Make Good Habits Easy with How you Design your Space

Creating an environment that supports good habits is a powerful strategy for personal growth and productivity. James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, emphasizes the importance of optimizing your surroundings to make good habits easy and bad habits difficult. From an interior design perspective, here’s how you can transform your home to foster positive behaviors and discourage negative ones.

Make Good Habits Easy:

1. Design for Convenience

Create Functional Zones: 

Designate specific areas for different activities. For example, set up a cozy reading nook with a comfortable chair, good lighting, and a small table for your book and cup of tea. This makes it easier to read regularly.

Accessible Storage: Store frequently used items where they are easy to reach. Place healthy snacks at eye level in the kitchen and keep workout gear visible and ready in your living room or bedroom.

2. Visual Cues

Use Reminders: Incorporate visual cues that remind you of your goals. Hang a whiteboard in your office with your daily to-do list or motivational quotes.

Strategic Décor: Place items related to your good habits in prominent places. Keep a yoga mat in the living room if you aim to practice yoga daily, or display fresh fruit on the kitchen counter to encourage healthy eating.

3. Comfortable and Inviting Spaces

Ergonomic Furniture: Invest in comfortable, ergonomic furniture to make productive activities more enjoyable. An inviting desk setup with a supportive chair can encourage longer and more focused work sessions.

Aesthetically Pleasing: Design your spaces to be visually appealing. A well-decorated, tidy environment can make spending time there more pleasant, thus promoting the activities associated with those spaces.

Make Bad Habits Difficult:

1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Hide Temptations: Store unhealthy snacks in hard-to-reach places. Place distracting gadgets in drawers or another room when not in use to reduce the temptation to reach for them mindlessly.

Declutter: Keep your spaces organized and clutter-free to minimize distractions and create a calm, focused environment.

2. Create Friction

Rearrange Furniture: Position furniture to support good habits. For instance, face your desk away from the TV to reduce the temptation to watch it while working.

Complex Accessibility: Make bad habits inconvenient. If you tend to waste time on your phone in bed, consider placing a charging station in another room.

Enhance Habit Formation with Design:

1. Lighting and Mood

Natural Light: Maximize natural light to boost your mood and energy levels. Place workspaces near windows to benefit from daylight.

Ambient Lighting: Use soft, warm lighting in relaxation areas to promote winding down, and bright, focused lighting in work areas to support productivity.

2. Color Psychology

Use Color Strategically: Different colors can influence your mood and behavior. Blue can enhance focus and productivity, while green can create a calming effect. Use these insights to paint walls or choose décor items.

3. Personalization

Reflect Your Personality: Personalize your spaces with items that reflect your interests and values. This makes the environment more engaging and inspiring, encouraging you to spend time on positive activities.

Optimizing your environment to support good habits and hinder bad ones is a transformative approach to interior design. By making small, thoughtful changes in your home, you can create a space that naturally encourages positive behavior and helps you achieve your goals.

Ready to design your home for better habits? Start by evaluating your current spaces and identifying changes that can support your goals. For more guidance, consider giving us a shout to find out how we can assist you with re-designing your space to support your dream life.

Drop us an e-mail at irene@eiwood.co.za and let's chat about how we can help you set up your environment to support your best self.