#activity spaces

[parronhall-blog]

A variety of spaces for a variety of work. In today's world, work takes place everywhere. Enabled by technology, work is no longer tethered to individual workspaces. Organizations are becoming more open and collaborative to better foster innovation and productivity. Parron Hall and Knoll offers numerous product solutions that may be combined in infinite ways to furnish Activity Spaces – all that encourage collaboration and enhance productivity.

[knollinc]

We all need a few moments away from our desk from time to time. Activity Spaces allow offices to create a variety of spaces for a variety of work.

Learn more here: http://bit.ly/actspcs

[thedrcapes-blog]

Activity Spaces

A few years ago I got really excited about the concept of activity spaces.  In the literature, activity spaces are those places that we come into contact with over the course of our lives.  This is a pretty basic concept – in fact, its probably ideas like this that make people think psychology is pretty much the study of common sense.  However, identifying activity spaces can tell us a lot about who we are – our health behaviors, our tools for self-regulation, and our social attitudes.  Activity spaces assist in maintaining inner balance and developing a coherent sense of self; chosen or favorite activity spaces can act as forms of self-regulation and environmental control.  If you really count the places you go regularly, it often ends up being between 3-6 places (fewer if you live in the country); essentially then, through examining our choices of activity spaces, we can gain a better understanding of ourselves.  When people are doing well, their choices in activity spaces expand and similarly, when they’re upset, their choices tunnel.  Instead of going on frequent walks to favorite parks, they start sticking to their apartments and only one or two other spaces.  

I think this is a really powerful tool for self-reflection and something I come back to a lot as the new approaches.  Where do I go most frequently in my day-to-day life?  What places do I go when I’m upset or need emotional support?  Sometimes we build these into our lives instinctively; however, often I find that we do not.  I’ve been living in San Francisco for just over 4 months and its only now that I find myself going back to the same places and taking comfort in that routine.  Even little things like choosing my go-to Starbucks (yes, I know I’m the ultimate consumer but don’t hate, I love Starbucks) or the places I want to eat when I’m hungover give me more stability in my life.  And so, in this month leading up to the beginning of the New Year, I am thinking a lot about what places I might want to add in my life.  Do you find yourself drawn to different sorts of places when you are in different emotional states?

PS- if you like this topic, some great researchers to look into are K. M. Korpela or M. J. Mason