Home Working : Our Advice
As the summer ends many of us might experience the ‘itch’ to sort things out & start afresh. That back to school feeling rings true - and we crave renewal (like those brand new pair of school shoes & pencil case stuffed with pencils). Except many of us aren’t surrounded by anything new at all, but are pulling out the chair of our remote offices and logging on for work. So how to be productive and keep a healthy separation between home life & work life? How can your space help you to do this well?
Like many, Space A went remote during the pandemic - Amelia moved to Anglesey where she supervises the projects we have there, whilst Anna headed up our London HQ in Clerkenwell.
Over the past year, we have adapted to working apart and as spatial designers, have learnt how to work from home well :
1) A door that closes
Physical separation is key. It is crucial to carve out both a physical and mental space for working. The best spaces for work are quiet, with no chance of noise or visual distractions. If this is difficult consider investing in room dividers, or even noise cancelling earphones to make your own ‘spatial cul-de-sac’.
Another key factor in this is that it makes sure you are not working where someone can walk behind you. That feeling that people can passively watch your screen reinforces the sense of being micro-managed and can be distracting. Your workspace should feel like a private den to allow for deep, uninterrupted thought when you need it most.
2) Natural light
In 2018, Cornell university found that workers in day-lit office environments reported an 84% drop in symptoms of eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision symptoms, which naturally affected productivity. Your daily exposure to natural light can really reflect how well you work. North facing skylights, or floor to ceiling windows facing towards the north, are typically best as they allow for diffuse light throughout the day, and reduce glare from direct sunlight and overheating.
If your windows are too small and the rest of the room’s ambient light is low. This can create a sense of claustrophobia and a feeling of being trapped, which has been shown to narrow your thoughts and restrict your ability for creative thought. This is most likely if you’ve set up your work place next to narrow or high level windows.
3) Artificial light
Another overlooked factor is the artificial light in your home. The colour and feel of different bulbs can affect the way you work. We find more bluish light encourages crisper thought. Daylight bulbs are also a great addition, and when placed as overhead strips, allow for an equal wash of light that pushes away those sleepy or lethargic feelings.
4) The view
What do you look at when you look up from your screen? We love being able to turn our gaze seamlessly from screen to sky - allowing your thoughts to unravel and evolve - which helps with imaginative and energetic thinking. If you can, try to have a view out the window from your screen that has the most distance to the horizon, whether down a long street, or over rolling green pastures. Long distance views can help you process logic, puzzle solve, and spark new ideas.
If you haven’t got access to the best view, try making sure you can see other things that bring joy - maybe a favourite vase, a picture, some art or your best pen collection. Make sure you are near books that inspire you - with ideas that are related to what you are doing. We love surrounding ourselves in greenery - plants emit oxygen in the day and bring spurts of joy as you witness them grow.
5) Invest in your chair, table, lamp
Spending that little extra on a good work setup is something your body and mind will thank you for, but beyond having good quality work furniture, there’s a few other fundamentals to setting it up well.
Make sure your table is straight and flat, no wobbles or creaks, no cracks or bumps, and with enough space to lay out everything you need for the day. A smooth, well crafted surface sets your intention.
As for the chair, beyond it being comfy and fit properly, a rotating chairs with armrests on castor wheels work for us, as it breaks that feeling of being stuck behind your screen.
One of the most important aspects of your work set up is a decent light. This is a must, especially as the nights start to draw in. At Space A we think lamps bring a touch of personality and even colour to your working zone.
6) Colour!
Angela Wright, the acclaimed colour psychologist, states that different colours affect a different part of us. She says that red affects the body, blue affects the mind, yellow bolsters the emotions/the ego/self confidence and green bolsters the essential balance between mind, body & the emotions.
You should also consider how saturated the colours are around you - desaturated colours are more calming, whereas different combinations of colours have different merits.
“Color works exactly the same way as music – as Thelonius Monk said, ‘there are no wrong notes’. Music and color work in the same way. There are no wrong colors either. It’s how you use them.”
We recommend going with your gut and picking something that makes you feel optimistic and active (& try swapping to the opposite colour to test if this has a profound effect/benefit too).
7) Mix it up
Space A love to move around objects in our space. It is so refreshing! Don’t be afraid to move around your furniture & stuff to experiment. Don’t let your space fester. Open the window. Stretch! Do a ‘high power pose’ and increase your confidence.
Try working in new spaces if you can and change the things in it. That new perspective will bring new ideas and satisfaction.