On Monday, I sat in my new office chair, which was a gift from my close friend Sherra Bell, ready for a productive day. I had coffee in hand, sunlight streaming through the open curtains, and my trusty Sharpie and Post-it notes nearby. But then, a horrible realization struck. My body and mind had no interest in sitting in this chair in my new home office. I felt a compulsion to get up immediately. The urge grew more substantial as I resisted, and my muscles tightened. I was not finding any comfort in this new workspace.
Confused, I observed the chair, desk, and office. Why would my body reject this ergonomic chair with stellar back support? Why did I feel compelled to leave the office I had just entered a few moments before?
Understanding My Struggle
After a few moments of contemplation, it hit me: I hadn’t worked in an office since October 2014. My workspace had been my living room, car, the library, co-working spaces, and even my son’s bedroom, but not a dedicated office. My body and mind had grown accustomed to those environments, making an actual office feel rigid, cold, and limiting.
Adapting My Workspace
What was I to do? I had dreamed of a dedicated workspace with a door that closes, but now I didn’t want to be in it.
My first idea was to change the room’s feeling and make it a place I wanted to work in. I shifted my monitors, moved my desk to the other side of the room, changed my desktop background, and put my favorite books in view. I sat back down. The urge to leave was not as strong, but it was still there.
I thought back to my least favorite office environment: cold cubicles, rigid food policies, codes of conduct, rules about music, and peering supervisors.
Claiming My Space
Standing up from excitement this time, I ran to my kitchen and grabbed a bowl of goldfish crackers and a cup of my favorite tea. I turned on music that my previous employer would never have allowed in the office and put my feet on the desk in a statement of irreverence. Then, I watched a YouTube video on the full screen on my larger monitor. Finally, I stood up and made crazy loud sounds while stretching my arms and back.
Embracing Change
Smiling, I opened my email and began to work. Every 15 minutes or so, I would start to feel that urge again, and each time, I would respond with a brief moment of wildly inappropriate, though still PG-13, office behavior.
I claimed my space and wrestled free of my instinct to move to the couch or dining room table. The feeling isn’t gone, but it is fading.
Looking Ahead
My next step is to make my office feel more like where I have enjoyed working over the past few years. What elements made those environments conducive to work but were not office-related? How can I integrate those into my space?
I need fewer bouts of subversive behavior each day and can work longer while maintaining my flow.
Where do you feel most comfortable working? What do you add to your environment to fit your desired vibe? How could you alter things to allow more flow and less struggle?
This blog post was a part of a blogging challenge with Jason Scott Montoya
