Take a Vacation from your Cubicle for a more Eco-Friendly Workday

Every week in our Eco Memo series, we offer you practical tips on how to green your work life. This week, get some tips on how, and why, to get out of your cubicle for a while during the day.

Taking some work away from your desk makes green sense, and will help improve your energy flow and focus over the course of the day. When you're in your cubicle or office, chances are you're burning through a lot of electricity without even thinking about it. By default, your computer and area lighting is on, burning through resources, and any climate control systems in your office are chugging away, increasing your carbon footprint. To get the most work done while conserving resources, try flicking off your power strip, letting your bulbs go dark, taking some of your regular tasks to an underused area that's already glowing with all the light you need to get things done. Scheduling your time so that you can shut everything down for a while and head to a common space in your work environment means you'll give the earth a break, plus you'll get a little vacation from your regular routine.

Hard Copies on the Go

If you're doing a project where you need to revise a hard copy of a document, write a to-do list in longhand, read a book or manual, or do another task that involves real, live paper in your hands, shut down your workspace and take yourself and your stuff elsewhere. The nice thing about paper is that it's totally portable, so you can get just as much done curled up on a couch in the break room as you could in your office with everything on your power strip going full blast.

Take that Phone Call Elsewhere

The next time you need to have a phone conversation you think will last a while, grab your cell phone and take the call away from your desk. A chance of scenery can help you focus on the task at hand, instead of being tempted by the distractions of having email and other internet resources at your fingertips.

Invite Others Along

For even more impact, try sharing this idea with co-workers by designating a daily communal quiet work hour in a common space. Getting everyone to shut down their individual power stations and bring their work to a place where you can all get around a single shared table is eco-smart, and seeing everyone working hard and being focused together is great for group morale.

Need proof that it's possible to balance being green and still be a supportive partner and parent? See how Ed Begley, Jr. does it on Planet Green TV's Living with Ed.