How To Find The Most Optimal Sitting Spot

By Julia Dunn on October 24, 2015

This article is brought to you by CORT, a subsidiary of Berkshire-Hathaway and the world’s largest furniture rental and relocation services company. To learn more about how we can help college students like you, click here.

“The Big Bang Theory’s” brainy yet bizarrely lovable character Sheldon Cooper is known for keeping excessive watch on his “spot”–the most perfect, ideal place to sit for basically every reason ever. Here’s his absurdly detailed rationale:

“In the winter that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm, and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer, it’s directly in the path of a cross-breeze created by opening windows there and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct, thus discouraging conversation, nor so far wide as to create a parallax distortion. I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.”  - Sheldon Cooper

Image Via Pixabay.com

Sheldon’s attachment to his spot is based on an optimized balance of factors, like physical comfort and social interaction. While it sounds totally ridiculous (and it is, don’t get me wrong), Sheldon’s logic is sound; he knows what’s important in a spot. There’s a reason Sheldon’s roommate Leonard and friends Raj and Howard freak out when guests try to sit on that certain end of the red couch, and many episodes make fun of Sheldon’s paranoid attachment to the sacred Sheldon spot.

Penny and Leonard occasionally propose “making out in Sheldon’s spot” when he’s not home as an act of rebellion in multiple episodes. Howard even sat naked in Sheldon’s spot in an act of revenge. Many TBBT antics revolve around this off-limits spot.

Like Sheldon, do you ever make a point to sit in the same spot every time you enter a room or other environment? Need help determining which spot is the best for you so you can permanently claim it as your own?

Here are some top factors that should go into finding the best sitting place in a room (and hopefully they’re less complicated than Sheldon’s).

Comfort level

“Spots” can include chairs, pillows, blankets, and anything else comfortable and versatile. If you aren’t comfortable in a spot, what’s the point of being there? Make sure you’ve got great back support, some room to lie down if you’d like to do so, and a place to rest your feet nearby.

Your spot should have plenty of space for you to sit, sleep, or lounge around whenever you’d like. Bean bags are great for a spot on the floor, and you can never have too many pillows either. Fluff up your spot with lots of floor padding and you may never want to leave!

View

What can you see from your spot? Is it a gray wall? Is it a dumpster? Is it a collage of 40 stressful Post-It notes with errands jotted down on them? If so, reconsider your spot location. Find somewhere with a nice window if you prefer lots of natural light or natural scenery, or set up your space with photos, posters or other decorations that make you happy. A great view makes a spot much more pleasant and uplifting to be in.

Accessibility

Can you reach your most-used items from your spot? Is there nearby storage for common necessities like a laptop, phone charger, snacks or studying materials? These are important details to factor into choosing a spot. You want to ideally be central enough to your items that you don’t have to go all the way across the room every few minutes to grab something you forgot. Or, obtain some organization containers and bring your stuff to your spot so everything is all in one place. This way, you’ll make the most out of your time in your spot.

If you’re a TV fanatic who doesn’t like to watch shows on a laptop, your spot may be best located near your TV (just watch out for the distance–by no means would you want a “parallax distortion”!). You’ll also need a surface close by for spreading out homework and setting down beverages or food. If you’re sitting on the ground, it may be useful to buy one of those lap desks with the cushiony pillow attached underneath it so you can work comfortably.

Temperature

Is your spot way up high, or on ground level in your room? If your spot is on a bunk bed, for instance, it’s probably fairly warm up there (heat rises). This is definitely something to consider when determining where your spot should be. If you’re uncomfortable with the temperature in or around your spot, you probably won’t be able to relax or get homework done in it. You can mess with temperature by having a small fan and a stack of blankets nearby to accommodate shifting temperatures.

Having a spot is important for many reasons, the best one being that you have a space all your own. You can count on it being there when you want to escape from the chaotic world–it’s no one else’s to take from you (although the “Big Bang Theory” cast does make attempts!)

Best wishes in finding your spot!

Image Via Pixabay

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