August 5, 2025 • 14 mins
Your brain is prime property, but too often we let distractions, interruptions, and clutter take over the space meant for our best ideas. In this episode of The Workplace Chameleon, Dr. Celina Peerman explores how to protect your “mental real estate”, your attention, focus, and cognitive energy, from being drained by constant pings, messy workspaces, endless interruptions, and even your own internal noise. She shares practical strategies for building healthy boundaries around your thinking time, from blocking focus hours to signaling when you’re in “deep work” mode, and shows why protecting your mind is not just a productivity trick but a powerful leadership move. You’ll also learn how to model these habits for your team, creating a culture where focus and clarity are valued, respected, and multiplied. Tune in for reflection questions, practical resets, and a challenge to put up one new “fence” around your mind this week so you can reclaim your prime mental property and use it for what matters most.
For more leadership tools and resources, visit www.drcelinapeerman.com
.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome back to the Workplace Chameleon.
This is where I share ideas,strategies and support on how to
adapt, align and lead withintention, even when the
workplace feels a little wild.
I'm Dr Selina and today, inthis episode, I want to explore
(00:31):
one of the most valuable thingsyou own, something worth more
than any possession you couldever buy, more than any piece of
land you could live on it'syour mental real estate.
Your brain is prime property.
(00:54):
I'm talking the best waterfront, high-rise, center of town,
valuable.
But here's the thing If you'renot careful, you can let every
passing distraction set up campon it Emails, text notifications
, pop-up meetings and the randomhey got a minute.
(01:16):
They all start building littleshacks on your best thinking
space and, before you know it,there's no room left for the
ideas, the priorities or thedeep work you actually care
about, and even the work you arebeing held accountable to.
(01:38):
Let's talk about how to protectthat space, why it matters and
how you can teach your team todo the same.
When I say mental real estate, Ireally mean these three core
things your attention, yourfocus and your cognitive energy.
(02:07):
Let's start with somedefinitions.
Attention is your ability tonotice and direct your mind to
where it matters in the moment.
Think of it as the front gateof your property.
It decides what gets in first.
(02:30):
Focus is your ability to staywith one thing long enough to
actually move it forward.
Move it forward.
(02:53):
This is the foundation.
It holds up literallyeverything else you build.
Lastly, of the three, cognitiveenergy this is the fuel.
(03:13):
It's what powers your thinking,decision making and creativity.
Just like your house likelyneeds some sort of fuel in this
case I'll name electricity forit to run your brain needs this
energy to operate at its best.
Together, these three attention, focus and energy are the
square footage of your mentalproperty.
(03:34):
You only get so much of it, andif you fill it with junk mail,
pop-up shacks and uninvitedguests, there will be no room
left in this beautiful home or,in this case, the high-value
thinking you want to build andbe known for.
(03:55):
So here's my first reflectionquestion for you If you sketched
your mental property right now,what's taking up the biggest
space?
Is it an idea worth building on, or is it just a noisy neighbor
squatting where it doesn'tbelong?
(04:17):
Squirrel alert Not everythingdeserves a plot on your mental
map.
The squirrel alert is a newfeature that can be found in my
third book, 39 Squirrels, alongwith the companion guidebook
that's coming out as well.
(04:38):
There are some common ways weaccidentally actually give away
our mental real estate withouteven realizing it.
Four kinds of clutter Digitalclutter, physical clutter,
people clutter, self clutter.
(05:01):
Digital clutter is not going tosurprise you Endless
notifications, too many opentabs, bouncing between apps.
It's like putting billboards upall over your front lawn.
It just takes up space.
Physical clutter that messyworkspace that whispers at you
(05:26):
don't forget me, handle me next.
It's hard to focus when yourdesk is a to-do list, people
clutter being too available.
Too often, every interruptionbecomes urgent, even if it
really isn't Self-clutter, thisone's kind of sneaky, it's the
(05:52):
internal noise, overthinking,replaying old conversations oh,
I'm so guilty of that one andrunning through tomorrow's to-do
lists while you're sitting intoday's meeting.
And here's the kicker Each onesteals from your essentials.
(06:12):
Digital clutter robs attention.
Physical clutter robs yourfocus.
People clutter eats your energyfor lunch.
And self-clutter, I wouldpropose to you.
It hijacks all three.
Think about it.
That's why you can feelexhausted at the end of the day,
(06:34):
even though you never got yourmost important work done.
