Curate your view

Pay attention to what’s outside your window

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
the podcast where we discuss strategies for thriving in the
new world of work, one where location and ours are
more flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to
work near a window and to pay attention to what
you see through that window. Working from home, in many

(00:28):
cases allows you to curate your view in a way
that you can't in a traditional office. Seizing this opportunity
can have a big impact on your happiness and productivity. So,
as I'm recording this from the home office that doubles
is my recording studio, I have my curtains closed. That's
better for acoustics, but whenever possible, I love to keep

(00:50):
the curtains open and look into my backyard. One of
the reasons we bought this house several years ago was
for the landscaping. As I'm recording this in early spring,
I can enjoy the forsythia and the plum trees as
they're about to break into their pinkish purplish flowers. For
a few weeks. In fall, the Japanese maple that's right

(01:10):
outside my window turns bright scarlet. This wonderful bit of
fall color does wonders for my mood. Indeed, when my
husband and I recently entertained the idea of moving, one
of the questions I kept asking myself was whether my
home office view would be nearly as nice. Of course,
we've done a few things to improve the view too.

(01:32):
A few years ago we planted several skip laurels down
by the fence, so I no longer see the neighbor's
garage quite so well, and we try to get the
kids picking up their toys from the yard too. In
any case, not every house will have previous owners who
are serious about their landscaping, but there's still plenty you
can do to curate your view when you're not in
a cubicle. First, make sure you are working near a window.

(01:56):
Studies of offices have found that natural light improves work
or satisfaction and productivity. One possible mechanism is that exposure
to natural light helps regulate sleep cycles. People who sleep
better are more productive. That's a pretty straightforward connection. If
you just started working from home because of social distancing
measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, you might

(02:19):
have just grabbed the first spot available. But nothing seems
to be changing in the near term, so take some
time today to survey your options and see what you
can do. Can you move a table near a window
If you've been working in a closet to stay away
from everyone, maybe it's time to move some rooms around.
A child's room could be repurposed during the day as

(02:42):
your office, or maybe you can use some space near
the door to an apartment balcony. Then take a critical
look at the view. Can you clean up any outdoor clutter.
Use the time you now have at home on weekends
to really spruce things up. Clear away the old toys
or household junk you've chucked in your yard or on
your apartment balcony, weed or trim anything that's too overgrown.

(03:07):
If you can see a wall or a shed, scrub
it down. Many plant stores are closed right now, but
you might be able to order seedlings online or pick
up something that is still open grocery store to plant
and start enjoying soon. You could even make some sort
of outdoor sculpture if you wanted to be ambitious, give
your kids this job as part of homeschooling. And of

(03:29):
course you can frame your view well. Maybe you hang
some new curtains ordered online or sewn with your new
found down time. Move some potted plants near your window
and clear up any nearby clutter so you can maximize
the available light. It's easy to just let things stand
where they are. This worldwide pandemic is causing people to

(03:50):
rethink many things. And yes, your furniture and house plants
and backyard clutter are quite trivial in the grand scheme
of things. But there is so much in life right
now that we can't control. The view of your new
home office window is something you can do something about.
So today think about what tweaks you can make to
curate your view. Looking up from your computer every so

(04:13):
often is healthy. And if every time you look out
your window you smile a little, that's something worth celebrating.
In the meantime, this is Laura, thanks for listening, and
here's the succeeding in the New Corner Office. The New
Corner Office is a production of I Heart Radio. For

(04:36):
more podcasts, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your favorite shows.