'Coffee Break Rhythm': Moving around with Redundant Offices

Last updatedUpdated: Mar 13, 2026 by Simon Späti · CreatedCreated: May 28, 2025

As learned in Redundant Office podcast with YouTuber CGP grey, where he says that he is doing a burst of work while walking around in London. Something I found that works for me, too.

What’s the best name for this phenomen?

I’m not sure about the name yet, but “Coffee Break Rythms”, “Location Movement Cycles”, or “Redundant Offices” are names that fit that phenomenon.

# The Coffee Break Rythm, or Location Movement Cycles

What is it exactly?

Essentially, “Coffee Break Rythm” is using location pressure as a productivity forcing function. For me, in summer, it’s moving every 1.5-2 hours from coffee shop to coffee shop, creating a pressure to finish up before leaving. It tricks the brain into not thinking: “Oh, I have still all day long time” and then procrastinate, the opposite of Productive Procrastination, where we let go on purpose to get some insights we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

It’s a great way for me to write and be creative, especially for me in Creative Writing, to use coffee shops, specifically moving to the next every 1.5 to 2.5 hours. It’s the sweet spot for me between creativity and distraction.

One coffee place where I do some of my thinking and writing and writing

# Environments Matter

I have rediscovered the effects of the environment lately, working for myself and having to find productivity in my everyday work without a boss telling me what to do. At home, I wasn’t always focused enough. I had all the distractions. Going to the library usually produces my best work. Focused without distractions.

But always going there isn’t feasible, sometimes it’s open late, or closed.

# Music Matters, Web Browser, No Password Manager

Music that keeps you focused, especially non-vocal music on repeat or dedicated focus music, helps me stay in the flow longer.

It’s another way of signaling an environment to the brain, like “Now is work time”. I also use a dedicated browser; for example, I use Zen browser for work and Brave for everything else. Zen, the work browser, has no extensions: no password manager to log in automatically and no history to choose the latest website distraction quickly.

These little obstacles make it harder to distract, whereas my Brave has all the convenience at one tab away.

# Others Similar Practices

# CGP Grey

CGP grey walks around London and finds places to sit down and work for 1.5-2 hours. He gets up, walks, and finds a new place to work. This cycle helps him be productive.

CGP does it more extreme to avoid any additional tension. He will always make two bags (one for gym and one for normal) ready the day before, and even two backpacks, so he removes all the resistance.

All is charged up overnight. CGP does it as an evening routine: