216: How Your Home Office Environment Affects Your Energy (And How to Fix It)

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Feeling drained the moment you sit down to work? Your home office environment might be sabotaging your energy and productivity. In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, business coach Cindy Gordon reveals how your physical surroundings directly impact your motivation and business success - and exactly how to fix it.

Discover why your workspace is either giving you energy or stealing it, the science behind how your environment affects your entrepreneurial mindset, and a simple Energy Audit Approach to transform any space into a productivity powerhouse. Perfect for female entrepreneurs and small business owners working from home who want to feel inspired and energized in their workspace.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to do an honest energy audit of your current workspace
• Why your brain makes instant decisions about productivity based on visual cues
• The difference between Energy Givers and Energy Drains in your environment
• Quick wins that cost nothing but create massive energy shifts
• How to add intentional inspiration elements that support your business goals

Episode Highlights: "Your environment isn't neutral. It's either giving you energy or stealing it from you."

"Within milliseconds of entering a space, your subconscious mind is processing hundreds of visual cues and making decisions about how you should feel."

"Make sure everything in your sight line either serves a function or serves your energy."

Resources mentioned:

• The Reality Check Method
• Energy Audit Approach
• Weekly productivity tips for overwhelmed entrepreneurs

Stop letting your workspace drain your energy. Start creating an environment that fuels your entrepreneurial success.

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

💌 Get exclusive overwhelm solutions and productivity strategies for entrepreneurs straight to your inbox - sign up now! https://cindygordon.myflodesk.com/countmein

Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Picture this.
It's Monday morning.
You've got your coffee, yourto-do list is ready, and you sit
down at your desk feelingmotivated to tackle the week,
but the moment you look aroundyour workspace, something
shifts.
Maybe it's the stack of papersfrom last week's project staring
at you, or that blank wall thatoffers zero inspiration or the
general feeling that this spacejust well drains you within

(00:24):
minutes.
That Monday morning energy iscompletely deflated and you're
already feeling behind beforeyou even started.
Here's what most entrepreneursdon't realize.
Your home office environmentisn't neutral.
It's either fueling your energyand motivation, or it's quietly
sabotaging success every singleday.
If you're feeling drained, themoment you sit down to work,

(00:46):
your physical surroundings areworking against you.
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, thecreator of the Reality Check
Method, and a business coach foroverwhelmed entrepreneurs.
I've built and sold multipledigital businesses ranging from
five to six figure successes.
So when it comes tounderstanding how your physical
environment either energizesyour business mindset or

(01:08):
completely kills yourmotivation, I get it.
Today, I'm sharing the mindsetshift that helped me transform
my home workspace from an energyvampire into a productivity
powerhouse.
You want the weekly productivitytips that I send to over 1400
entrepreneurs.
To stay focused, motivated, andon track, you need to get on my

(01:28):
email list link in the shownotes.
I only send these behind thescenes strategies to my email
subscribers.
It is not available anywhereelse, this is something that
comes up again and again with myclients.
You are working harder thanever, but your home office is
working against you every singleday.
You sit down at your desk andimmediately feel blah, not

(01:49):
inspired, not energized, andkind of deflated before you even
start.
Maybe your workspace iscluttered with papers from three
different projects.
You're staring at a blank wallthat gives you zero motivation.
Perhaps you're working from yourkitchen table surrounded by
breakfast dishes and yesterday'smail, or you have a proper home
office that feels sterile orcorporate instead of inspiring

(02:13):
and personal.
Here's the reality check.
Your environment isn't neutral.
It's either giving you energy orstealing it from you.
If you're feeling drained beforeyou even open your laptop, your
surroundings are part of theproblem.
Your brain has a specific reasonfor this pattern and
understanding it changeseverything.
The moment that you walk into aspace, your brain is instantly

(02:34):
scanning everything and decidinghow you should feel and what you
should do.
If your workplace screams chaos,your brain prepares for stress.
If it whispers inspiration, yournervous system relaxes into
creativity.
If it's completely neutral andboring, your energy flat lines
before you even begin.
Working, this isn't about beingaesthetic or having a pretty

(02:57):
space, though there's nothingwrong with that.
This is about a strategicenvironment design that supports
your entrepreneurial energy andreminds your brain that
important work happens here.
So here's how to reality.
Check your environment and fixwhat's draining.
The first thing you're gonna dois do an honest energy audit.
Sit in your workspace right now.

(03:19):
Pause this podcast if you needto, and go to your workspace.
I want you to notice how youfeel.
Does this space make you feelcapable, inspired, or
overwhelmed and scattered?
Look around and identify what'shelping versus what's hurting.
Maybe a stack of books makes youfeel smart and motivated, but a
pile of unfolded laundry in thecorner makes you feel behind.

(03:42):
Make two lists.
We have energy givers and energydrains.
Start with some quick wins thatcost you nothing.
Remove those energy drainsfirst.
So things like clearing yourworking surface, filing the
papers, moving the laundrybasket.
Then amplify what's alreadyworking.
If you love a plant.
Move it where you can see it.

(04:03):
If you have a framed photo ofyour family that motivates you,
put it at eye level.
Sometimes the biggest energyshift comes from simply
rearranging what you alreadyhave.
The last step is to add in someintentional inspiration
elements.
This isn't about spending moneyon fancy decor.
It's about surrounding yourselfwith visual reminders of who you

(04:23):
are and what you are building.
Maybe it's your business missionstatement printed and framed.
Maybe it's a vision board ofyour goals.
Maybe it's testimonials fromhappy clients, or a photo from
your last vacation that remindsyou why you're working so hard.
The key is making sure thateverything in your sight line
either serves a function orserves your energy.

(04:44):
If it's not doing one of thosetwo things, it needs to go.
Here's how to maintain thisenergy supporting environment
without it becoming yet anotheroverwhelming project.
First, do a quick five minuteenergy check every Monday
morning, look around your spaceand ask what's working, what's
not, and adjust is needed.
The environment should evolvewith your business and your

(05:05):
energy needs.
Next, create visual anchors fordifferent types of work.
Maybe you have a specific spotwhere you do creative work and
another four administrativetasks, or perhaps you rotate
which direction you face,depending on whether you need
focused energy or collaborativeenergy, the goal is to use your
environment strategically tosupport different business

(05:26):
activities when resistant showsup, and it will remember that
this isn't about perfection.
Some days your desk will bemessy, and that's okay.
The goal is creating anenvironment that generally
supports your energy so thatwhen you do need to power
through those tough days, yourspace is helping instead of
hindering, here's what I wantyou to remember from today.

(05:49):
Your environment is constantlycommunicating with your
subconscious mind, so let's makesure it's sending the right
message.
You don't need a magazine worthyoffice or a huge budget to
create an environment thatsupports your energy.
You just need to be intentionalabout what you're surrounded by
and honest with.
What's helping versus what'shurting your physical space

(06:09):
should remind you that you aresomeone who builds businesses,
serves clients, and createsimpact.
When you design your environmentto support your entrepreneurial
energy, you are not justorganizing your office, you are
programming your success.
Go reality.
Check your space and let it fuelyour next level of success.

(06:29):
And remember, you've got this,

Speaker (06:32):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If this was helpful, you'll lovemy weekly email tips where I
share the systems that keep meand hundreds of other
entrepreneurs on Track Link inthe show notes.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with

(06:54):
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively cindy.com.
Until next time, remember you'vegot this.