Of course, it would be hard to set some of these limits in stone in a work context. Many colleagues share desks in a space that falls well within the personal distance zone, for example.

But the breakdown of categories provides an obvious model of where the boundaries lie when it comes to personal space in the workplace.

Hemmings points out that when a work colleague violates our innate sense of appropriate space, our amygdala, in the frontal cortex of the brain, is activated.

This triggers an emotional response releasing feelings of discomfort, anger or anxiety.

It would be nice to think that these boundaries would be common sense, but depressingly, that isn’t always the case. As we continue a much-needed conversation around sexual harassment with movements like Time’s Up, it’s important to think about the broader implications of the issue.

Often, it’s not just the obvious physical violations that make us feel uncomfortable, but also a more subtle realm of behaviours that need to be called out for what they are.

Are you suffering from workplace harassment? Find out more about what action you can take at gov.uk

There are four kinds of personal space, and not all of them are safe for work