How to Design your Environment for Wellbeing & Productivity

4000 years ago, it would have been a rare and happy occasion to come across a sweet berry. Today, we are surrounded by the endless possibility of instant satisfaction, the “fast, easy happy chemicals” as Loretta Graziano Breuning called them in her book Habits of a Happy Brain. Pursuing the rush of these fast happy chemicals, unfortunately, does not always correspond with our long-term wellbeing.

“You are the sum of the people you surround yourself with”, a wise anonymous source once said. The same applies to our environment when it comes to habits. In a world full of schedules, endless commitments and potential distractions, your environment is one of the primary factors that will determine your subconscious behaviours.

Designate working and living areas

What epigenetics is to DNA research, environment design is to our everyday life. We are evolving organisms that are constantly responding to what is around us. 

Our brain connects places to activities and emotions. It labels our environment to preserve energy, and over time, we are conditioned to view a place, person or thing in a particular way. This means the more you answer emails in bed at night, the more you will connect the emotions you feel with dealing with work while in bed.

Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov, famous for his theory on conditioning, was one of the first to show the world how little cues can fundamentally alter physiological processes in our body.  In one of his most famous experiments, he conditioned his dog to associate the ringing of a bell with the prospect of food. In a similar way, we can designate our working space to remind us that being in it means work, and leaving it means relaxing. For more information about how to make sure your home office is environmentally-design-friendly, check out our post on working from home self-care.

Phones away during “productive time” 

Have you ever found yourself on a really difficult task, feeling like you’re about to make a breakthrough, only to wonder what one of your friends posted about their Italian holiday? 

Let’s be honest, our phones, more often than not, distract us during times when we need or want to focus. Extensive studies have shown that just seeing our phones nearby prevents us from engaging deeply with what is in front of us. The constant feeling of being “on the verge of something better and more exciting” not only prevents us from being able to focus at this moment but worse, it also erodes our ability to focus in general.

The very easy fix: When you’re working, turn your notifications off and put your phone out of sight. Train your mind to stay focused on what is in front of you — even if that is in the form of 30 minutes here and there.

Device-free bedrooms

“Compared to reading a printed book, reading on an iPad suppressed melatonin release by over 50 percent at night,” Matthew Walker teaches us in his book Why we sleep. Whilst the topic of insomnia is a broad one that often has more than one cause, the way we use our devices in the bedroom is something we can tackle today. Start by putting your phone away 30 minutes before you go to sleep, and pair it with a device-free-just-me-morning (a minimum of 15 minutes) and soon you’ll be conquering the world.

Find a “resetting” ritual that immediately boosts your energy 

Often, mental fatigue leads to us resorting to bad habits for quick relief. Having a “resetting ritual” can help. This could be speaking to a friend on the phone, working out, going for a walk, or even a quick nap. For shorter intervals, it might be making some tea or coffee, stretching, drawing, a quick baking session, or meditating for a few minutes. Some even find it relaxing to do household chores (if you’re working from home). 

Try to refrain from using your phone during these sessions, since you want to choose activities that supercharge your mental facilities, rather than further engage them. You want to have a few resetting rituals you know are guaranteed to make you feel like you’re having a little break in the middle of your workday.

Our environments should serve us, so we can be where and who we want to be in this life. We are the shapers of our environment, so let’s commit to shaping it in a way that is conducive to our wellbeing and happiness.

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