You know it's too often that Isee it.
I fall prey to it or I seeother people struggle with it
too when you're prepping forsome big presentation or report,
but your email keeps pingingand messages pop up and
(06:57):
co-workers pop in by the timeyou get to that presentation,
where you needed to be at yourbest, the slides were rushed,
the stress was sky high, yourconfidence is shot.
Those interruptions camped allover that property.
Here's a one-minute reset thatI like to consider.
(07:20):
It's something you can do rightnow.
Close one browser tab, put yourphone face down and take a deep
breath.
Congratulations, you actuallyjust cleared a few square feet
of your mental property.
(07:44):
Let's look at how we canreinforce this by setting
boundaries around your mind.
Reinforce this by settingboundaries around your mind.
Protecting your mental realestate means building fences
healthy fences around your bestthinking, time and energy.
I like to be really practicalwith this, because there are
(08:06):
some ways to do this better thanothers.
Here are a few of my favoritesTime blocks.
While I explored this in otherepisodes, I think it's worth
bringing up here as well.
Scheduling deep thinking workthe same way you would schedule
a meeting is a great way to seta boundary and protect it.
(08:28):
Okay, I need to take my ownadvice on this one, just saying
right.
But when I do block that timeoff and I get that deep thinking
time, guess what?
Oh, my work's better too.
Another one do not disturbtools, silence notifications
during those blocks of time,during those blocks of time.
(08:50):
Number three workplace and spacesignals.
Headphones, closed door, even asticky note that says focus
mode.
Give yourself a visual thatsays you are all in and let
(09:11):
others know that for you to doyour best work you need some
time.
Agenda filters another one thatmaybe you haven't considered.
Before agreeing to a meeting orproject, ask does this deserve
my prime mental space?
Okay, sometimes we don't have achoice.
So, you know, send this episodeto your boss.
But it depends certainly on ourrole and our scope of
(09:33):
responsibility.
But I really want you toconsider how we communicate
boundaries.
If you disappear into focustime without telling anyone,
they're going to assume you'reavailable.
If you said I'll be head downworking from 9 to 11, I'll check
messages after Now.
We don't always have thefreedom to do that.
(09:55):
So if it's 15 minutes, take 15minutes.
If your best thinking was in aspecific office, who are you
letting in without a key?
Like pick your best workspaceever.
Is that the penthouse?
Does it have big windows?
Is it in the middle of a forestwith a view?
(10:15):
But who do you let into thatbrain space without a key?
Remember, the best fences arethe ones that protect your
attention, your focus and yourenergy.
I think it's also important andpart of what I want to
(10:35):
encourage you with is sometimeswe can say, selena, you haven't
met my boss or in my job.
That's just not practical.
Guess what, for those of youwho are people leaders, project
leaders, technical leaders,expertise leaders, you could
actually teach some of this toothers.
This isn't just a personalproductivity trick.
(10:58):
It's a leadership move.
When leaders protect their ownmental space and respect others,
they create a culture thatallows deeper work.
Encourage your team to identifytheir best focus windows and
block them.
Reduce the numbers of quickinterruptions hey, you got a
(11:19):
minute.
You create and bundle yourquestions instead of firing them
off one at a time.
And when someone says I'm infocus time right now, treat it
like the important meeting it is.
Here's a team exercise ideahave everyone share their best
(11:40):
focus window and how they'd liketo protect it.
This week Bonus, here are threereflection questions you could
use with your team.
When in your day is your bestmental real estate most valuable
?
What's one distraction we couldremove together this week?
(12:00):
How can we signal focus time soit's respected by everyone?
Squirrel alert.
Don't pile on quickinterruptions.
Every single one costs moremental property than you think.
(12:20):
Your mental real estate isfinite and it is so worth
protecting.
Every time you give it awaywithout thought, you lose the
space for your best ideas, yourclearest thinking and your most
strategic moves, and we need you.
So here's my challenge for youthis week Choose one fence to
(12:45):
put up around your mind.
To put up around your mind.
Maybe it's blocking a focushour, maybe it's turning off
notifications for part of a day,maybe it's clearing the clutter
off your desk so you canbreathe again.
Whatever it is, make itdeliberate and watch how much
more you get done.
(13:07):
Prime real estate doesn't stayvaluable even if you let
everyone else dump their stuffon it.
Guard it well and it will keeppaying you back with your best
work.
Thanks for joining me on thisepisode of the Workplace
Chameleon.
