There are some people who like to work at a clean desk, while others are happy to be surrounded by a pile of papers and random bits and pieces - and everything between. Our workspace matters to us as like it or not, we are affected by our environment and our mood, processes and results are going to be influenced by our surroundings in some way.
If you can imagine sitting at a desk in a poor chair experiences aches and pains, it can be difficult to focus on the task at hand, as it is hard to put the discomfort out of mind and perhaps., one will continually and unconsciously be shifting position to try and find a better spot. While the results might not change much on a particular day, it is hard to know how they will compound across a working year - or decade.
Working remotely this year has probably brought in a lot of thoughts about their home space in general and the functionality of it, it has probably also required people to reorganize and create makeshift working spaces that are not ideal for work or body, but was meant as a temporary solution to what is turning into quite a protracted length of time. I think that this is going to have many impacts on all kinds of factors, including relationships.
While leaving a comment, a thought came to mind about what the environmental factors might have if they are experienced from childhood. For example, I wonder what changes could happen if "space to move" or living in "cramped quarters" is the general experience - does a cluttered space in childhood affect the mind - does it change the way we think about scarcity or abundance?
While genetics is a large factor on the way we are, the rest of us comes through our experience and environment and our mind is designed to orient our world through space, so we can navigate the physical world and identify and categorize what we experience. If this is the way the brain works, it is also likely going to create patterns based on the space it has experienced with the places it experiences commonly likely setting the tone.
I have no idea about what this may mean or if it is something that should be considered at all, but I assume that a child's future is going to be heavily influenced by their past and small differences matter. It is kind of like a pilot flying around the world, expecting to land in a particular city, but consistently being half a degree off course. Where they end up is going to be very different to where they thought they were going.
It is interesting to think that we often do consider the spaces in which we live and acknowledge that some conditions are conducive, others sub-optimal for our own well-being or success - but how important is it and, should we be putting more effort into developing spaces that subtly influence us to shift toward where we want to be, for example, a healthier version of ourselves. This of course will extend into the public design of space too then, where cities would have to consider things like green space and the way light enters into corners of the city. Would it result in more parks and outdoor gyms - or less?
From the investment perspective, the home might not be great in many places of the world now, but it should never be forgotten that the home is where we live. This sounds like an obvious statement, but we should think about how our home influences our lives, how it adds value or detracts from our relationships, does it give us the space to grow, or is it a cause for restriction of our mind and body?
For me personally, I like having space that is relatively uncluttered, but I think that when I need to concentrate, noise might be the greater factor. I don't need silence, but higher pitched noises like pans clattering break my concentration - but people talking around me can be a comforting factor, with perhaps the best being when I hear my daughter constantly chattering to herself as she plays.
I wonder, if making the economic decision to reduce size is always the best financial option, as while it might bring direct economic benefit, life is filled with unintended consequences and the potential hidden costs could outweigh the direct gains. This all needs to be evaluated on a very personal level, as what is "the best" is going to differ for each of us and we are also going to have to compromise based on our own resources, or ability to adapt.
Humans have a lot of ability to adapt to conditions and that works in both ways, whether we are being restricted or expanding our opportunity. However, I feel that more and more, people are adapting to a lower quality of life, while surrounding themselves with high cost items that restrict their thoughts even further. People are trading off relationships for phones, homes for holidays - but I think we have to consider our averages, rather than the highlights of our lives.
Again, I don't know if this matters or not, but I do believe that the spaces in which we spend our time influences how we feel and the decisions we make, meaning that our direction in life is at least partly explained by the spaces in which we live.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]