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Weekly · Sunday Morning

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Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan 9–14%
NAD+ precursors reverse aging in humans
Blue-light glasses improve sleep quality
Walking 10 min after meals blunts glucose
Verdict change — caffeine half-life downgraded

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Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity — Whalespan

Content›Video›Optimizing Workspace for Pro…

Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity

Andrew Huberman1h 42m · 2022-01-31

Claims Made

181

Claims Supported

159

Support Rate

88%

Support rate

159 of 181 claims supported

159 supported22 partial / not

Claims from this content

135

✓Well SupportedAG1 is recommended as the single supplement to take for supporting physical health, mental health, and cognitive and physical performance by covering foundational nutritional bases.✓Well SupportedThorne supplements are considered highly stringent regarding ingredient precision and quality.✓Well SupportedAG1 supports the gut microbiome, which in turn supports the immune system and the gut-brain axis, impacting mood, energy, focus, and overall mental and physical health.✓Well SupportedAg One (formerly Athletic Greens) is a vitamin, mineral, and probiotic drink that provides foundational nutritional needs.Well Supported

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A. Volkovreader

4h

Bookmarking — the dossier-vs-overview split is the right call. Most of the time I want overview; sometimes I want receipts.

NP

N. Park

2d

Would love a "what would change this verdict" RSS feed. Sign me up if it exists.

✓

Andrew Huberman typically drinks Element first thing in the morning, during and after physical training, and after sauna sessions.

✓Well SupportedDimming existing lights is a viable alternative to purchasing red lights for reducing blue light exposure in the evening.

✓Well SupportedVitamin D3 K2 is important for metabolic health, endocrine health, and heart health, with K2 regulating calcium in bones.

✓Well Supported40 Hz binaural beats can be used as a sound stimulus for focus and alertness, particularly during or before workouts.

✓Well SupportedBinaural beats at approximately 40 Hertz appear to be most beneficial for improving cognitive function.

✓Well SupportedThe Theragun can relieve soreness and deep muscle tension accumulated from physical work, exercise, or prolonged sitting.

✓Well SupportedThe period from waking until eight to nine hours later is a critical window for the effectiveness of systems releasing cortisol, dopamine, and epinephrine.

✓Well SupportedDopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are catecholamines that work together to create motivation and heighten focus.

✓Well SupportedViewing bright light increases alertness, while dim/dark settings increase sleepiness.

✓Well SupportedSufficient daytime light exposure can enhance alertness, improve learning capacity, and increase homeostatic sleep drive.

✓Well SupportedHigher ceilings or expansive visual environments facilitate abstract reasoning and brainstorming.

✓Well SupportedA 30-second to 3-minute period of visual focus at the start of mental or physical work can ramp up neural activity for focus and concentration.

✓Well SupportedElevating a laptop or tablet screen to at least nose level can help combat sleepiness and unfocused work.

✓Well SupportedBlink rate is related to the perception of time.

✓Well SupportedLooking up with eyelids open can create a wakefulness signal for the brain.

◐Partially SupportedWearing a brimmed hat, hoodie, or hand over the eyes can simulate a low-ceiling environment to aid analytic work.

✓Well SupportedExposure to bright light increases alertness by triggering adrenaline release via the eyes to the brain stem's locus coeruleus.

◐Partially SupportedMany individuals can benefit from increased sodium intake for health and performance, despite caution for those with pre-hypertension or hypertension.

◐Partially SupportedBright light exposure in the middle of the night can suppress melatonin levels.

◐Partially SupportedShifting to dimmer, yellow lights and minimizing blue light in the afternoon supports creative work, abstract thinking, and brainstorming.

◐Partially SupportedFor creative work during the 9-16 hour phase after waking, use high-ceiling rooms or outdoor spaces; for detailed analytic work, use lower-ceiling environments.

◐Partially SupportedListening to binaural beats for 30 minutes before a task or during a break may enhance cognition.

◐Partially Supported40 Hertz binaural beats increase spontaneous blink rates by increasing dopamine transmission.

◐Partially SupportedWorking in different locations, such as moving between home and a cafe or different areas within a home, can be beneficial.

◐Partially SupportedTreadmilling or cycling at a desk may reduce anxiety, thereby improving performance and cognition.

◐Partially SupportedThe vestibular system works with the visual system to determine head position relative to the body.

◐Partially SupportedRestricting the visual window by wearing a hoodie or hat can effectively narrow visual focus.

◐Partially SupportedChanging work locations can be beneficial for productivity.

◐Partially SupportedThe magnocellular visual system is better at detecting motion despite being lower resolution.

◐Partially SupportedMaximum alertness and ability to focus are achieved when the visual system is in the parvocellular mode, utilizing vergence eye movements.

◐Partially SupportedBrightly lit environments, particularly with overhead lights, can facilitate focus and the release of dopamine and norepinephrine during the first 0-9 hours after waking.

