Does Your Environment Matter?
Does Your Environment Matter?
For this week’s blog, I have mused over several topics about what may resonate or how people may be feeling a few weeks into the new year. I’ve settled on something that has shown up for me this week. Environment!
Your environment plays an important role in your mood, your energy, and your productivity. If you are not in your flow state, or finding it hard to be creative or finding it difficult to focus, then perhaps one of the first things to look at is how your environment is affecting you. This is as much about the physical spaces you are in, the people who occupy those spaces with you and, importantly, your emotional environment, what’s going on for you at the time. Have you ever noticed how much easier some days feel in one space than another, even when the work is the same? Or have you ever sat down to work feeling motivated, only to find your energy drain faster than you expected? Or have you ever wondered why you can be productive in one place or with certain people, and completely stuck in others?
I have been reminded this week just how much environment shapes how I show up. I have spent much of the last week travelling, staying in a variety of different places. It has been a wonderful week in so many ways but also interesting to observe how the different places had an impact on the amount of work I have been able to do, the ability to focus and my own creativity. One space was so hot it was difficult to concentrate for long periods of time. In the place I find myself in this week, I am distracted by the clutter around me and the background noises. It is somewhat irritating and is lending itself to slight overwhelm. Thankfully, these are things I can change easily. It’s not my space and it is only temporary but does highlight how important my workspace is.
Being aware of your own workspace and its impact on you is paramount. There are things you can do to create a more conducive work space to what you need at any particular time. From simple things such as clearing away clutter so you have a clean space to work in, to creating your own little corner in a room, to having your own study or finding an office or a public space in a library, in a hotel or a café. It may take a little time to find the right environment and it may involve some trial and error. You may even end up with different spaces for different reasons or tasks. You may also find that what worked once doesn’t work as well now and that is ok too.
Another reflection I observed was how people shape our environment just as much as places do. I met up with a friend recently, who I hadn’t seen for a very long time. There was a moment during the conversation that triggered doubt about whether I could achieve what I have set out to achieve this year. This was followed soon after by a comment from a family member that dredged up an unwelcome limiting belief. The details of what was said on both occasions are not so important here. What mattered was my reaction to those comments and the feelings those two conversations generated. In both instances, it wasn’t that either person meant harm or was particularly critical. Realistically, it is unlikely they will have given a second thought to how their comments landed and it won’t be the last time that something like this happens.
What is important is recognising the effects that the people around us have on us, learning how to filter casual comments so that they don’t knock your confidence, limiting the time you spend with people who don’t align with your values or beliefs and increasing the time you spend with like minded people.
It is especially difficult when that person is a loved one, whether that be a partner, your child or your sibling or a close friend. In these instances, for self protection, it may be easier to limit the time you talk about your plans or your dreams so you reduce the opportunity for negative feedback.
Meanwhile, the third element of environment I’d like to touch upon is the invisible atmosphere you live and work within. This is mindset. It is about the pressure you place upon yourself, how your past or present affects you day to day, how you show up for yourself and whether you are limited or encouraged by your beliefs. It overlaps with the physical and the social space, which is why it can sometimes feel confusing or harder to identify.
All of us will have an internal narrative that runs quietly in the background. From the way we like to work, to the way we talk to ourselves, our levels of perfectionism, our tolerance for uncertainty and our expectations of what we should be able to cope with. Much of this operates automatically, shaped by past experiences, responsibilities, habits and roles we have stepped into over time.
What makes this emotional environment particularly subtle is that it is not created in isolation. It is influenced by what is happening around us. The moods, pressures or worries of the people we live or work with. Ongoing life events, uncertainty, health concerns, financial pressures or simply carrying too much for too long. Even when nothing specific feels ‘wrong’, all of this can quietly affect how we think, feel and respond.
At times, this internal environment can amplify self doubt, overwhelm or the feeling that everything requires more effort than it should. At other times, when it is supportive and spacious, the same tasks can feel lighter and more manageable. The work itself may not have changed, but the emotional conditions we are operating within have.
When we step back and look at environment as a whole, physical, social and emotional, it becomes easier to see why some periods feel harder than others. Not as a personal failing, but as information. Awareness is often the first step. Noticing what supports you, what drains you and what may need adjusting, even gently, over time.
If any part of this has resonated, or you have found yourself recognising your own experience in these reflections, you do not have to figure it all out alone. Sometimes simply talking it through can bring clarity. If it would be helpful, you are always welcome to book in for a free call to explore what is showing up for you and what support might be helpful for you..
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
To book a free call or to find out more about The Accountability Collective please visit www.ingridvanderweide.com
