The word “effort” drags along a list of its history from where one started to where one ended. Doing work relies on a person’s health, determination, and the main keyword of this article: motivation. Depending on what the task may be, the level of incentive varies on the amount needed to be done in a job. There are two types of workers in the world: “I can get this done in no time!” and “Eh, this can wait. I will do it later.” Has anyone ever wondered why there are certain individuals that get an adrenaline shot out of nowhere and start making progress while others even struggle to make a move from the spot he or she has been sitting in for the past three hours? Do a person’s surroundings affect the state of motivation he or she is in?

Excuses are usually the first thing that pops up in a slacker’s head. Pulling off the “My dog ate my homework” scheme is not so effective in this generation’s world of education. A theory has surfaced that there is a psychological connection between the human mindset and the environment. Having to decide between typing up an essay in a radio silent room versus a well-lit cafe with elevator music playing, it can be easy to decide right then and there. Not only is a specific setting a factor of this theory but the crowd as well. It does not sound pleasant to work in a boisterous, overcrowded area or being sat next to someone or a group that frequently chatters. This is the part where those “peace and quiet” lovers come in. There is nothing wrong with being active in a mute location, but too much silence can drive a sane person into a madman.

Ella Kassandra Eco, 15 from Rawlins, WY explains how designing her bedroom, turning it into a physical portrait of her imagination helps keep her on track with schoolwork. “I started painting in my room not too long ago,” she says. “I have little canvases stuck to my wall and I paint random things that I like; most of them are related to anime and Ariana Grande. She is my favorite artist and I have slowly made my room aesthetically themed.” Eco decided to add lighting in her piece of work by purchasing several string lights and hanging them in every corner of the room. “I could not adjust my bedroom light so I would always have to choose between keeping them on or turning them completely off. I had my mom buy me string lights so I can have a little bit of lighting without hurting my eyes. When I do homework on my desk, it kind of makes it fun to see the little bulbs sparkle while my playlist is shuffling through songs, especially when I gotta do math homework,” says Eco.

A University of Minnesota study has given examples of how humans adapt to the environment and how it affects us in return. The site says, “First of all, humans have a strong need for safety and security and look for those attributes in their environment. We also look for physical comfort, such as an environment with the right temperature.”

It shows that atmospheres that match our needs or don’t have an impact on how a person functions and that should not be taken lightly.

From Dover, FL Haylie Michelle Stephens, 17, talks about how different of an experience it is to work at school than at home. “I feel like it became normal for students to leave extra schoolwork for home and it does not go well 80% of the time,” she says. “When I am in the classroom, I am like in the zone to do the stuff that is given to us but when I get home I focus more on getting sleep and study after. I hold good grades but you can tell when my mindset shifts from driving to school to coming home to my room,” says Stephens.

A blogger, Dominique Stasulli, speaks about components in one’s surroundings that come up with either positive or negative contributions to how someone works in the field of athletics. Stasulli says, “Ideally, an athlete should train for the environment in which the performance will take place. For example, training in dry heat would be optimal preparation for a championship event in Arizona. However, this is not always possible, so aiming to match the heat stress is a valid way to achieve similar gains in training” (Stasulli, ByDominique). This dictates that the visual, physical, and “the feel” of an area can toggle with a person’s comfortability and will determine whether he or she would prefer to keep on working in that spot or just get up and get going.

The word “effort” drags along a list of its history from where one started to where one ended. Motivation can help an individual be successful, but the lack of it may direct to utter failure.

Sources:

Stasulli, ByDominique, et al. “Environmental Effects on Performance.” SimpliFaster, 18 Apr. 2020, simplifaster.com/articles/environmental-effects-performance/.

“What Impact Does the Environment Have on Us?” Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing, University of Minnesota, www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/healing-environment/what-impact-does-environment-have-us.