Open and loud spaces are productivity traps for introverts
Working in a buzzing environment like a coffee shop or a university study room does not help us concentrate.
Your environment greatly influences your work, thoughts, and energy. As an introvert, a loud room distracts me more than it helps to be productive.
Students study in those rooms because they need someone to hold them accountable and motivated. At home, nobody sees them work, so they don’t.
This way of thinking works when you really aren’t in the mood for studying. You see others working, so you’re motivated to do something too.
This is not for introverts
I was trying to study at university, but being in a room with people talking, eating, or building models (I studied architecture) is more distracting than motivating.
I only studied at university in groups, questioning each other or exchanging knowledge.
The only good thing was that I wanted to be done fast so I could go home. Because it was really distracting, I tried to block it with headphones, but the whole environment was uncomfortable.
I know friends who study at university every day because they need this buzzing environment as a motivation, and they like to talk with people.
But I’m not sure how much time they are actually productive.
Not every strategy works for you
Successful entrepreneurs are writing online about working from a coffee shop to change their environment. Strategies you read online don’t have to work for you.
For introverts, working in a loud coffee shop isn’t productive because it’s distracting.
For extroverts needing the motivation from seeing other people work, it can be productive to be in that environment. They also like people around to talk to in the breaks.
But especially when I’m writing or solving a difficult task, I get distracted fast by a loud environment.
You hear the recommendation to change your environment, go for a walk, and ideas will come.
I love to walk, but I don’t get any ideas because I’m focused on the obstacles, people, noises… it’s distracting.
I like it as an inspiration when watching others or listening to audiobooks while walking. But I need quietness and sometimes closing my eyes for ideas and thoughts.
Make your environment work for you
I need my quiet, comfortable space at home to work, so I invested in a comfy chair, a screen, and music streaming.
Make your environment work for you. Try out the strategies you read online, but be honest with yourself if they don’t work.
Don’t force yourself to be someone else. Take a few weeks to three months to try it.
After reading about morning routines, I tried waking up at 5 am and doing what Robin Sharma is writing about. But waking up that early didn’t fit into my environment and schedule, because I couldn’t go to bed earlier.
I adapted my morning routine based on the book ‘Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod and wake up at 6 am now. And that’s working really well for me.
Some successful people write about working as soon as possible after waking up. But that’s not working for me because I need my calming routine and breakfast (I have stomach health issues).
What I want to say is: don’t take every strategy for ‘the one magic trick’ that can solve your life.
Not every tool is good for you. And it can also change based on the seasons of life you’re in.
Conclusion
Don’t listen to every piece of advice you hear online.
Try them out and if they aren’t for you, don’t try to force yourself. That’s not helpful or healthy.
It’s like trying to lose weight: there are diets saying to only eat every 5 hours and then fast for 12 to 18 hours overnight. It’s not for me, because for 10 years I have had trouble with my stomach, and it needs snacks every few hours else it hurts.
Just like you listen to your body when you’re hungry or need food. You should be aware of what tools and strategies work best for you.
But be aware this shouldn’t be an excuse for being lazy or “nothing works for me”. Every new habit is hard at the beginning, but stick with it and try it out.
“All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous
at the end”
— Robin Sharma
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