1 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: Hi, It's Amantha here, your host of How I Work. 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: We are entering into strange times here in Melbourne, Australia, 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: where I live. All non essential services are about to 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: be closed, which I know is a step that many 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: around the world have already had to take. And of 6 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: course with this, millions of people all around the world 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: have been forced to work from home, some for the 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: first time in their lives. So I've been thinking about 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: how I can make this podcast as helpful as possible 10 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: for those who have found themselves in this new world 11 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: of work. So every Tuesday, and also for some Thursdays 12 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: when I'm not releasing my normal interviews, I'm going to 13 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,480 Speaker 1: be putting out a mini episode that will provide some 14 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: kind of evidence back strategy for making working from home 15 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: a tiny bit easier and more impactful for you, because 16 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: who knows how long this is going to go on foot, 17 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: And before I do get on with today's episode, if 18 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: you've got any feedback or any ideas or thoughts or 19 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: problems that you are having that you would like some 20 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: advice with around this new working from home world, please 21 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: drop me an email or leave some feedback. In Apple Podcasts, 22 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: I read every single review and let me know. My 23 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: email can always be found in the show notes and 24 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: I'm at Amantha at inventium dot com dot au. Okay, 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: so on with today's episode. You you're lucky. You've been 26 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: working from home intimately for many months or years, so 27 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: you know the drill. And for those who haven't, you 28 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: probably spent the last few days or weeks creating a 29 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: little space in your home where work now gets done. 30 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: For my team at inventim, we've been working from home 31 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: for the better part of three years, but even though 32 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: we're used to it, most of us would only do say, 33 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: two or three days a week at home, and there 34 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: is a big difference between working from home sometimes versus 35 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: working from home always on every single day. Some of 36 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: my team are loving the change and others are struggling 37 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: with the lack of face to face contact. So for 38 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: today's episode, given that for many of us we're still 39 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: setting up our physical home office, I wanted to focus 40 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: on something really simple that you can do that will 41 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: have a big impact. And what that's got to do 42 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: with is bringing in a plant. So of all the 43 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,399 Speaker 1: ways to change your physical environment, you're working physical environment 44 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: at least for the better. Those involving nature have received 45 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: the most attention from researchers. In one such study, Marlon 46 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: Knew and we I hope I've pronounced that correctly, from 47 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: Cardiff University and her colleagues were keen to investigate the 48 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: impact of greenery on people's happiness and productivity at work. 49 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: In an initial study, they decked out half an office 50 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: in greenery and left the other half plant. Three weeks later, 51 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: employees in the green half said they felt more focused 52 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: and productive as a result of the plants. In a 53 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: follow up study, the researchers installed plants in a call 54 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: center so that every single employee had a view of 55 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: at least one large plant. Three months later, employees reported 56 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: feelings significantly happier and more engaged at work compared with 57 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: their counterparts on a different floor who had not received 58 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: any greenery. And In a final experiment, these researchers invited 59 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: thirty three people to come and complete a task in 60 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: either a green or non green office environment. Those in 61 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: the green office completed the task significantly faster and without 62 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: any additional errors. The research has found that overall productivity 63 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: can be increased by up to fifteen percent simply by 64 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: bringing in a few plants, a finding that is extraordinarily 65 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: easy for anyone to implement at home. Just go to 66 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: your supermarket, assuming your supermarket's still open, and buy a 67 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: pot plant or if you have a choice position, you're 68 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: often offer set up near a window that looks out 69 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: onto some trees. For me, I'll often work from the 70 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: kitchen table because it looks out into my backyard, which 71 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: is full of lovely greenery. And as if that's not 72 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: enough for research shows that exposure to nature also has 73 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: a beneficial effect on creativity. Ruth Actually from the University 74 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: of Kansas and her colleagues stud it a group of 75 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,119 Speaker 1: people who were going on a four day hike without 76 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: any access to technology. Half of the hikers were asked 77 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: to complete a creative problem solving TESK prior to their hike, 78 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: and the other half were asked to complete it on 79 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: day four of the hike. People who experience four days 80 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: emmersion in nature without any technological distract as well perform 81 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: fifty percent better and the creative problem solving task. So 82 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: this study emphasizes the important role that nature can play 83 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: in creativity and taking breaks from technology can also be beneficial. 84 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: So if you're stuck at home and needing to think 85 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: creatively about a problem for work, and let's face it, 86 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: there are a lot of problems out there that need 87 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: some creative thinking right now. Just pop outside for a 88 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: walk around the block, assuming that it's still safe and 89 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: legal to do so wherever you live, and exposing yourself 90 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: to the natural world and hopefully a tree lined nature 91 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: strip will get your creative juices flowing. So that is 92 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: it for today's show. If you've got coworkers or friends 93 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: that are also now working from home and trying to 94 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: get used to this new world, why not share this 95 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,679 Speaker 1: podcast with them. As I mentioned, every week, sometimes twice 96 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: a week, I will be sharing some evidence based strategies 97 00:05:55,920 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: for making working from home easier for however long this 98 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: crazy situation continues. For it, so best of luck with it, 99 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: and I hope you are all staying well and safe 100 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: and washing your hands. See you next time.