Why We Focus Better in Cafés and Libraries

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Environment matters

Scenario 1 – You’re racing against the clock to finish an urgent presentation while your favorite show plays in the background, pulling you in with its catchy dialogues. The tension mounts within you, a tug of war between your heart and your mind, your will-power and your pleasure center. Do you resist the distraction and continue to finish your presentation or get your dopamine fix and deal with the deadline hanging like a sword on your neck later?

Scenario 2 – You’re sitting in a cafe, buried deep in your screen, making light work of your budget spreadsheet like a ninja. You notice how your productivity skyrockets compared when at your office or home desk.

Scenario 3 – As you settle into a cozy corner of the quiet library, the atmosphere is thick with pin-drop silence, allowing your thoughts to flow freely and completely uninterrupted. You’re surrounded by so many people and yet find it effortlessly easy to immerse yourself in your task at hand.

The obvious difference between scenario 1 and 2&3 is – Distractions. Ever wondered why creators seems to flourish in scenario 2 and 3? You’re not alone; there’s some fascinating psychology behind why lively environments (cafe) or libraries can supercharge our focus and creativity.

While I love greenery what I mean by environment is our immediate surroundings. A strong believer in no pain no gain, I saw struggling to focus as a good sign – one of being able to summon my will power to cut out distractions. The first time this myth was shattered for me when I read the book the Atomic habits. Check it out here – Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear. Some famous quotes below from James Clear and you will know what I mean. Until I read this book, the idea of ‘architecting my environment to assist establishing a habit‘ was alien to me. Designing our environment to be comfortable? yes. to feel like a sanctuary? possibly, but to specifically designed to assist a habit? This was new and made perfect sense! I started experimenting with my own idea of a perfect writing hub. I became aware of how sitting in a library influenced my writing flow. I began to wonder what the psychology behind these environmental factors is.

The Science Behind It

Studies conducted in Environmental Psychology suggest that certain environmental factors like lighting, noise levels, and even the presence of natural elements can influence our mood, stress levels, and ability to focus. Here are some key ideas.

  1. Context-Dependent Memory: Your brain associates different environments with specific tasks. When you change your surroundings, you’re essentially triggering a mental reset. In a café or library, the brain recognizes that it’s time to focus.
  2. Background Noise: Surprisingly, the moderate level of ambient noise in a café—known as ‘white noise’—can enhance creativity and concentration. Unlike the stark silence of a quiet room or the disruptive noises of an office, this gentle hum provides a soothing background that helps filter out distractions.
  3. Change of Scenery: Switching locations can rejuvenate your mind. This change of scenery breaks the monotony of your routine and encourages your brain to adapt and stay alert.
  4. Attention Restoration Theory (ART): ART posits that exposure to nature or environments with natural elements can help restore our cognitive resources depleted by sustained attention tasks. This explains why we often feel more refreshed and focused after spending time in parks or well-designed public spaces.
  5. Sensory Processing Sensitivity: People with high sensory processing sensitivity might find office environments overwhelming due to excessive stimuli like noise or visual clutter. Conversely, they might thrive in quieter, less stimulating environments like libraries.
  6. The Yerkes-Dodson Law: This theory states that there’s an optimal level of arousal for peak performance. Both too little and too much stimulation can hinder focus. Cafés and libraries often hit the sweet spot of moderate arousal, making them conducive to productive work.
  7. Association with Focus – The brain forms associations between places and activities. If you use your bed for work your brain gets mixed signals.
  8. Cognitive load – Too much visual clutter competes for your brain’s attention and overload your brain. Keep your focus spot minimal and organized.
  9. Embodied cognition – How you set and position yourself impacts how you think.
  10. The Zeigarnik Effect – Unfinished tasks linger in your mind. Your brain dislikes unfinished tasks and keeps them at the forefront.

Creating your “Focus spot” by Leveraging Insights

Below are some photos of what my perfect sanctuary would look like. I can imagine it being raided by my family, bringing their iPad, homework books, and phones in. A slew of protein bar wrappers covers the floor when they leave.

But seriously, if you were to design your own focus spot what would it look like? Here are some tips to get the best focus by leveraging these psychological principles:

  1. One & only – Designate a specific spot at home just for focused work or creativity. Over time your brain will recognize it as your get things done zone.
  2. Declutter – Even a small clean nest with a plant or a candle can signal a productive space.
  3. Dopamine triggers – Lighting smell and sound Good lighting natural or warm toned ambient noise like cafe playlist and pleasant scents like coffee or central oils can boast motivation Experiment with lighting white noise or a specific scent to make your focus zone feel stimulated but not overwhelming.
  4. The Zeigarnik Effect – Start a task in your focus spot – even if it’s small. The brain will push you to return and complete it. This will reinforce the space as a productivity trigger.
  5. Ergonomics – are comfortable but upright chair a proper desk guide and even standing workstations can improve concentration.
  6. Create a Café Vibe at Home: If you can’t leave home, recreate the café atmosphere. Play some ambient coffee shop sounds or light instrumental music.
  7. Change your location: Change your location every few intervals to keep things fresh.
  8. Plan Breaks: Libraries can be very quiet, so take regular breaks to avoid mental fatigue.
  9. Personalize Your Space: Adding personal items can make your office area feel more inviting.
  10. Stay Organized: Keep your workspace tidy. An organized environment can help clear your mind and improve focus.
  11. Set Boundaries: Shut the front door! Inform family or housemates of your work hours and close the door to your room to minimize interruptions.
  12. Noise-Canceling Headphones: If the café gets too noisy, these can help you stay in the zone.
  13. Choose the Right Spot: Sit away from high-traffic areas like the entrance or counter.
  14. Comfortable Seating: Ensure your seat and table are comfortable enough for prolonged sitting.
  15. Limit Distractions: Avoid facing directly towards the hustle and bustle; position yourself with your back to it.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the psychology behind why we can focus better in certain environments allows us to optimize our work habits and make informed choices about our immediate environment. By making small adjustments, we can harness these insights to achieve greater productivity and creativity in our daily tasks. I’d love to hear what works best for you?

Think about it

If you had to design the perfect house-friendly space at home, what’s the first thing you’d add or remove?

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