Want to feel more creative and inspired – raise the roof, literally. Research by the bigwigs from the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing showed that ceiling height can affect the thought process.
People were more detail oriented when working under an eight foot ceiling and more abstract when the ceiling was raised to 10 feet. You want focus? Bring down the ceiling. Innovation? Raise it up.
It’s interesting to note the impact our physical environment has over how we operate in our lives. Not surprising though. Most of us have a space that just feels good, a place where we feel connected to our essence and better just for having been there. Mine is standing alongside the ocean. In my home, my bedroom is a soothing spot, my office inspires me to create.
But since cubicles can’t accommodate salt water and most of us do not have an adaptable roof to leverage, it’s important to note there are plenty of things you can do easily to feel better in the space you’re in. Here are some things you can do:
Bring in a potted plant. Any connection to nature eases stress and having some tangential living object around helps hone focus on the tasks at hand.
Watch the sharp edges. If you do bring in a plant look for one with round leaves. Not kidding. Sharp –edges along counters, desk tops, tables, or even plants leave us literally feeling edgy. Rounded shapes are more comforting and calming.
Check out your color combinations. People are very sensitive to colors so if you want to invoke a particular mood, pay attention to the paint. Red raise blood pressure and heart rate and can ignite excitement and passion, but crimson just makes people irritable — probably because of the heavy-handed teachers we had that were armed with red Bic pens. Green is restful, relaxing, soothing. Periwinkle and other bright blues are feel-good colors that lower respiration and blood pressure and can ease stress. Watch out for the icy pastel blues though, they invoke cold feelings. Yellow can makes us feel excited and sunshiny, but might cause you to flip out a little more often. ‘Spose you could always blame your bad temper on the wall colors. Or you could always go with the multi-colored polka dots and just see what happens.
Let in the natural light. Build your workspace around the windows and open the blinds to let in the light. Natural light is a natural mood-booster and amps up our creativity. Also, keep the clutter, bookshelves and empty pop cans away from the window to create a sense of openness. If you can’t finds a window seat, take regular breaks and go stand by one or head outside for a few minutes a day.
The external environment does impact our internal space find creative ways to care for both.











