Fresh Start Monday #64: The Coffee Shop Effect

Over the summer, I hated my productivity at my desk in my room. I noticed how lazy I felt sitting down, and how disorganized my space felt. I decided to optimize it.

I bought an external keyboard, a stand to raise my laptop screen, and desk lights. None of it worked.

When I tried to work at my dining room table, I felt more productive. I noticed how much that environment made a difference and took that as a clue.

Over the past two weeks, I've started going to a coffee shop at 8 am every weekday.

The difference between how much work I get done at home and a coffee shop is like when you were a teenager before you had a license/car. Then, at some point, you got a car and you got where you needed to be much faster.

I don't know if I can go back to working at home home now. I was also curious. Why am I more productive at a coffee shop? What's happening here? Should you work at a coffee shop?

1. The Coffee Shop Effect

A 2012 study from the University of British Columbia found that a moderate amount of background noise increased creativity and productivity. They found the optimal range was about 70 decibels of ambient sounds, which you'll find in a crowded cafe.

Participants performed worse at tasks at 50 decibels (the volume of a quiet room) and 85 decibels (the volume of a garbage disposal).

More recent research Van der Groen shows that background noise at the right level helps the brain see things from new perspectives.

For those not able to work in a coffee shop or public setting, these are two apps I found that play background music:

https://coffitivity.com/

http://www.noisli.com/

2. Body Doubling

Body Doubling is a productivity strategy that's long been known within the ADHD community, where the presence of another person enhances your focus.

You can think of it as an unofficial accountability buddy. You sit down at a cafe, and see someone focused and working steadily on their laptop. The presence of another person can serve as motivation to complete the task.

Doing tasks while surrounded by people can make even the most mundane, dreaded activity more doable. It's one reason why people find it easier to hit the gym or go to a yoga studio over doing it at home.

If you have a friend with similar goals or tasks as you, even better. Set up a zoom room or call them with the speaker on. It's not about doing the activity or task together, but knowing someone else is also working.

I've used Focusmate https://www.focusmate.com/ for a virtual coworking session. You'll be matched up with a stranger via Zoom as you both complete your tasks.

3. Setting intent

At home, I wake up, make coffee, read, then sit down to work. Except, often, my 30min reading block becomes 45min or 90min. Or I don't know exactly what I want to work on. Or I don't know when to transition from activity to activity. (read: the fireplace is too cozy for me to stop reading)

If you work remotely most of the time, you slide from activity to activity. What I mean by that is we go from personal hygiene, to eating, to relaxing, to working, to exercising etc.

There are no predefined times or areas for work, food, exercise, etc. They blend together. It's often unclear whether we want to be creative right now, comfortable, or to just chill.

A quick example is you're on your phone while eating lunch. When it's time for work again, you bring your phone to your desk and spend the next 30min still on your phone.

The cafe I go to is five minutes from my house. It's the perfect amount of time to figure out what I'm gonna work on. The drive has become an intention-setting time.

I choose one task I'm gonna focus on for at least 45 minutes once I arrive.

Without a plan, I again feel like I slide into something distracting. Let me check my email real quick, or I'll read a newsletter. Next thing I know, it's an hour later, and I convince myself it's too late to start actual work.

It's a defined environment and time for you to be productive.

Another intention is that I will not turn on my phone until I leave the cafe.

When I brought this up to a few people, they said I don't want to spend money on coffee every day to be productive. I understand that. I found a cafe that does drip coffee for $3 and a free refill. $15 a week to be significantly more productive feels worth it to me.

Working remotely is comfortable and convenient. Many of us have grown accustomed to it. But is that same environment conducive to sweating hard and sparking creativity? I'm finding I need more separation.

Your mileage may vary, but give it a go. And report back.