◐Partially SupportedIncreased firing of striatal dopamine neurons is associated with more frequent blinking.

✓Well SupportedStanding is better than sitting for general health and movement.

◐Partially SupportedIncreasing water intake and delaying urination can enhance alertness, similar to the difficulty of falling asleep when needing to use the restroom.

◐Partially SupportedBinaural beats cause the brainstem to generate interaural time differences, to which the brain entrains, generating particular brainwaves.

◐Partially SupportedOverhead lights in the afternoon are not optimal for achieving neurochemical states conducive to creative or abstract thinking.

◐Partially SupportedWhite noise, pink noise, or brown noise can facilitate cognition by increasing overall alertness.

◐Partially SupportedA combination of sitting and standing throughout the workday is optimal for health and productivity.

✓Well SupportedThe first 7-9 hours after waking are when neurochemistry is primed for focused, challenging work.

◐Partially SupportedViewing sunlight in the morning sets the circadian system, and avoiding bright artificial light at night prevents wake-up signals.

◐Partially SupportedStanding at one's desk can improve some health metrics for individuals not getting sufficient cardiovascular exercise or movement throughout the day.

◐Partially SupportedTasks requiring precise or detailed verbal recall are better performed while sitting or standing than using treadmill or cycling workstations.

◐Partially SupportedOngoing sound activates the auditory system, causing brainstem mechanisms to generate alertness and vigilance.

◐Partially SupportedLying down and elevating feet above waist or tilting head back decreases locus coeruleus neuron firing and increases firing of neurons involved in calming and sleep.

◐Partially SupportedLooking up activates neurons that trigger alertness-associated brain circuits.

◐Partially SupportedLow sodium levels can impair the body's ability to meet stress challenges.

◐Partially SupportedLMNT contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio of 1000mg sodium, 200mg potassium, and 60mg magnesium.

◐Partially SupportedInteraural time differences are processed in the brainstem to determine sound localization.

◐Partially SupportedMental work and focus require a warm-up period involving the increase of epinephrine, acetylcholine, and dopamine.

◐Partially SupportedTake a break to relax facial and eye muscles every 30 minutes of focused work.

◐Partially SupportedProlonged close viewing fatigues the visual system, eye, and face muscles.

◐Partially SupportedPhase two of the circadian cycle (9-16 hours after waking) is better suited for creative, abstract, expansive thinking and brainstorming.

✕Not SupportedExtended exposure to loud white noise or HVAC noise can cause long-term auditory damage and impair cognitive performance.

◐Partially SupportedEnvironments that are painful to look at could be damaging to the eyes, necessitating protection.

◐Partially SupportedStationary treadmilling can increase alertness and cognitive performance.

✕Not SupportedLoud white noise can impair the development of the auditory system in young children, potentially leading to deficits in auditory and language processing.

◐Partially SupportedNeurons critically rely on sufficient sodium for action potentials and electrical firing.

◐Partially SupportedDehydration's primary deficit can be sodium deficiency, not just water deficiency.

◐Partially SupportedSufficient sodium intake can raise blood volume and aid healthy water retention.

✕Not SupportedSeven Hertz binaural beats overlaid with rain sounds for 30 minutes can significantly decrease immediate recall memory.

◐Partially SupportedWork environment can bias the brain towards analytic or creative thinking.

◐Partially SupportedA 45-minute work to 5-minute eye relaxation break rule can alleviate eye fatigue, headaches, migraines, and neck pain.

◐Partially SupportedA graduate student maintained high productivity and focus by placing her phone in a drawer each day and retrieving it at the end of the day.

◐Partially SupportedTo manage distractions, one can turn off their phone, put it on airplane mode, lock it in a safe, or leave it in the car.

◐Partially SupportedAvoiding phone use during work breaks maintains vergence eye movements and negates relaxation benefits.

◐Partially SupportedAmbulation recruits the release of neuromodulators like epinephrine and dopamine, which increase alertness and may explain cognitive improvements.

◐Partially SupportedAdapting to standing for half of work time may take a few days and requires comfortable shoes and specific flooring.

◐Partially SupportedDrinking more water than usual and refraining from urinating can increase alertness and help maintain wakefulness during the night.

◐Partially SupportedMaximizing bright lights can be beneficial for staying awake all night when necessary.

◐Partially SupportedWorking under bright light for extended periods during the night disrupts sleep and metabolism.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals vary significantly in their tolerance for background noise during work, both between individuals and within the same individual over time.

◐Partially SupportedThe alertness signal from a full bladder to the brainstem is mediated by a neural circuit that can be disrupted in children with bedwetting issues.

◐Partially SupportedHumans were designed to engage in a variety of postures, including sitting and lying down, not to sit or stand all day.

◐Partially SupportedConstant downward gaze from looking at screens can lead to poor posture, referred to as 'text neck'.

◐Partially SupportedThe cessation of background noise leads to relaxation by reducing activation in brainstem circuits associated with vigilance.

