People often reach out to me when they’re feeling stuck. They describe feeling low energy much of the time, sick of work, and a lack of motivation to do the things they truly want to be doing. They’ll wonder if they’re depressed or if they should quit their jobs. They’ll express frustration, overwhelm, and despair. They often feel as though they’re out of options and don’t know what to do next.
Before we even begin to work on gaining clarity and creating our road map forward, I have them do something simple: change their environment. Shifting or changing our environments when things feel stale or just aren’t working sounds simple, but it’s a highly effective way to increase motivation and decrease burnout. And I’m not talking about booking a trip to another country or hopping in the car for a big road trip (although these can be extremely powerful ways to go about it as well). Changing your environment can be as easy as moving your desk so it faces a window instead of a wall or going from indoors to outdoors.
When we change our environment, we break habits and patterns. Old environments reinforce old habits whereas new environments give our brains a “reset” that allows for new habits to form. Think about a time when you visited a friend or family member and found that rather than scrolling upon waking, you took their dog for a walk. Your old morning habit didn’t stand a chance in this new place with new environmental cues. Even rearranging our own spaces can cause creativity or encourage problem-solving. I have a client who will rearrange her office every time she starts working on a new creative project. She finds that the new room gives her a new approach and she doesn’t recycle old ideas into her new work.
Quick environmental changes of going from indoors to outdoors can also be a quick and effective way to “reset” your brain. Instead of allowing for new habits to form though, it’s a reset of your central nervous system. If you’re stepping out into nature and staring at trees or clouds, your brain will calm down. In contrast, if you’re stepping out onto a busy city street, you’ll feel more energized. And if there’s a temperature change that occurs simultaneously, that’s even better!
Ways to quickly change your environment
- Rearrange a room and add new elements. I had a client who was used to getting up early and going right into a deep focused work block; however, as daylight hours decreased, so did her motivation. We found that by making her living room cozier by adding blankets, candles, smart light bulbs, and a teapot with a timer, she could have her room lit up and her hot water ready to go when she went downstairs in the morning. She found herself excited and inspired as she embraced the darker months.
- Turn a regularly occurring meeting into a walk-and-talk. Many people are complaining of meeting burnout these days so when possible, meet with clients on the move rather than sitting in an office or on a screen. By getting out of your regular physical space and adding movement and outdoor activity, you’ll find your meetings to be much more productive (and energizing).
- Rearrange your furniture for success. Think about the purpose of the room and what you want it to inspire- creativity, focus, relaxation, connection, etc. Then move furniture to support the purpose. For example, if you want creativity, keep the space open and airy with lots of natural light and room to move around. If you’re looking to focus, remove distractions and keep it clean and simple.
- Paint a wall or add new accent colors. Color impacts our mood and how we think. If you’ve been feeling a loss of motivation for a while, it might be time to change the wall colors. If you’re unable to do that, add some new objects with colors that support the room’s purpose. Bright and bold will inspire and energize while neutral or muted colors will calm and soothe.
- Get out of town. If you’re really struggling, a trip may be exactly what you need. Getting out of your regular routine, away from the usual suspects, and into a completely new space can give you a jump start in ways you didn’t even know were possible. I have several clients who take quarterly retreats where they go to a new city and/or space for a few days to get inspired.
The end of the year is a common time for people to feel a lack of motivation and stuck. If this is you, start with small changes. If you don’t feel progress or you’re not getting the energy you desire, go big. Create bold changes to your environment or take a trip. It could be exactly what you need.