Your workspace is not neutral.
In 1949, researchers found pilots weren’t failing — cockpit controls were designed without accounting for how humans process information under stress. That reversal became ergonomics. Not a science of chairs — a reversal of logic.
Three layers of ergonomics: physical, cognitive, organizational. Most people know only the first — posture, furniture, lumbar support.
The invisible two often determine how you feel by 5 PM.
Wickens showed attention isn’t a single stream you can willpower into focus — it’s parallel channels, each with limited bandwidth. Mark found average uninterrupted work time has shrunk to 3 minutes. Recovery: 23 minutes per switch.
Your day looks productive. Your attention never settles.
One experiment: remove everything from your desk that isn’t needed right now. Just for one day.
If focus comes easier — visual load was part of the problem you were attributing to yourself.
Poietic Space