You've heard it before: we are a product of our environments. In other words, who we are and how we behave is influenced by the spaces we inhabit. Think about how you show up differently at work versus at home. Notice how some places lift your mood while others drain you? That’s because our environments act as an internal guidance system, shaping our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
Every time we enter a new space, we subconsciously assess it, downloading sensory information and adjusting our behaviour accordingly. If you find yourself in the jungle, face-to-face with a tiger, your body downloads the message: "I'm not safe—run!" If you step into a space filled with fond memories, you feel warmth and nostalgia. Conversely, a place tied to negative experiences can trigger stress and discomfort.
Once a behavioural pattern is established in a given environment, our brain shifts into autopilot. The scenery, energy, and past experiences associated with that space cue our responses. This is why habits—both good and bad—become deeply ingrained in familiar environments.
While our environments influence us, we also have the power to influence them. Instead of struggling to change ourselves while keeping our surroundings the same, why not reshape our environments to support the person we want to become?
For example, if you're trying to improve your sleep but always find yourself watching TV in bed, removing the TV creates an environment where late-night screen time is no longer an option. Changing the environment makes changing your behaviour easier.
By intentionally designing our environments, we become creators of our experiences rather than passive products of our surroundings. Even small adjustments can have profound effects on our mindset, habits, and self-perception.
To start, we need to examine the environments we spend the most time in and assess their impact on our behaviours. From there, we can make targeted changes to align these spaces with our goals.
The two key environments we will focus on are: