Have you ever walked into a familiar space - your room, a friend’s house, or a local store - and felt strangely out of sync with what you were doing? Like running on a treadmill in your bedroom. Or having an intimate conversation in a busy store. It’s not that the action itself is wrong, it’s some combination of action within the location that feels off.

It’s as if your brain is asking, Should I really be doing this here? This cognitive dissonance is arriving because your body is associating certain places with certain behaviors. When you try to act against those associations, something in your mind resists. For example, if your bedroom is mostly where you sleep or relax, trying to run on a treadmill there will feel bizarre. The connection your body has to the space isn’t aligned with the activity, and that mismatch creates discomfort. This dissonance isn’t necessarily negative, it’s just part of how we’re wired.

What’s fascinating, though, is how we can use this to our advantage. Ever notice how much easier it is to study in a library than in your living room? Our environments can push us toward specific behaviors simply because of the associations we’ve built over time. Technically, you could study anywhere - all you need is a textbook or a phone. But your living room is full of distractions: your TV, your family, or even the familiar sounds of your household. In contrast, the library is designed for focus. By stepping into that space, your body shifts into its natural expectation: study mode.

So, is it a shock that we can program our environments to work for us? Imagine creating a space where you always study or work. Every time you enter that room, you train your mind to associate it with productivity. Over time the connection strengthens, and simply being in that space triggers the mindset you need. The colors, the smells, the arrangement of the room - all of it contributes to the experience. Eventually, walking into that space becomes a cue for action, like flipping a switch. By being intentional about how we design and use our spaces, we can turn our environments into a tool for achieving our goals.

So, while it might feel strange to notice this phenomenon in action, it’s not something we should fear or avoid. Instead, it’s a reminder of how deeply connected we are to our surroundings. If we can recognize it, we can use it.