Open offices: a hell for introverts and HSPs?

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It was the third that Tom got up to go to the bathroom, what the hell was this man drinking? In front of me, my other coworker, who seemed to be typing at a thousand miles per hour… or was I typing too slowly?

In the background, but still too close, my boss was talking with the community manager about the trip they would take on the next vacation while laughing out loud. And of course, the fitness girl in the office sipping every last drop of her fruit smoothie.

I got the warning on my phone saying that the music is too loud on my headphones. But who cares. I guess I’ll pay for it later when I grow older. Right now, I just want to isolate myself.

I got up and go to the bathroom just to rest. To disconnect. What’s wrong with me? Am I having an anxiety attack?

It was as if every little noise bothered me, as if I was attentive to every movement of my co-workers. And at the same time, I felt watched.

Are open offices as productive as they meant to be?

Those were my tortures every time I went to work for a year. Some time later, I came across some research that explained about what I had been going through: open offices are not productive for everyone.

The “open offices” or open offices is a model of organization of the work space in which the physical barriers between workers are eliminated. It was a model that was imposed in the United States in the 1950s and since then has not stopped growing throughout the world. They were implemented under the belief that it was a way to encourage participation and collaboration among workers, with the added value of saving space. However, various studies show that this organizational model can have results that are adverse to those intended.

The elimination of the typical work cubes caused a drop in employee productivity: it increased potential distractions and the feeling of being supervised all day by bosses and colleagues.

Even although knowledge workers are influenced by this architecture, they decide, individually and collectively, when to interact. Even in open spaces with colleagues in close proximity, people who want to eschew interactions have an amazing capacity to do so. They avoid eye contact, discover an immediate need to use the bathroom or take a walk, or become so engrossed in their tasks that they are selectively deaf

Ethan Bernstein and Ben Waber

This were the typical organization in cubicles before the installation of open offices:

cubicles might be better for introverts

Instead of getting a space to share ideas, one was established where the workers felt anxiety by wanting to appear to be busy and working even though they were not because everyone could see it.

According to a report published by the Washington Post, employees at companies where open offices were established used more sick days.

Introverts, HSPs and open offices

And now, imagine if you are an introvert. If interacting with people alone is exhausting you; if you naturally work and have better ideas working on your own than in a group. Then going to work can be “hell” for you.

Another research published on Harvard Business Review goes beyond the idea of how open offices vs cubicles. It introduces the idea of space identity:

 Sometimes this works, but often it doesn’t. In our research, we discovered that success with open offices may have as much to do with how people feel about the space — something called place identity — as with the space itself. When place identity is higher, employees report more engagement in their work, more communication with their peers, and a stronger connection to the company.

How to Make Sure People Won’t Hate Your New Open Office Plan

How to avoid distractions as an introvert

At the end of the day we can rant all we want about how stupid open offices are. But chances are that you are not going to leave your job tomorrow just because of the space. For that you can take this tips that have help me deal with open offices, as an introvert and highly sensitive person:

  • Your headphones are your besties. I am pretty sure you already know it, also it signals “don’t talk to me right now”. For those moments were you are tired of music you can use earplugs.
  • Think of spaces in your office were you can have some privacy. As an introvert is not like I am asocial. I just need longer time to disconnect and recharge. So you could think of a spot were maybe you can go to when you get overwhelmed with stimuli.
  • Set time in your day to socialize with your coworkers. This could be when you first arrive to work or during lunch time. Sometimes as introverts we feel bad for not wanting to interact with people. That’s always the dilema: when I socialize I end up feeling drained and can’t focus, but if I don’t interact I feel not integrated and left out.

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