Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity

In this episode, I discuss ways to set up your workspace to optimize productivity, focus and creativity. I discuss how to adjust light, physically arrange your work environment, and leverage body posture to enhance productivity. Additionally, I explore how to shift your work environment for particular types of tasks. Moreover, I review the role of body movement in the workspace. I also discuss sound-based tools that can either enhance or diminish cognitive functioning (the ability to focus on deep work). I describe a particular frequency of binaural beats that studies show can be used to enhance memory and recall. This episode covers quality peer-reviewed findings practical tools anyone can use, regardless of budget, in order to optimize their workspace to achieve heightened levels of productivity, increased alertness and focus, and creativity.

#HubermanLab #Neuroscience #Productivity

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Timestamps:
00:00:00 Arranging Environment for Focus
00:02:40 LMNT, AG1 (Athletic Greens), Theragun
00:07:55 How to Increase Focus
00:10:02 Lighting Your Work in Phase 1
00:16:00 Lighting Your Work in Phase 2
00:19:45 Lighting Your Work in Phase 3
00:24:17 Where to Look While You Work
00:28:02 Arranging Your Environment
00:31:24 Body Posture
00:34:22 How Long to Do Deep Work
00:36:50 Set the Right Visual Window Size
00:42:15 45 min / 5 min Rule
00:44:23 The Cathedral Effect: Analytic vs Creative Work
00:55:50 Leveraging Background Noise
01:02:20 Binaural Beats for Work
01:06:38 The Best Binaural Frequency for Work
01:11:17 How Binaural Beats Increase Focus
01:13:56 Minimizing Interruptions
01:20:01 Sit or Stand, or Both?
01:25:18 Movement in the Workspace
01:31:00 Summary & Shifting Work Environments
01:39:36 Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Patreon, Instagram, Twitter, Thorne

Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.

[ArchieMackintoosh]

This podcast is probably the one thing that’s had the single biggest impact on my life in the last few months, the advice here is amazingly useful, and I always come away understanding the content well enough to convince my friends too

[juanpabloaranovich]

Just sharing my notes. I posted this on Medium as well for your convenience (easier to read)

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.

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

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, they create 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).


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.


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 analytical work, and the space is too broad or ceiling too high, you can put on a hat. It restricts the visual angle and focus.

Noise:
- Avoid: Air conditioner noise or heat generating noise. White noise 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. The brain becomes more alert.
○ Pink noise vs brown noise vs white noise: different frequencies.
- Monaural beats
- Binaural beats: the 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.

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.

Twitter @Juampiaranovich you can find the article

[anicurated]

Andrew Huberman podcasts are truly one of the best sources of knowledge on YouTube right now.

Hats off to you sir 👏👏

[subjecttochange]

The comment section below Huberman Podcast episodes is probably pretty damn unique on this platform ;)
Definitely shows that content creators themselves have a huge influence over what kind of crowd they attract and foster.
Anyway I wanna second the general consensus in here, this series is definitely one of the most positive forces in my life as of late.

[senseofmindshow]

The idea that it takes 6 minutes to get really focused combined with the suggestion to make your morning workspace super bright is extremely helpful! I’m noticing that I’m more focused and less frustrated about the 6 minute warm up.

Thank you again Dr. Huberman!

[zackmoore]

Making Mondays feel like Friday’s out here, Huberman crew! Thank you

[memastarful]

Good morning everyone let's get ready to grow and learn from our beloved Professor Dr. Andrew Huberman 🤲

[jiayilim]

Thank you Professor Dr. Huberman for sharing your wealth of knowledge on these important health topics with the general public. I am sure you have changed many lives, and you certainly have changed mine. As a health-conscious neuroscience nerd, this is my favourite podcast of all time.

[JustOrdinary.]

You're the best in your field. You explain stuff so professionally that even the most complicated facts look really enjoyable and easy. You're great at knowing what things people need to know to increase their life quality ❤🙏🏻

[janetmedina]

I started watching you religiously in December. I’m fascinated with your presentation, it captures my attention and I put your advice to practice. I had to share my excitement with my 26 year old son and ironically he already watches you. I’m 56 and we both gain from your free education. Thank you for this! I’m trying to keep healthy because taking a vaccine every 6 months is not in my agenda, so staying healthy is my priority.
Once again, thank you. I listen to you every night and wake up ready to put what I learned into motion the next day. I’m happy.

