How to Be Awesome at Your Job 1147: How to Optimize Your Space to Thrive with Leidy Klotz
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Apr 20, 2026 
Leidy Klotz, a behavioral scientist and engineering professor who studies how design shapes well-being, explains why spaces matter. Short takes cover the three psychological needs spaces meet, small tweaks to reclaim control, using available spots before renovating, and how arriving early or arranging rooms can boost performance.
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Nursing Home Customization Predicted Survival
- Nursing home residents who could customize their rooms had dramatically better outcomes, with those who couldn't customize being 50% more likely to be dead after 18 months.
- Leidy uses this study to show how agency over surroundings powerfully affects health by restoring control, competence, and meaning.
Three Core Needs Spaces Fulfill
- Well-designed spaces meet three core psychological needs: agency, competence (growth), and connection.
- These needs are evolutionarily rooted: shaping and learning from surroundings historically improved survival and still satisfy deep motivations today.
Use The Spaces You Already Have
- Use all available spaces you already have before renovating: change seating, face a window, or move to a different room based on task and light.
- Leidy admits he often sits in one chair but finds creativity and comfort by simply shifting to other spots in his house.
