A change of an environment stimulates creativity. Working in the office, even though in the most creative and inspiriting one, we can fall into a routine. A routine blocks the creativity. Changing your environment, even just for a day, brings new types of input and stimulation, which in turn stimulates creativity and inspiration and effects right how you will perform.
Many of us spend most of our time on a laptop, writing, designing or doing anything else that does not depend on other people. Sometimes there is no reason to stay at the office. People argue that meetings are essential, even though the majority of the employees consider meetings as a waste of time. Of course, there are meaningful meetings, meetings you get inspired by, but it is very important to think during every meeting is this necessary, what do we learn or develop out of this, what is the purpose of this. Don´t just encage peoples time with purposeless meetings.
Effects on ergonomics
Static work is one that requires a contraction of muscles to maintain a position thus producing a high physical stress of the employee. Coffice can effect positively to this physical stress. It is very significant for our to change position often. Cofficing offers your body different stimulation, because the layout of our workin enviroment is different than in the usual office. With the change of layout we give new experiences to our bodies and that way we influence the body memory and brain tracks. In my working place there is an open office where employees can choose every single morning in which desktop they want to be seated for that day. Change is good for the body and soul and that way to our creativity!
As well as our bodies need to have certain relaxed state of being, our brain and mind need that too. Coffice will offer you breaks where you can focus on something that is not attached with your work. It might turn out that these aimless engagement moments in an activity are a great catalyst for free association.
You can become less aware of your environment and more aware of your internal thoughts. This is what we appreciate in Icebath to get to know yourself, how you are doing, what you are thinking and feeling and what your mind has to offer you today. ”Know your unknowns!”
When you’re focused on a specific task with your work your thinking tends to be linear. This means when you are working on a problem your brain tends to fix on one or a few different strategies. To solve the problem you need more, you need to open your brain for a free association.
Take a break, get inspired of the different people in the coffice and notice that those thought patterns no longer dominate your thinking. As you feel yourself comfortable and relaxed in your environment your ideas become untethered, they are free to attach up against other ideas they’ve never had the chance to encounter.
Stress relieving coffee
Relax. You deserve it, it’s good for you! Suits you as well as red lipstick!
There are studies that show that freshly brewed coffee can actually be beneficial for you. Coffee may have the potential to reduce emotional and physical stress. In the same way that coffee affects brain chemistry to keep you alert, its effects on neurotransmitters may help your body fight off symptoms of stress and stress-related diseases. Take a sip of coffee and relax knowing you may be helping your body unwind.
I have met some people who say that they don’t have time to take a break during their busy day. Even just 10 minutes out of your hectic day gives your mind and body time to de-stress by calming your heart rate, relaxing your muscles and letting your mind slow down. Also simply smelling the coffee may have antioxidant benefits and bring about brain changes that can help to promote calmness. Raise up your body, change position, sit back and smell the coffee!
I enjoy cofficing very much since it combines two of my favourite things coffee and work! Of course I can´t hang out in the coffee shops every day and don´t even want to, but it sure is one of the refreshing ways to cheer up your day at work. Working in the coffice remotely is all about self-management and being able to focus completely on work, isolating everything else around you. In Icebath we like to aspirate in different environments. One of the most memorable and most effecting places we have worked is Burggarten park in Vienna! People in Vienna go to play there, meet your colleagues there and be surprised how effective that place is! You may take coffee to go as well.
Cofficing is not for everyone, but I should recommend that you try it before you abandon it. Maybe if you are working during the hot summer months, as I will be, because of my new job, go for a coffee with your laptop, give it a shot and see how it goes. Don´t plan to stay too long on your first time, so the thought of it wont´t get too stressful. If working in coffice is definitely not for you, do something else that challenge your body memory and brain tracks and be aware the new ideas you will get!
Written and photos Annele Heikkilä
ICEBATH 