The Influence of Environments on our Wellbeing

The rain had stopped and so I opened the living room windows.

I have done this journey so many times, and I have done it for so long that when I redo it, I barely notice the details. In fact, coming from work to home is a common routine for many people. And the more we repeat it, the less we pay attention to the characteristics of the different enclosures we use in this coming and going. Whether we are at home or at work, whether we are in a meeting or in an elevator, we respond to the stimuli of these environments mechanically.

Noises, temperature, colors, movement, aromas and vibrations are just some of the characteristics of the places we visit, which are not always perceived and evaluated. At first, the effort to pay attention to these attributes may seem somewhat fruitless, but if we seek satisfaction and well-being we must be concerned with the quality of the places in which we live. It makes sense, considering that now working from home is a very plausible option.

Past and present

But it was not always so. Careful observation about the environments we use allows us to notice cultural differences and changes in habits that have occurred over time. I remember, for example, that the meeting rooms I attended in the 1980s were filled with cigarette smoke, as non-smokers were rare; on the other hand, there were no cell phones distracting the participants. In the secretariats, a large team of typists tapped their typewriters loudly, preparing forms and documents. Nowadays that has all changed and there are few smokers, both in offices and in restaurants and shopping centers. The advent of the personal computer, in turn, helped to reduce and even eliminate the places dedicated to the old secretariats. With the intensive use of messaging apps, the dynamics of business communications have changed, narrowing the time spent on procedures and simplifying processes. It is also noticeable the degree of influence of technology in the conception of work environments, in public transportation and in our homes. And neither the distance nor the difference in time zones between the participants prevents the meetings from taking place. This form of non-face-to-face communication was stimulated by the social isolation inaugurated with the COVID-19 pandemic, making teleworking and virtual meetings common.

Another important change, made possible by the development of communication and information technologies, was the possibility of sharing spaces for workers and companies, or coworking. Through this system, based on Shared Economy, users pay for the time and type of space used, which can be a desktop or a meeting room, in addition to administrative assistance services, internet access, projection equipment and other facilities. The savings in resources can be significant, considering that waste of material and idleness are practically eliminated. Another advantage is the immediate availability, making expenses with renovations, equipment and maintenance of the office unnecessary

In this case, in addition to the aesthetic aspects, linked to the decoration, comfort and convenience offered, in the analysis of the environment, the way of living with the people and companies that will also occupy that place must be taken into account.

The Quality in Environments

Interesting how we are critical of consumption sites and tolerant of our private spaces. If there is a concern with quality of life and well-being, it is worth remembering what marketers say about caring for consumption spaces. Observing the elements that influence the perception of environments can make the difference between wanting to return to a restaurant or never stepping in that place again. For Jacques Horovitz, quality consultant for the resort chain Club Méditerranée and author of the book Quality of Service, the customers’ experience can be happy or unhappy, depending on their level of satisfaction, in relation to various items, such as the environment and the atmosphere (p. 29). While the environment is perceived in its physical characteristics, such as furniture, colors, layout and lighting, the atmosphere is the result of the set of spatial components associated with the service, added services and facilities.

The observation of customer interaction in environments motivated the writer Paco Underhill to dedicate himself professionally to these activities. Underhill transferred the analytical tools he used when working for the American urban planner and sociologist William Whyte, in New York in the 1970s, to retail environments. With Whyte his role was to ascertain, through observations, footage and interviews, the way people behave in streets, squares and parks, correcting or adapting urban furniture and the places where they circulate and in which places they are grouped. Applying Whyte’s methodology, Underhill started measuring and evaluating how people appropriate spaces in supermarkets, shopping centers, parks and corporate environments. After meticulously recording the behavior of customers and users of these establishments, he proposes adaptations to the original project or even the inclusion of items that increase comfort, the time that customers spend in stores and average consumption. What would it be like if each of us did the same in our own environment?

By paying attention, taking notes, reviewing, adapting and reinventing our homes, our offices, our gardens and our leisure areas, including new colors, new furniture, getting rid of what we don’t like or are no longer useful, we can build an atmosphere favorable to our welfare. And this is an important step to live more and better.