On most days most offices, in most parts of the world, are filled with people working as fast as they can; some, faster than they should.
The research evidence continues to build, however, that when people aren’t “doing much,” when they’re letting their minds wander, all sorts of good things can happen, knowledge-work wise. Studies have shown that when we’re daydreaming, our stress levels can fall (stress is distracting), we can mentally refresh, and we can think more creatively, for example. Improved moods have also been linked to mind wandering, and being in a positive mood has been tied to not only thinking creatively but also to improved problem solving, getting along with others, and immune system functioning (for people from Western cultures).
The insights to be drawn from the scientific press indicate there are lots of pluses to building places that support “intentional” daydreaming into workplaces. Creating these sorts of spaces doesn’t insure that anyone in them will indeed be letting their brains roam widely, but spaces for mind wandering would seem to make a positive contribution to organizational performance even if some of the people in them are thinking the sorts of work-related thoughts that cause our brains to weep with exhaustion.
Where are people’s minds most likely to wander in desirable ways? Certainly, bucolic outdoor spaces would seem to support daydreaming, but what about indoor spaces? To daydream, people need to be physically comfortable and relaxed and, even though there are all sorts of relaxation-type apps now available, the best sorts of spaces for daydreaming are electronic device-free. When people need some extra help to relax, shielding that eliminates Wi-Fi type signals can help.
Comfort can flow from providing people with a feeling of control over their world, with seating options and the ability to slightly tweak a space once they arrive – by adjusting a local light level, for example. Having to choose from among too many options, more than four to six, makes us feel less relaxed, not more, so curating the “selection sets” is in order. Sitting on seats with at least an inch of padding can help also, for example, and so can fish tanks, art, indoor water fountains, and green leafy plants.
Designing spaces where people can let their minds wander more easily does not guarantee that any daydreaming will actually take place – organizational culture must give “permission” for that to happen, for instance. Creating a place where people can comfortably relax – really relax and decompress to the point of mind wandering – is likely to pay off, however, if people can use the area to unwind.
Sally Augustin, PhD, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com). Research Design Connections reports on research conducted by social and physical scientists that designers can apply in practice. Insights derived from recent studies are integrated with classic, still relevant findings in concise, powerful articles. Topics covered range from the cognitive, emotional, and physiological implications of sensory and other physical experiences to the alignment of culture, personality, and design, among others. Information, in everyday language, is shared in a monthly subscription newsletter, an archive of thousands of published articles, and a free daily blog. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.