It is my hope and my endeavorthat something I've said,
(13:32):
something you've thought aboutsome way, that we're working
together, keeps you going, givesyou the strength you need to
take on the challenges in frontof you.
If this episode helped youthink differently about your
mental space, share it with yourteam and start the conversation
about protecting each other'sbest thinking.
I'll always encourage you tolead with intention, protect
(13:57):
your priorities and, as always,keep learning something new
today.
Until next time, take care.
Welcome back to the Workplace Chameleon.
This is where I share ideas,strategies and support on how to
adapt, align and lead withintention, even when the
workplace feels a little wild.
I'm Dr Selina and today, inthis episode, I want to explore
(00:31):
one of the most valuable thingsyou own, something worth more
than any possession you couldever buy, more than any piece of
land you could live on it'syour mental real estate.
Your brain is prime property.
(00:54):
I'm talking the best waterfront, high-rise, center of town,
valuable.
But here's the thing If you'renot careful, you can let every
passing distraction set up campon it Emails, text notifications
, pop-up meetings and the randomhey got a minute.
(01:16):
They all start building littleshacks on your best thinking
space and, before you know it,there's no room left for the
ideas, the priorities or thedeep work you actually care
about, and even the work you arebeing held accountable to.
(01:38):
Let's talk about how to protectthat space, why it matters and
how you can teach your team todo the same.
When I say mental real estate, Ireally mean these three core
things your attention, yourfocus and your cognitive energy.
(02:07):
Let's start with somedefinitions.
Attention is your ability tonotice and direct your mind to
where it matters in the moment.
Think of it as the front gateof your property.
It decides what gets in first.
(02:30):
Focus is your ability to staywith one thing long enough to
actually move it forward.
Move it forward.
(02:53):
This is the foundation.
It holds up literallyeverything else you build.
Lastly, of the three, cognitiveenergy this is the fuel.
(03:13):
It's what powers your thinking,decision making and creativity.
Just like your house likelyneeds some sort of fuel in this
case I'll name electricity forit to run your brain needs this
energy to operate at its best.
Together, these three attention, focus and energy are the
square footage of your mentalproperty.
(03:34):
You only get so much of it, andif you fill it with junk mail,
pop-up shacks and uninvitedguests, there will be no room
left in this beautiful home or,in this case, the high-value
thinking you want to build andbe known for.
(03:55):
So here's my first reflectionquestion for you If you sketched
your mental property right now,what's taking up the biggest
space?
Is it an idea worth building on, or is it just a noisy neighbor
squatting where it doesn'tbelong?
(04:17):
Squirrel alert Not everythingdeserves a plot on your mental
map.
The squirrel alert is a newfeature that can be found in my
third book, 39 Squirrels, alongwith the companion guidebook
that's coming out as well.
(04:38):
There are some common ways weaccidentally actually give away
our mental real estate withouteven realizing it.
Four kinds of clutter Digitalclutter, physical clutter,
people clutter, self clutter.
(05:01):
Digital clutter is not going tosurprise you Endless
notifications, too many opentabs, bouncing between apps.
It's like putting billboards upall over your front lawn.
It just takes up space.
Physical clutter that messyworkspace that whispers at you
(05:26):
don't forget me, handle me next.
It's hard to focus when yourdesk is a to-do list, people
clutter being too available.
Too often, every interruptionbecomes urgent, even if it
really isn't Self-clutter, thisone's kind of sneaky, it's the
(05:52):
internal noise, overthinking,replaying old conversations oh,
I'm so guilty of that one andrunning through tomorrow's to-do
lists while you're sitting intoday's meeting.
And here's the kicker Each onesteals from your essentials.
(06:12):
Digital clutter robs attention.
Physical clutter robs yourfocus.
People clutter eats your energyfor lunch.
And self-clutter, I wouldpropose to you.
It hijacks all three.
Think about it.
That's why you can feelexhausted at the end of the day,
(06:34):
even though you never got yourmost important work done.
You know it's too often that Isee it.
I fall prey to it or I seeother people struggle with it
too when you're prepping forsome big presentation or report,
but your email keeps pingingand messages pop up and
(06:57):
co-workers pop in by the timeyou get to that presentation,
where you needed to be at yourbest, the slides were rushed,
the stress was sky high, yourconfidence is shot.
Those interruptions camped allover that property.
Here's a one-minute reset thatI like to consider.
(07:20):
It's something you can do rightnow.
