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Tips from researchers - Optimize your work environment

August 22, 2022

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There are several benefits to optimizing your work environment. Here, we'll walk you through science-based steps, developed by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., that effectively improve your productivity through simple changes to your everyday life.

Huberman has developed five science-based steps to improve the work environment, and there are several benefits to implementing them.

No matter where you work, in the office, at home, or anywhere, there are simple things that everyone can do to optimize their productivity.
Once you've completed these steps, you can:
• Stay alert and maintain concentration for longer.
• Improve posture and reduce pain in the neck, back and pelvic floor.
• Better use specific states of mind such as creativity, logic and more in your work tasks.

Five science-based steps to optimal productivity

1

Alternate between sitting and standing

Some prefer to sit and some to stand at their desk. The best thing is to be able to vary yourself. Research shows that it is good to take a 5-15 minute walk after about 45 minutes of work. Therefore, try to sit and work for 10-30 minutes, then stand and work for 10-30 minutes and thus alternate between this during the working day.

Some tasks can be carried out while walking. According to Huberman, improvements in attention and cognition have been observed in people who are active during work compared to sitting. However, verbal memory can be worse during activity.
2

Time periods for challenging tasks

We function differently during the day for when we are most focused and when we are best able to perform the most challenging tasks, such as hard analytical thinking.

Phase 1
Huberman believes that neurochemically we are not the same person at all hours of the day. He calls the first part of the day, 0-8 hours after we have woken up, Phase 1. Then norepinephrine, cortisol and dopamine are elevated in the brain and body and alertness can be stimulated more with the help of sunlight, caffeine and fasting. This phase is ideal for challenging tasks as you can take advantage of your natural biology.

Phase 2
Phase 2 is 9-16 hours after waking up. Then the serotonin levels are relatively elevated, which gives a slightly more relaxed state. This is optimal for creative work and brainstorming.

Phase 3
The last phase, Phase 3, is 17-24 hours after you wake up. It is the period when you are going to sleep or try to sleep. During this phase, you should preferably not think hard or work, unless you absolutely have to. Now you should instead have it dark around you and have a low room temperature to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep better.
3

Display in the right place

Our level of alertness is linked to where we look. If we look down at the ground, nerve cells related to calmness and sleepiness are activated and vice versa when we look up. Therefore, it is good to have the monitor or book at eye level or slightly above.
4

The right background noise

It is very individual whether you prefer it to be completely silent or if you prefer background noise when working. Certain types of background noise are especially good for our work. Working with so-called white, pink or brown sound noise in the background can be good for shifts of up to a maximum of 45 minutes. You can easily search for these noises on Youtube and in various apps.
5

The right ceiling height

Huberman also believes that we need the right ceiling height in our work environment, for different types of tasks. By having small fields of view, with a low ceiling, we can focus better on analytical processing and detail work. A larger field of view, with a high ceiling, evokes abstract thoughts and creativity. Relatively small differences in ceiling height have shown differences in studies. It can therefore be a good idea to work in different places, i.e. in different rooms, buildings, inside and outside depending on the type of work you are going to do.

Andrew Huberman – neuroscientist and professor

Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has made many significant contributions to the areas of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity – the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive function. For some time now, he has been sharing his knowledge through his podcast HubermanLab.

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