amidst nature. The ample natural light and greenery will create a relaxing environment for your employees and boost their productivity.
• Recharge Rooms – Create recharge rooms to allow employees to get away from their workstations to reset and refresh their brains. Electronic-free zones, yoga rooms, meditation zones, nap areas, and more will be a great addition to your office.

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Things to Keep In Mind When Designing a Breakout Area

Designing the right breakout space requires thorough planning and implementation. Set your breakout space goals and get started with modifying your office design. The following tips will certainly help.

• Dedicate certain areas of the breakout spaces as quiet zones which employees can use to get away from the office noise and calm their minds while other areas can be used to have animated discussions, play games, and more.
• Introduce vibrant and eye-catching color schemes in your breakout areas to make them more fun and inviting. Create feature walls with colorful designs to add vibrancy to these spaces.
• Provide different types of seating in your breakout zones. For example, use multipurpose chairs with sturdy tables in the cafeteria, sofas or couches in the lounge areas, and more.
• Install an excellent lighting system that provides adequate illumination throughout the breakout areas. Allow ample natural light into these spaces, if possible.
• Include book libraries to encourage reading, TV to catch up on the news, and more allowing employees to distract their minds during break time.

Games That Can be Included in Breakout Rooms

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Having a games area or games in the break rooms supports team building, sharpens mental alertness, and improves the physical health of employees. Include the following games in your breakout zones if possible.

• Table tennis
• Dartboards
• Foosball tables
• Pool table
• Jenga
• Board games, such as scrabble, uno, chess, and more
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Workout area with treadmills, dumbbells, exercise balls, and more

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Wrapping Up

Breakout spaces are essential for designing modern workspaces. Integrating a breakout area in your office helps employees to take a break to relieve stress and relax their minds. We are certain that this post has helped you learn more about breakout spaces and how you can build an amazing one in your office space. So, connect with your employees to identify their needs and design a breakout zone that they will love.