No single person exists in a vacuum. We are impacted and influenced by the world and physical environment around us in both substantial and minute ways each and every day. This is why sunshine and blue skies can have such a positive effect on a person’s mood or hearing the laughter of children playing can make you smile.
When it comes to productivity, the elements of our physical environment have a tremendous impact on our ability to work and focus on achieving a particular task or goal. #Forbes defines a physical workspace as “one we can see, touch, taste, and smell.” It’s so much more than a room with a desk and a door. Each of the specific elements in that space have an impact on your senses and influence the way in which you work. In their article, “An Overview of the Influence of Physical Office Environments Toward Employees”, Kamarulzaman and colleagues describe this impact saying, “physical environments influence their well-being and directly influence their work performance.” Whether you are working on professional projects or personal goals, a good physical environment can lead to greater productivity and focus as well as fuel creativity and innovation! On the flip side, a poorly designed physical space can feel draining and distracting. So, what’s the take-away? The space that you choose to work in matters!
You may be wondering, “What is the ideal working space? How do I achieve that?” Unfortunately, I can’t give you a concrete, well-laid plan for designing the perfect working conditions. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to the ideal working environment. You’ve probably experienced this reality if you’ve worked in an office or other coworking settings. Some people prefer rooms that are warm and cozy, while others can’t focus without cooler temperatures. A significant difference you’ll see from one person to the next is noise preference. For some, silence is truly golden! They find that quiet spaces allow their thoughts to flow more freely, and the presence of noise is too distracting to allow for any real productivity or innovation. Conversely, other people are energized by the familiar sound of people talking or their favorite music playing in the background.
Although the particulars of an ideal working space vary person to person, there are a few key factors that every person should consider to help you identify yours.
Temperature – Do you prefer warmer or cooler environments? Does your temperature change easily? Do you find it distracting or difficult to focus when you feel too warm or too cold?
Lighting – In general, do you prefer brighter rooms with plenty of lighting, or darker, cozier rooms? Does a room’s lighting impact how awake you feel as you work? Do you notice a difference between spaces with fluorescent lighting and those with warmer lights?
Existence of windows – Does a lack of windows leave you feeling constricted? Are you easily distracted by what you can see when looking out of windows?
Noise Conditions – Silence or sound? Which situation leads to great focus? If you prefer some background noise to your work time, be specific. Do you like to listen to music or a favorite podcast? Do you appreciate the chatter of people that you might find working in a coffee shop?
Time of day – Early bird or night owl? When do you find yourself the most awake, alert and ready to be productive?
Take some time to map out the particulars of your ideal working environment. You may find that your current approach to working hours may need a few changes. Taking the time to refine and tweak your physical working environment to match your particular preferences and style will have a lasting impact on your overall effectiveness in completing your tasks and achieving your goals!
Still lacking clarity? Need to get un-stuck? As a coach and Sherpa, I can help by probing and asking masterful, deep, thoughtful, and revelatory questions that empower YOU to find the answers. If you’d like to learn how we might work together, leave me a note HERE. Stay with us next week as we continue to dive deeper into activating our goals.
Resources:
“An Overview of the Influence of Physical Office Environments Toward Employees”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705811029730
“How the Physical Workspace Impacts the Employee Experience”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2015/12/03/how-the-physical-workspace-impacts-the-employee-experience/#4f6e8303779e
