The Pull

 In this episode I talk about something I call "the pull." 

It's the difference between a workspace you have to force yourself to sit down in and one that draws you in. Because your environment isn't just the container for your work, your environment can energize you or drain you. I share the research showing that a space with life in it, one you had a hand in creating, can boost your productivity by up to 32 percent. And I leave you with one simple question to ask about your own workspace: what's the pull? 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Hey there, and welcome back to work from home with Shanna. I am so glad you're here today. And this is really a podcast for you if you work from home, and you felt like your home is slowly turning into your office, and your office into your home, and it's kind of invading your home, really. You are not alone. Um, this is what this podcast is all about, and each episode is really just a bite size into all the different challenges that we have. And today what we're going to be talking about is something that I call the pool. And it's the difference between a workspace that you have to make yourself sit down in and a workspace that draws you in. And that's the pool, really. And before you think this is just an interior designer telling you to decorate or anything like that, just stay with me because there's some real research showing how this affects you and how much you're actually going to get done because of creating this pool that I'm we're going to discuss. And I'm going to share that research with you, but first I want you to meet someone because she's the reason that this episode exists. So I want to tell you about a beautiful woman named Jane. Jane is a jewelry designer that I met in the pilot program that I'm doing on the Focus Triangle. And she is a hard worker. She's built a beautiful company. And when she joined the group, I just assumed that her space would match her work. This is a woman who really makes beautiful things for a living. And here's what happened. On paper, Jane's workspace is perfect. She has every single tool that she needs, a specialized desk. I mean, she really is also like making handmade, beautiful jewelry. But this was the part that really got me. Um, I gave them an assignment um to kind of re-look at their space, and we spoke about a little bit about the command position and things like that. And she ended up sending me a picture of her space. And I was a little bit shocked at the picture. And the reason is this. Here was a fellow creative, and not just a creative, super talented, unique woman sitting in a completely bland room. Not even bland, I would even say bare. It was just her and her work desk and four walls and her tools of the trade. So, from a technical point of view, she had absolutely everything she needed. But the truth is, I was like a little sad for her because I know that we need more. And our brain, maybe even our soul, is always looking for that one thing to connect to or a few things to connect to, those things that, you know, make you smile. It's why you walk into certain stores, even if you're not going to buy, there's something there that kind of just pulls you in and just makes you happy being there. So Jane wasn't missing any sort of equipment, and it wasn't her ergonomics. Her ergonomics are actually perfect, and that's something that we discussed. What she was missing was the pool. And the pool is that magnetic force that doesn't only make us want to sit down in a certain space, but creates joy in that space. Now, I know some of you are thinking, okay, Shauna, that's nice, but decorating my office is not a priority. I have deadlines and things like that, and joy is a luxury. So this is where I have to bring in the research because the research actually says otherwise. There's a really well-known study from the University of Exeter in the UK by two psychologists, Craig Knight and Alex Haslam. Um, and they compared people working in a different in different office setups. The first was what they called the lean office, and it was just bare. It was just a desk and a chair and the essentials, right? That sounds pretty familiar. That was Jane's room. The second office was an enriched office. It was the same setup, but with arts and plants added. And people working in that enriched space were 17% more productive than the people in the bear one. So here's my favorite part. The third setup, there were three setups, which they called the empowered office. People got to arrange the art and the plants themselves. Their space, their choices, and those people were up to 32% more productive than the ones in the bear office, and with no increase in errors. They weren't rushing, they were engaged. And this is what I want you to think about. Nothing about the work actually changed. Nothing about the tools changed. The only thing that changed was the space had life in it. And the person working there was part of creating that space. And so it's not just about output and what you need to get done and what you're getting done. There's also an environmental psychologist, Meredith Wells, and she surveyed hundreds of office workers and found that people who work in and personalize their workspace report higher well-being, more satisfaction with their work. Her research also found that the majority of workers, somewhere between 70 and 90%, which is a vast majority, naturally personalize their space when they're allowed to. It's not decoration. This is human instinct. We are wired to put ourselves into surroundings that we love or to make them ours. And I can tell you, I've actually lived this research myself. Back in my interior design studio days, I had this print that I adored, but I couldn't put it anywhere in my home. It wasn't the right vibe for my house, but I really loved it so much. And maybe you'll understand why I couldn't put it up in my house. So imagine this picture with me. It's a slim guy who's standing really tall. He's got a blonde fringe slicked back. He's wearing a short purple tutu. His exaggerated muscular legs are showing through black and white striped leggings. He is the epitome of cool. He's fashionista. There's something feminine about him, but he's super masculine, and but he's just doing his own thing. And he's so comfortable in his own skin. And there was something about him that always pulled me. Um, he made me smile. He reminded me to think out of the box. He was my, if you know uh Seth Goddon terms, purple cow. And that's why I wanted him in my office, in my creative space. He was with me. And I've moved four offices in the last 15 years, and everywhere I went, he came with me. Now, that print never helped me draft a floor plan and it never answered an email. It had zero function, but it was one of the most important things in my office. He was my 32%. He was the pool, really. And so what I want to say about your environment, it's not just a container for your work, it's a source of energy. It either will drain you or it will fill you. A bare room doesn't just look empty, it takes from you. It takes from you also like quietly, because like there's a uh, I don't really want to be sitting here kind of space. And the pull, it gives back to you every time. When you sit down to work, there's something joyous about it. There's something that you like, you want to be in the space with those things that make you happy. So um, for today, here's what I want you to do. I want you to look around your workspace. And besides for the basics of what you need to be able to work, ask yourself one question. What will pull me in? And what's my pull? And maybe it's something that doesn't even exist yet in your room. It's a it's a print of a of a beautiful man in a tutu. Maybe it's a photo, a color, a plant, even an object from a trip that, you know, makes you light up. Something one of your kids made, it doesn't have to be expensive and it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else. It only has to make you smile when you're around it and when you walk in. Because this is the thing we all deserve to work in a space that is not only functional, but also brings us a little bit of joy, a little bit of excitement. And I know that Jane is working on hers. So the question for today is what is yours? And really take the time and and find something and bring it into your space, and and you'll see things starting to change and starting to shift, and hopefully it'll create the pool for you. And once again, I'd love to hear what your biggest challenge is when it comes to working from home. Feel free to send me a message or comment or even email me so I can include it in a future episode. And don't forget to follow us, subscribe so you don't miss what's next. Thank you so much for being here, and I really do see a brighter, lighter, pulling future for you, and it's just around the corner. See you next time.