Unleashing the power of creativity beyond the confines of your living space, 'Thinking Outside the Home' explores the myriad possibilities that await when we step out of our comfort zones and embrace the world at large.
The retreat to eccentric near-home workplaces has been a common experience during the pandemic
We’ve learned that performing useful cognitive work is a fragile endeavor, one in which environment matters
- The home is filled with the familiar, and the familiar snares our attention, destabilizing the subtle neuronal dance required to think clearly
- When we pass the laundry basket outside our home office (a.k.a. our bedroom), our brain shifts toward a household-chores context, even when we would like to maintain focus on our e-mail, or an upcoming Zoom meeting, or whatever else that needs to get done.
Home is also rich in salient interruption
The human brain is adept at filtering out superfluous incoming information, but if this superfluous information is relevant to us it becomes difficult to ignore.
- Viewed through this perspective, your home, at times, can feel like a coffee shop in which all the patrons are talking about things that you care about.
Work from home
Organizations that allow remote work should encourage employees to find professional spaces near (but distinct from) their homes-they should also directly subsidize these cognitive escapes.
- A workspace doesn’t need to be aesthetically pleasing, or well-equipped, or air-conditioned (or even have walls or a roof!)
- Simply having the opportunity to reset your environment when needed can make a big difference.
