Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity | Episode 57
Main Takeaways
There are three phases of the day, each with a shift in mood and mindset, that are more conducive to building and keeping habits.
Phase 1 (0-8 hours after waking up) is when you are naturally more readily able to engage in activities with a high degree of limbic friction.
Phase 2 (9-15 hours after waking up) is when you want to taper stress levels and take on habits and things you are already doing that don't require a lot of override of limbic friction.
Phase 3 (16-24 hours after waking up) is when you should keep the environment very dark or dim and the room temperature low because deep sleep is critical to wiring neural circuits required for building habits.
Vision and light are important components to set the brain in a high state of alertness. Work in a space with as much overhead light as possible during the first 0-9 hours of your day to facilitate the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and optimal amounts of cortisol.
There's a relationship between where we look and the level of focus. Standing and sitting up straight while looking at a screen or book that is elevated will generate maximal levels of alertness.
High ceilings elicit abstract thoughts and creativity, whereas low ceilings promote detailed and concrete work.
Sometimes we want more background noise, sometimes we want less. Background noise can increase mental fatigue and decrease cognitive performance, and our auditory tolerance can change from one day to the next.
Binaural beats place the brain into a state that is better for learning, but working with white, pink, or brown noise can help in spurts of about 45 min but not for hours on end.
Building new habits and behaviors involves understanding and leveraging your body's natural rhythms, including those related to light, sound, and focus, to promote alertness and minimize stress.