[danguidi]

I can’t believe I’ve been watching these every Monday for over a year

[pk]

The podcast series is like a summary of all the productivity/health/fitness articles I am supposed to read - but just don’t have the time to get to it. I appreciate your effort in educating the public. Thanks

[papopoprostu]

As a young architect working in residential sector, thank you for putting forward this research. Crucial to develop the way we live and build houses

[somefrenchguy]

Since the beginning of COVID I have spent a good portion of time thinking about how to improve my ability to focus on what I need to focus at the time I need to focus on it. As I have ADHD it is a really important thing to me to live up to the expectations I have for myself. I did a lot of experimentation, moving my desk a lot in my apartment, changing the lights, moving the screen on my desk etc. I was always trying to be mindful of the state I was in and keep what works best.

It's incredible that while having no idea what I was doing I mostly came to the conclusions shown in this video, the ones having the biggest impact on me were lighting, and the position of my screen. I use a laptop with a second screen, the screen of the laptop is a bit below eye level, while the second one is above (I have to tilt my head a bit to correctly look at it). I put on the bottom screen stuff which do not need a High level of alertness and what I am working with on the top. End damn it changes everything !

However there's a few thing's were I came to the opposite conclusion, like for example the field of view thing. I focus best on my work if what I work on takes a lot of space on my field of view. I like to use multiple screens for this wich when I look at center one it takes up all my field of view. I am pretty incapable of focusing correctly if I work on single, smaller screen. My Hypothesis is it's because of my ADHD, because a lot of my attention actually goes towards what's on the periphery of my vision.
In the same way I had to move my desk away from the windows, as having them close to me would often ends up with me distracted and looking at the birds outside instead of working.

There's some other things where I need to do the opposite of what's advised and I think it would be interesting to see a similar video but for people with atypical brains. Not only for people with ADHD of course (For exemple : High IQ, autism, etc ..)

[juliangonzalez]

Dr. Andrew, I have a suggestion for your next podcast. I have always found the subject of humor to be fascinating, and I think it would be a great episode to try to understand what causes laughter from a neurologic standpoint, and how laughter impacts our body and brain. By the way, I am forever grateful for this podcast and how useful it is on a day-to-day basis

[ninaratiu]

You're doing the humanity a big favour!

[katieobeid]

The only professor on YouTube that I can listen to without my mind wandering as much as it does when listening to lectures. You are amazing. Thank you 🙏

[eastonkeith]

Thank u. I know this get buried underneath all of the other gracious comments, but there’s a good reason why there’s so many. You are a beacon of greatness!

[misse]

Thank you so much for talking about binaural beats! That's one thing I've asked for in the comments on another video, but pertaining to migraines. I listen to binaural beats when I have an unrelenting migraine that is extremely severe, and it feels like a massage for my brain... seriously. I always end up falling asleep and when I wake up, my migraine is either diminished or gone..
I really hope you can talk about migraines one day. 🙏 🙏 🙏

[bastiwmr]

0:00 Preview
7:55 Introduction
Lighting
10:02 Phase 1
16:00 Phase 2
19:45 Phase 3
24:17 Gaze
28:02 Screen position
31:24 Body Posture
34:22 How Long to Do Deep Work
36:50 Visual Window Size
42:15 45 min/5-min Rule
44:23 The Cathedral Effect: Analytic vs Creative Work
55:50 Leveraging Background Noise
1:02:20 Binaural Beats for Work
1:06:38 The Best Binaural Frequency for Work
1:11:17 How Binaural Beats Increase Focus
1:13:56 Minimizing Interruptions
1:20:01 Sit or Stand, or Both?
1:25:18 Movement in the Workspace
1:31:00 Summary & Shifting Work Environments
1:39:36 Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Patreon, Instagram, Twitter, Thorne