Office Space and How its Location Affects Productivity

Whether you are looking for office space rentals, or managing some, or are already working in one, you have your own reasons for liking the space - or not. What if you could do one enhancement, and like your space even better, like the job even better, and feel more well-being in general?

Rachel Kaplan, PhD, and husband Stephen Kaplan, a professor in both psychology and computer science, are leaders in research on what they refer to as "restorative environments". The results of their studies show that individuals who can see a portion of green nature, from their place of work, do better. So it appears that what one can see from one's desk, or one's window, really matters.

Terry A. Hartig, PhD, MPH, is another researcher who also concludes that nature helps people
recover from what he expresses as "normal psychological wear and tear".

In a research paper "The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings" by Andrea Faber Taylor, and Frances E. Kuo, their introduction begins with the following statement:

"Attention Restoration Theory suggests that contact with nature supports attentional functioning, and a number of studies have found contact with everyday nature to be related to attention in adults."

So, back to office space, office rentals - and last but not least - your home office space - it seems that there could be a very simple way to enhance our environment to support our drive to produce and succeed, optimizing our energy and moods at the same time!

For example, if you have an office space at home or in a business building of offices, and you do not have a window (never mind the coveted "corner office") studies show that you would do well to add at least one attractive plant. It doesn't even have to be a real plant, but it should be where you can see it, and it should be worth looking at.

If you have a view of real greenery, appreciate it, notice it, drink in the scenery...but if not, you could add a wall calendar with gorgeous photos or paintings of nature, or an art print. Many offices provide some art work and plants because their managers and consultants have read these studies too. Then again, some don't.

If you have a window behind you with a view of tree tops or landscaping, put up a mirror wherever you can. Failing all else, you can put a tiny convex mirror on your computer monitor, the kind you get for your rear view mirrors.

Just turning around and taking a few deep breaths while you view the available greenery, is a very restorative quick break.

Speaking of breathing, I will digress shortly for a comment on real versus fake plants. There are volumes written on indoor air pollution - particularly relative to office space, though the same data is true for our homes. Many green indoor plants remove noxious fumes generated by everything that is in the typical office space - from the paint, the carpeting, the furniture, the machines - everything! Fresh air created by air purification machines is a bonus of course, but plants in your office space area do a tremendous job in cleaning the air.

Greenery in urban office spaces is important. In a home office, or corner of a room, (as that is what many of us have), we have direct control over what we look at - real greenery, or reasonable facsimiles.
It seems a simple way to add to our techniques of manifesting success - managing internet marketing means managing a lot of detail. Adding greenery would be one of the easier ones! So whether you sit in a huge office in an urban commercial office space, or you sit at the corner of your kitchen table, it matters. Everybody matters, you matter.