Two Compelling Reasons You Should Go To The Office

There’s a lot of appeal to the idea of working from home - especially when it means not really having to get ready for the day or saving time on your commute. And in certain cases, it certainly makes sense to work from home - but there is a reason that at Lucid Private Offices’ Las Colinas location, almost everyone chooses to come to the office. Digging a little deeper, here are two reasons why working from the office is not just better for your employer, but for you.

The office will make you happier

As human beings, we all know social interaction is tremendously important. Almost 5 years ago, we all learned what it meant to be isolated for a substantial amount of time, and during the COVID lockdown, our country became significantly more lonely and less happy. 

According to a poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal, the percentage of Americans polled who said they are “not too happy” increased by 17.5%, and the percentage who responded that they were “very happy” decreased by 19.6% in the years following the period of increased isolation in our communities. 

And while some might say that virtual connections could replace the social connections which are formed in person, you can again turn to the data from the COVID pandemic. At a time when most people were spending more time than ever chatting virtually, there was a massive 25% global increase of depression and anxiety. Human beings need social interactions to be happy, and this is not at all a new idea. At a time when the loneliness epidemic is a massive problem, a small gift to others (and yourself) is to get out of the house.

In-person meetings allow for societal connection, more overt body language, and increased productivity

Further, at a more practical level, happiness makes us more productive. This is something I think we all know, but if you are stressed or caught up in a problem with a friend, it’s going to be way harder to focus that day at work. By coming to the office, and especially if it’s an enjoyable place to be, we can increase our odds at happiness - and far less importantly, at productivity. Oxford University’s Business School published a study that shows a 13% productivity boost from happiness. By investing in your happiness by going into the office, you can also invest in your business.

Work in space designed for work

As much as we love to pretend like you can work from anywhere, there is a difference between environments and their distractions that exist in spaces. While there are certainly distractions that exist in offices, a good strategy is to put yourself in a situation where you are most likely to have the fewest distractions possible, and a situation where the type of distractions allow you to quickly refocus.

At home, there are a huge amount of distractions vying for your attention, and many of these are good in their nature, but not necessarily during the workday. We have a lot of duties at home, such as making sure the dishes are done or that the trash is not overflowing - and it is good that all of these get taken care of, but each in its place. There are also more trivial distractions when you are working from home, such as a sports game on TV or organizing your room (for the third or fourth time). And further, the type of distractions at home are more nagging - because they need to be done, just maybe not at that moment. But because they need to be done, they are more constantly on the mind, and in doing so take up some amount of attention - whether consciously or subconsciously.

On the flip side, spaces can have the opposite effect of channeling focus. Two common characteristics of these spaces are high ceilings and natural light. The epitome of these types of spaces are the incredible Gothic cathedrals such as the Cologne Cathedral or the York Minster, which use their incredibly high ceiling and huge windows to “lift” a visitor’s mind to prayer.

Cologne Cathedral with high, vaulted ceilings (Photo by Liz Pullan Pattathy on Unsplash)

In a commercial building, this is difficult to do, but at Lucid Private Offices, the ceilings are painted and lights are hung in a way that it makes the ceiling feel high. And in some cases, like the lobby of the beautiful new Northpark location - there are very elegant, high ceilings. And every office that we build receives at least some natural light - and many offices have floor to ceiling windows. Spaces are designed for certain things - hence the reason you have (hopefully) different rooms in house for different things. Work in a space designed for work, not sleep. It pays off. Both your sleep and your work will thank you.

Tall ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows in our new Northpark / Central Expressway location

It’s hard to wake up and remember that going to the office will make you happier or care that you might be more distracted if you stay home. But if you can get in the habit, you will become more focused and happier. This translates to better relationships outside of work as well - because happiness rubs off on other people, and if you practice focus everyday at work, you will be able to focus that much more on others. Invest in your work, your happiness, and your relationships by coming into the office.