Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity

I am just sharing my notes from The Huberman Lab Podcast episode #57. I am the biggest fan of Dr. Huberman and his podcast.

I originally posted this on YouTube and many people liked it and asked for more. So I decided to make a post here on Medium.

Three phases of the day:

Phase 1: From waking up to 8hrs later.

• High levels of dopamine and norepinephrine.
• State of high alertness.
• Light the environment as much as we can. Overhead light is great.
• Analytical and focused work.
• Sunlight is the best way to activate the brain and body. Sunlight thru the window is 50times less effective than without the window.

Phase 2: from 8hrs after waking to 16hrs.

• Bring down levels of light. Dim the lamps and screens.
• State: high serotonin.
• Better for abstract and creative thinking.

Phase 3: pre sleep and sleep.

• Limit bright light. Just to the amount that is safe.

Light too bright:

• It depletes melatonin levels.
• Shifts circadian clock: the body suffers jet lag.

Body posture

• When we are standing up, locus coeruleus neurons become more active (they become even more active when moving). This activates alertness.
• Never do: sit down and immediately focus on something (unless you are stressed or highly motivated).
• Expect 6 minutes to “warm up” the alertness and focus.

Visual focus

• Where we look and levels of alertness are highly correlated.
• When we look down the neurons trigger calmness and sleep.
• When we look up the neurons trigger the activation of alertness.
• Screen should be at least to nose level.
• Bringing your visual to a narrow space enhances focus.
• Make sure that whatever you are looking at is straight in front of your eyes.
• If I look into a narrow space, it creates alertness but also require energy, so it’s demanding.
• For every 45 minutes focused on something narrow, get 5 minutes of relaxing eyes (ideally, take a walk).

The Cathedral Effect

• Lower ceiling (detailed and restricted thinking) vs higher ceiling (abstract thinking & ideas).
• When we are in a small space, we are more restricted. If there is a lot of space, we go to more abstract thinking.
• If you need to do analytical work, and the space is too broad or ceiling too high, you can put on a hat. It restricts the visual angle and increases focus.

Noise

• Avoid: White noise. It can cause impairments in development of auditory system in children.
• When there’s ongoing sound, the auditory system is listening even if you are not aware.
• Pink noise vs brown noise vs white noise: different frequencies.

Binaural beats: when there is a difference between the two patterns of beats that are listened by each ear leads.

• Best frequency: 40 hertz. Optimal for learning, memory and recall.
• Increases striatal dopamine release: more focus and motivation.
• Increases spontaneous blink rates.
• We can engage in the binaural beats a little before doing the work, so you start the “warm up”.

Interruptions

Not just bad because you lose x amount of time, but because it takes more time to focus again.

It’s best to limit interruptions. The techniques may vary to whatever works for you (putting a “don’t bother” sign, saying NO to everyone, hiding somewhere, put phone in airplane mode, etc.).

Sit or stand doing work

• A combination of both is best.
• Reduced neck pain, increases in health and vitality, improvement in cognitive performance and productivity.
• Ratio: 50% standing and 50% sitting.
• Starting to work in a standing desk requires some time to adapt.

Movement while working

• It improves cognition.
• No difference between treadmill and cycling.
• Moving improves attention and cognitive control scores. But it worsens verbal memory.
• Active working stations are good for analytical work. But not for verbal work.
• Forward movement generation: there is optic flow, which quiets fear, anxiety and vigilance.
• Ambulation increases epinephrine.

Summary:

1. Bright lights during phase 1 of the day.
2. Place visual focus direct in front of you. Restricted visual window.
3. Put screens at nose level (at least).
4. Avoid reclining
5. Half stand and half sited work.
6. Avoid white noise.
7. Pursue 40 hertz binaural beats during work bout or prior to work bout.
8. Stationary tread mill increases alertness and focus.
9. Cathedral effect: focused and analytical work: low ceiling space. Creative work: high ceiling environment.
10. Limit interruptions.
11. Changing environments might be beneficial.

I hope you found this useful, but I still highly recommend watching the entire episode.

I’ll keep posting these notes for every episode, and also I will post some of the previous ones.

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“Thank you for your interest in Science”