There’s quite an allure for the brain of an entrepreneur when considering what it would be like working from home.
- Only let your brain be interrupted when you feel like it
- No brain stress over what to wear or how you look
- Headache relief from heavy traffic and crazy drivers
- Brain cells tell you when they are ready to work
- Napping is an approved option when your brain needs a rest
- Brain freedom to work wirelessly from whenever you want
- Permission granted to go down any rabbit hole your brain is captivated by
While enticing, the brain of an entrepreneur still needs to be productive and a little brain advice is necessary.
Recently, Entrepreneur.com ran an article on 7 detrimental work-at home conditions.
I’ve consolidated everything down into work environment and computer-environment.
Work Environment for the Entrepreneur
When it comes to a work environment, most spaces rely on neutral colors. The less color distraction the better the rationale goes. When the exact opposite is crucial. Bright, bold or pops of color are stimulating and make brain cells take notice that this is a motivating and productive environment to work in.
A work environment also needs fresh air and access to natural daylight. When fresh air is not circulating, the air you’re breathing to keep your brain cells activated is actually dead air filled with residual toxins and allergy dust.
Natural light is important for your eyes. It registers the changing quality of light to match your body’s natural circadian rhythm. – which in turns tells you when your brain is most alert and when it’s time to shut down.
Another brain stimulating factor is sound. You might have a preference for absolute silence or high volume stimulation. High volume takes up a fair amount of brain cell processing and makes focusing on internal thought more challenging
Even when there’s silence, auditory brain cells are scanning the environment for the slightest bit of sound stimulation. Ideally, the sound should be just enough to make the auditory brain cells pay attention to the environment they are in. But, not so much as to distract focus from what needs to be done.
Computer Environment for the Entrepreneur
Having a computer at your fingertips changes your brain as well. Just about anything you want to know is only a few clicks away. At the same time, it’s easy to find yourself engaging less and less with the non-computer world.
Social media and video conferencing don’t provide the same quality of social cues and human contact as person-to-person exchanges. Your brain is structured for better in-person feedback and judgment. Subtle facial, body and tonal changes give you more information than a computer screen or audio file. The more you keep you person-to-person skills sharp, the better you’ll be at sizing up an online contact.
There’s also a certain amount of anxiety in building an online business and financial insecurities in turning it into a profitable enterprise. The more time spent in front of the computer screen elevates stress, as well as, fears and uncertainties when you’re working hard to meet expectations and goals.
Living in front of your computer is also thought to increase the incidence of disease and shorten your lifespan. Physically, computer inactivity raises concerns for “… heart, circulatory, bone, cancer and other chronic diseases …” Psychologically, the greatest concern is for depression.
Working on your computer more than 5 hours a day has consequences. Click To Tweet“According to a 2002 study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, working on a computer more than five hours per day significantly increases the risk of depression, insomnia, and fatigue.”
While you may love, love your computer and other electronic devices, it’s important for you as an entrepreneur to disconnect your brain and make contact with the human and the natural world.
Your brain needs fresh, live, fun-loving, conversation-stimulating input. It wants to travel to new places and see things first hand rather than a slide-deck. Let it get fresh air from moving, stretching and breathing more deeply.
Your computer will always be there, but what will be the quality of your brain as an entrepreneur?
Resources:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253800
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This makes a lot of sense. I am just happy that I practice meditation so I can recharge. I have already noticed that my eyes are dry so I make it a point to put some eye drops. Computer definitely affects a person in all levels. I try to escape as much by going outside to have a breath of fresh air. I have stopped listening to too much radio, too. It is a lot of stimulation which are not necessary.
When we take the time to be aware of the different things that stress us, it’s amazing how much better we can feel even if we do just a few things. Meditation is one of the best things that you can do, and that’s great you are already using it.
Great points here. I agree that moving is so important- I know if I don’t walk each morning I can get foggyxxx
I think the moving part is important, and you’re especially lucky in being able to walk on the beach. It’s very grounding and charges up the brain and body with the earth’s magnetic energy.
I see the change in my friends who are online for long hours Joyce and try to personally take a break on the hour. When I got my reading glasses a few years ago, my optician told me it was caused by eye strain and had to train myself to consciously blink in order to protect my eyes.
Our brain wasn’t created to stare at a computer screen for long hours and your research shows what can happen when we ignore this fact.
Yes, definitely. Eye care is so important. I think excess computer time contributes to the condition of dry eyes and eye aging.
This information is really helpful. I have a business where I do a lot of my work online and also see clients in my office, which looks like it is a good balance. Setting up one’s environment, whether at home or a business office is so important. Being sensitive I can really feel a difference. I do love being able to take a break and walk Angelo, my little Shih Tzu/Cocker mix when I need a break. Well, actually, when he needs a break. Always enjoy your blog!
I love it when people have animals that can roam into a home office. I think they feel it’s their job to interrupt and keep you from living on your computer. I may resent being interrupted, but never regret taking the time to be with them. Sounds like you’ve got a good computer partner there.
Thanks, Joyce. I really appreciate this: “Your brain needs fresh, live, fun-loving, conversation-stimulating input. It wants to travel to new places and see things first hand rather than a slide-deck. Let it get fresh air from moving, stretching and breathing more deeply.” I say yes! And I’m going outside for a walk!
Good for you Reba. Getting out and away from the computer is good for the brain. Actually, I think it clears the buffer of backed-up thoughts. I’ve always found that when I leave and come back I’m more creative.
Such a great article, Joyce! When I work on the computer for more than 5-6 hours a day, I am definitely more tired and my muscles hurt more. Balancing the activities as an entrepreneur are important. When we are in the middle of a launch, we can be on the computer 10 + hours a day! It’s madness. I’m doing my best to minimize my time on the computer. I also will do something in between the day that doesn’t require a computer to give myself a rest. Indeed, computer and environmental factors play a key role in brain survival!
Yes, we love our computers, but we do need to get away and take some breaks. Sometimes when the creative juice stop flowing, I take a break and do some housework. It’s amazing when I return, everything begins to flow again and I have a clean floor to boot!