☀️ my go-to distraction hack

"The 'Somewhere Else' Hack" is one of the most underrated habit strategies on the planet.

I’ve talked before about renting an office to get focused or why I’m magically more motivated at the gym than in my living room. But today I want to come at "location as a strategy" from a different angle—how changing your physical environment can help you be wildly more present with your loved ones.

We’ve all felt this on vacation.

The moment you leave your house, the mental tabs close. The laundry isn’t calling your name. The junk drawer isn’t shame-whispering, “organize me.” The never-ending domestic to-do list is finally quiet.

Even when you’re in an Airbnb or a condo, the chores feel lighter because you brought almost nothing with you, and you’re not the house manager. You’re the guest star. Your only job is to enjoy your people.

Good news: You can recreate this feeling even when you’re not on vacation.

Yesterday we did exactly that. I was craving distraction-free family time. With four kids (ages 15 down to 8), it’s rare to find something that holds everyone’s attention at the same time—so when it happens, it feels like striking gold. One of our go-to wins is our local theme park. It’s outside, it’s screen-free, and as parents, our only responsibility over there is to dial into our kids. That’s it. The rides take care of the entertainment. The location takes care of the distractions.

Why does this work? (Neuroscience time.)

Your brain runs on context.
New location = disrupted autopilot.

When your environment shifts, your brain snaps awake. Novelty triggers focus, curiosity, and presence. You literally can’t scroll or mentally wander as easily, because your brain is trying to map this “newness.” Add even the tiniest whiff of “unknown”—a new city, a hiking trail you've never seen, a different café layout—and your awareness spikes.

This is also why just a touch of "element of danger" works.
Not scary danger—just, “We’ve never walked this downtown street before, so keep the kids close.”

Your brain has no choice but to pay attention.

So when you’re craving distraction-free presence, try this: change the location.

Go to a theme park
Do a day-date somewhere you never go
Explore a new coffee shop and bring a game or conversation cards
Try walking a new trail
Wander a new part of your own city
Go on a mini road trip (even 45 minutes counts)
Do your normal routine somewhere abnormal—pancakes at the lake, homework at the botanical gardens, dinner on a picnic blanket in your front yard

The point isn’t where you go.
The point is interrupting the rhythm that keeps you in productivity mode and shifting into human mode.

You don’t have to wait for vacation to feel like you’re “playing house” in your own life.
Sometimes presence is just one miniature location-change away.

Got any tips to add? Hit Reply. I'd love to hear them!
- Katie Day (write back soon!)