P101.2 - Location, Lighting, Air and more...
Your place of work should be selected with intention as should the way you flow in and around that space. If and when you can select a space with intention, the list of items below will come in handy for stimulating thought.
Sometimes you have to re-purpose a space because you are wading into something new while continuing on with something old, or because life threw you a curve ball, or because financially, the optimal space just isn't feasible.
If you are in a space you did not select with full intention, the list of items below should be used to evaluate just how much energy is being lost daily to working from a potentially less than optimal space.
If there are too many detracting factors in play, you may be shocked at how that's affecting your performance and your stress, and you may be shocked to the degree you've mentally played down the inconveniences as being less relevant than they really are.
Location -- Location, Location, Location. Home office or elsewhere or both? If elsewhere or both, the following become very relevant: location, commute time, cost, lease flexibility, scale-ability, subletting options, data sharing, maintenance surrounding offices and conveniences, etc, etc, etc.
Lighting -- Good lighting without a lot of shadows is something to be very mindful of if you are going to spend lots of time at your desk and/or in your office. Everyone always tends to believe natural light is very important. It's nice, but good lighting in general is the most important first step.
Windows, skylights and glass doors -- Natural light is great right? Depends on how it affects your eyes with your work. If you work on computer a glare from windows can be a real b--ch. I've gotten to the point were I end up putting black out level blinds up on any windows that are remotely within my range of view while looking at my computers so that changing light outside doesn't affect my eyes or my work.
Ventilation -- The ability to open/close windows or use fans or other mechanisms to circulate air so as to draw no attention from you is important.
Climate control -- Being able to keep or hold a temperature that draws no attention from you is important.
Privacy -- Is the space private enough?
Shared Space -- Is the space shared space? Is that good or bad for social or financial reasons?
Proximity to -- How close is the bathroom? The water cooler? The gym? Places for lunch? Your mechanic? Your veterinarian?
etc, etc etc...
This isn't meant to solve anyone's problems. It's to make sure you know key factors to assess work spaces and key factors that may in fact be affecting you daily to a greater degree than you may be admitting right now.
Do a personal inventory and see what you come up with.
Sometimes you have to re-purpose a space because you are wading into something new while continuing on with something old, or because life threw you a curve ball, or because financially, the optimal space just isn't feasible.
If you are in a space you did not select with full intention, the list of items below should be used to evaluate just how much energy is being lost daily to working from a potentially less than optimal space.
If there are too many detracting factors in play, you may be shocked at how that's affecting your performance and your stress, and you may be shocked to the degree you've mentally played down the inconveniences as being less relevant than they really are.
Location -- Location, Location, Location. Home office or elsewhere or both? If elsewhere or both, the following become very relevant: location, commute time, cost, lease flexibility, scale-ability, subletting options, data sharing, maintenance surrounding offices and conveniences, etc, etc, etc.
Lighting -- Good lighting without a lot of shadows is something to be very mindful of if you are going to spend lots of time at your desk and/or in your office. Everyone always tends to believe natural light is very important. It's nice, but good lighting in general is the most important first step.
Windows, skylights and glass doors -- Natural light is great right? Depends on how it affects your eyes with your work. If you work on computer a glare from windows can be a real b--ch. I've gotten to the point were I end up putting black out level blinds up on any windows that are remotely within my range of view while looking at my computers so that changing light outside doesn't affect my eyes or my work.
Ventilation -- The ability to open/close windows or use fans or other mechanisms to circulate air so as to draw no attention from you is important.
Climate control -- Being able to keep or hold a temperature that draws no attention from you is important.
Privacy -- Is the space private enough?
Shared Space -- Is the space shared space? Is that good or bad for social or financial reasons?
Proximity to -- How close is the bathroom? The water cooler? The gym? Places for lunch? Your mechanic? Your veterinarian?
etc, etc etc...
This isn't meant to solve anyone's problems. It's to make sure you know key factors to assess work spaces and key factors that may in fact be affecting you daily to a greater degree than you may be admitting right now.
Do a personal inventory and see what you come up with.