Our inner and outer worlds are inseparable. Being mindful of this can reveal ways to improve our spaces.

By controlling our surroundings, we can produce positive changes in our mood, behavior, and productivity.

Clues from our evolutionary past inform what our spaces of the future should contain.

Understanding how our physical world influences our mental world can help us thrive.

There’s a reason why sports teams play better at home. Why creative ideas pop into our heads during a walk on the beach. Why we feel energized in a coffeehouse even if we’re drinking decaf.

In his new book, In a Good Place: How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive, behavioral scientist Leidy Klotz seeks to understand how the spaces we inhabit alter our frame of mind. Acknowledging the plethora of books teaching how to live a good life, Klotz contends that his book shows where the good life can be found.

Three core psychological needs must be fulfilled to enable flourishing: agency, connection, and competence. We need to feel a sense of control, community, and opportunities for growth. We have a deep-seated evolutionary drive to manipulate the spaces we occupy to meet each of these needs. Studies show that nursing home residents with more autonomy over their rooms report greater happiness and well-being. People who reside in........

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