Most serious poker players are aware of the impact that factors like game selection, mental game work, scheduling and time management can have on long-term profits, but there’s one factor that often gets overlooked. We know it’s important to stay as focused and relaxed as possible at the tables, but we rarely take time to think about how our environment influences these aspects of our game.

There’s no denying that some environments make focus and relaxation easier, and some harder. When the task at hand is staring at a screen for several hours, the mental energy needed to maintain these states of mind is higher than usual. Everything from the chair we sit in to the size of our monitor can have an impact. Here, therefore, are a few things you can do to give yourself the best possible chance of achieving peak performance at the online tables.

Cater to your circumstances

The reality is that we’re all in different circumstances regarding our playing environment. Some of us play only a few tables on a laptop, some of us have a desktop computer to work with, while each of us has a different configuration of desks or seating in our house or apartment to work with, there are always things we can do to improve our comfort and flexibility, even if we can’t invest in new technology.

Those with desktops will inherently be better off here, but even if you’re restricted to a laptop, you have a lot of room to maneuver. Take stock of your current environment and resources, and if you can afford it, start making yourself a shopping list of essentials based on the following advice. If you can’t afford it, or you’re grinding from a hotel room, your couch, or your mom’s basement, then there are still adaptations you can make with the following factors in mind.

Maximize screen space for visibility

We all know that poker is a game of incomplete information, but for some people the information is even more incomplete. If you’re playing live poker and looking down at your phone the entire time when it’s not your turn to act, you’re missing vital information, and the same applies online.

If you’re lacking screen space and forced to stack or cascade tables in order to be able to multi-table effectively, you’ll find that you miss out on seeing important showdowns and gaining vital information about your opponents. If investing in a second monitor (ideally a large one, but you can usually get a 14 inch monitor on eBay very cheaply in a pinch) is a feasible option for you, it’s highly recommended – it could be the difference between identifying that crucial spot to win a big pot deep in a tournament, and missing the opportunity entirely.

Make physical comfort a priority

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past twenty years, you’ve probably become aware that the rapid growth of technology since around 1995 has led to drastic changes in human habits. The percentage of the population spending many hours a day in front of a monitor or television has increased, and we all spend much of our spare time staring at our phones.

Talk to a fitness professional and they’ll probably tell you how damaging this is for all of us. Poker players have it worse than most, especially online tournament players – we play multiple hours with only small five-minute breaks. We sit at a screen or in an uncomfortable casino chair for long periods, generating back problems, neck tension and often causing headaches.

If you want to give yourself more mental space to focus on playing – and help yourself avoid back and neck pain later in life – then your setup needs to be configured for maximum physical comfort. A mouse mat that supports your wrist, a chair that supports your lumbar region, and a screen poised at eye level are all essential. If you’re willing to invest in a standing desk, it could be your best ever investment.

Reduce potential distractions

The last part of this process is putting yourself in such a position that you’re actually able to maintain the focus you’re seeking. It’s all well and good setting up a perfect desk arrangement in your living room with a $300 chair, but it’s useless if your kids come barging in after five minutes every time you load up a session.

This applies to external distractions, but also to internal ones – by which I mean, your own desire to check your phone, open up Facebook, start a Skype conversation or make a phone call while playing. Of course, sometimes incoming communications are unavoidable and may be important, but there should never be any outgoing communications initiated from your side. It’s a sign you’re not focused, and once it happens, you should consider quitting your session.

Put all these ingredients together – a setup with maximum screen space at the right height, a comfortable chair and desk arrangement in a quiet place, and a determination to focus entirely on poker while you’re in the process of playing, and you’ll be on the right track. Remember, though, not to be too content with ‘quick fix’ solutions – that new desk chair isn’t going to fix your 3-betting ranges, after all.