Have you ever felt that your mind gets hemmed in by your congested office? Do you crave some wide-open space in which to let your mind wander? If you’ve ever felt that small spaces cramp your style and your thought processes, there’s evidence you may be right.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota say that ceiling height has an influence on how we act and think and even on what we buy.

Their research shows that consumers are likely to buy more in a retail space that has high ceilings. They contend that high-ceilings and the space they lend lead people to think more freely and abstractly. A high ceiling vs. a low ceiling gives a feeling of freedom rather than confinement. People are able to make more abstract connections. Conversely, in a room with lower ceilings, people are more likely to be detail-oriented and focus on specifics.

Of course, this means you may need to choose your environment to suit the task at hand, decide if you need to concentrate on specifics or need room to allow your mind to explore new possibilities. Finding the right space in which to think may be the key to decision-making and problem-solving.

U of M researchers find ceiling height can affect how a person thinks, feels and acts