Hey {{ first name | there }}! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋  You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: It’s all about how your setting affects deep work — why working in certain places can make you feel “off”, why the time and place matters, and how to better match your setting to your productivity.

Your brain makes associations with certain places and times of day, even if you don't realize it.

When a single place or timeslot has an existing association, deviating from it causes subtle stress for your brain.

It also introduces pressures that you might only feel in your body, but don’t have the words for.

If you’re feeling “off”, consider if you’re working at a time or place that contradicts your usual activities there, like:

These are just a few examples, but we bet you’ll find more if you start analyzing your patterns.

So why do these associations matter for your productivity? And are there better ways to match your settings with your schedule? Let’s take a look.

Your subconscious mind is always working. Even if you don't actively realize it, breaking any existing associations between setting and activity causes focus and energy leaks.

Of course, everyone’s brain is different. Some folks thrive with a rigid routine, while others need to mix things up now and again. And then some people do best with a bit of both.

All that to say, your mileage may vary.

Generally, though, our brains contradict themselves on this one: They love routine, but they also latch onto novelty.

Which means 2 things for our productivity:

We know how annoying this is because our team has experienced it firsthand!

So what can you do to better suit your setting to whatever work you’re doing? Scroll on to find out.

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Now, here's how to match your setting to your work.

Working at home comes with all sorts of mental strings attached, from undone chores to what’s for dinner. Same goes for other spaces that we don’t normally “work” in.

If you’re able, try working at a different cafe, park, or library than you usually do. Bonus points if you choose a venue you’ve never been before!

We know not everyone can “just leave” and go to a different place to study or work.

If you’re at the office or another setting you can’t just up and leave, pop in some headphones (if you can) to reduce noise.

It’s not a perfect solution, but it should help some with blocking distractions.

Are you a morning person? A night owl? Somewhere in between? Indifferent?

Whatever rhythms you’re currently following, try switching it up to see if things work better.

Examples: Save some work for the evening after traffic has died down / Do some yoga in the evenings to wind down your brain and body

A curated list of things worth sharing.

Where you work affects how well you work. Flocus gives you a calm, distraction-free space that travels with you, with ambient sounds and soothing backgrounds that help your brain switch into focus mode wherever you are.

Go to Flocus

If you’ve got a lot of work to do, consider when and where you are while doing it — it might make more of a difference to your productivity than you think!

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team