Close one browser tab, put yourphone face down and take a deep
breath.
Congratulations, you actuallyjust cleared a few square feet
of your mental property.
(07:44):
Let's look at how we canreinforce this by setting
boundaries around your mind.
Reinforce this by settingboundaries around your mind.
Protecting your mental realestate means building fences
healthy fences around your bestthinking, time and energy.
I like to be really practicalwith this, because there are
(08:06):
some ways to do this better thanothers.
Here are a few of my favoritesTime blocks.
While I explored this in otherepisodes, I think it's worth
bringing up here as well.
Scheduling deep thinking workthe same way you would schedule
a meeting is a great way to seta boundary and protect it.
(08:28):
Okay, I need to take my ownadvice on this one, just saying
right.
But when I do block that timeoff and I get that deep thinking
time, guess what?
Oh, my work's better too.
Another one do not disturbtools, silence notifications
during those blocks of time,during those blocks of time.
(08:50):
Number three workplace and spacesignals.
Headphones, closed door, even asticky note that says focus
mode.
Give yourself a visual thatsays you are all in and let
(09:11):
others know that for you to doyour best work you need some
time.
Agenda filters another one thatmaybe you haven't considered.
Before agreeing to a meeting orproject, ask does this deserve
my prime mental space?
Okay, sometimes we don't have achoice.
So, you know, send this episodeto your boss.
But it depends certainly on ourrole and our scope of
(09:33):
responsibility.
But I really want you toconsider how we communicate
boundaries.
If you disappear into focustime without telling anyone,
they're going to assume you'reavailable.
If you said I'll be head downworking from 9 to 11, I'll check
messages after Now.
We don't always have thefreedom to do that.
(09:55):
So if it's 15 minutes, take 15minutes.
If your best thinking was in aspecific office, who are you
letting in without a key?
Like pick your best workspaceever.
Is that the penthouse?
Does it have big windows?
Is it in the middle of a forestwith a view?
(10:15):
But who do you let into thatbrain space without a key?
Remember, the best fences arethe ones that protect your
attention, your focus and yourenergy.
I think it's also important andpart of what I want to
(10:35):
encourage you with is sometimeswe can say, selena, you haven't
met my boss or in my job.
That's just not practical.
Guess what, for those of youwho are people leaders, project
leaders, technical leaders,expertise leaders, you could
actually teach some of this toothers.
This isn't just a personalproductivity trick.
(10:58):
It's a leadership move.
When leaders protect their ownmental space and respect others,
they create a culture thatallows deeper work.
Encourage your team to identifytheir best focus windows and
block them.
Reduce the numbers of quickinterruptions hey, you got a
(11:19):
minute.
You create and bundle yourquestions instead of firing them
off one at a time.
And when someone says I'm infocus time right now, treat it
like the important meeting it is.
Here's a team exercise ideahave everyone share their best
(11:40):
focus window and how they'd liketo protect it.
This week Bonus, here are threereflection questions you could
use with your team.
When in your day is your bestmental real estate most valuable
?
What's one distraction we couldremove together this week?
(12:00):
How can we signal focus time soit's respected by everyone?
Squirrel alert.
Don't pile on quickinterruptions.
Every single one costs moremental property than you think.
(12:20):
Your mental real estate isfinite and it is so worth
protecting.
Every time you give it awaywithout thought, you lose the
space for your best ideas, yourclearest thinking and your most
strategic moves, and we need you.
So here's my challenge for youthis week Choose one fence to
(12:45):
put up around your mind.
To put up around your mind.
Maybe it's blocking a focushour, maybe it's turning off
notifications for part of a day,maybe it's clearing the clutter
off your desk so you canbreathe again.
Whatever it is, make itdeliberate and watch how much
more you get done.
(13:07):
Prime real estate doesn't stayvaluable even if you let
everyone else dump their stuffon it.
Guard it well and it will keeppaying you back with your best
work.
Thanks for joining me on thisepisode of the Workplace
Chameleon.
It is my hope and my endeavorthat something I've said,
(13:32):
something you've thought aboutsome way, that we're working
together, keeps you going, givesyou the strength you need to
take on the challenges in frontof you.
If this episode helped youthink differently about your
mental space, share it with yourteam and start the conversation
about protecting each other'sbest thinking.
I'll always encourage you tolead with intention, protect
(13:57):
your priorities and, as always,keep learning something new
today.
Until next time, take care.
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