◐Partially SupportedUsing brown noise, white noise, or pink noise for about 45 minutes when focus is waning can be beneficial, but prolonged use is not recommended.

◐Partially SupportedAround 12-14 hours after waking, transition indoor lighting to warmer hues and turn off bright light sources.

◐Partially SupportedUsing a brimmed hat, hoodie, or hand over eyes can simulate a low ceiling environment for analytic work.

◐Partially SupportedA restricted visual window, with focus objects placed directly in front and at nose level or above, is most beneficial for focus.

◐Partially SupportedLoud, ongoing humming noise from HVAC systems can significantly increase mental fatigue and decrease cognitive performance.

◐Partially SupportedCombining workspace optimization with neural optimization solutions can lead to optimal focus and creativity.

◐Partially SupportedStanding at a desk can improve health metrics and productivity due to increased alertness.

◐Partially SupportedSunlight is the most effective stimulus for waking the brain and body via the melanopsin-hypothalamus system.

◐Partially SupportedExcessively narrowing the visual window can alter the types of information the brain is best suited to process, potentially leading to the 'cathedral effect'.

◐Partially SupportedDecreasing sitting time by approximately half each workday leads to significant improvements in reduced neck and shoulder pain, increased subjective vitality, and enhanced cognitive performance and ability to learn new tasks.

◐Partially SupportedSome studies on binaural beats for cognitive tasks involved listening beforehand for 30 minutes.

◐Partially SupportedIn the second phase of the day (afternoon/evening), overall light exposure should be reduced, particularly overhead light, and blue light exposure should also be decreased.

◐Partially SupportedIsochronic tones, monaural beats, and binaural beats may optimize specific mental processing and can be used in a workspace.

◐Partially SupportedThere is no evidence that blink frequency correlates with personality traits like sociopathy or lying.

◐Partially SupportedLooking at sunlight through a window is 50 times less effective than looking at it through an open window because windows filter out essential blue light wavelengths.

◐Partially SupportedUsing a phone on airplane mode or physically separated for large parts of the day can be beneficial.

◐Partially SupportedTaking a 15-minute walk for eye relaxation during work breaks is more beneficial than a 5-minute break.

✕Not SupportedInterruptions are detrimental to focus because they cause immediate distraction and require additional time for the brain to re-engage.

✕Not SupportedLooking down at screens reduces alertness and focus.

✕Not SupportedStanding all day can lead to postural issues, stabilization problems, and fatigue.

◐Partially SupportedA late cortisol peak is associated with depression and insomnia.

◐Partially SupportedLimit bright light exposure when working at night, unless trying to combat sleepiness, in which case maximize bright light exposure.

◐Partially SupportedThe ability to remain focused in a cluttered environment varies significantly among individuals.

◐Partially SupportedHeightened states of cognition and thinking are associated with focused visual states, as the brain's focus follows visual focus.

◐Partially SupportedOverhead lights stimulate melanopsin ganglion cells, signaling the hypothalamus to promote alertness.

◐Partially SupportedBright blue light from sources like ring lights can optimally stimulate melanopsin ganglion cells.

◐Partially SupportedWorking from a small, dark, enclosed space can be a strategy for extreme productivity and focus.

◐Partially SupportedSoftware like Freedom or turning off Wi-Fi can limit digital interruptions.

◐Partially SupportedTake a 5-minute break for panoramic vision every 45 minutes of focused screen or book work.

◐Partially SupportedMost people can only maintain focus before switching tasks for approximately three minutes.

◐Partially SupportedAmbulatory movement increases locus coeruleus neuron activity more than standing.

◐Partially SupportedOptimizing a workspace involves considering variables such as vision, light, and noise.

◐Partially SupportedTo take a nap, elevate feet 10-15 degrees above the head, lie down, and use a pillow.

◐Partially SupportedIncreased striatal dopamine transmission leads to heightened motivation and focus.

◐Partially SupportedPainful visual environments can be damaging to the eyes and should be avoided.

◐Partially SupportedSlight overconsumption of fluids can be used to generate alertness.

◐Partially SupportedAdjusting body angle backward increases sleepiness and calmness and decreases alertness in a dose-dependent manner.

✕Not SupportedSitting for 5-7 hours/day during work is associated with negative health outcomes including issues with sleep, neck pain, cognition, cardiovascular health, and digestion.

◐Partially SupportedVisual input extending beyond 6-18 inches to the side of the eyes causes subconscious gaze dilation, making sustained attention difficult.

◐Partially SupportedOptimizing lighting, screen positioning, and posture can help maximize focus and limit ramp-up time into a focus state.

◐Partially SupportedTo maintain focus, visual input should not extend too far beyond the periphery of the head.

◐Partially SupportedAfter 10 years of using a sit-stand desk, standing bouts range from 30 minutes to two hours.

◐Partially SupportedListening to particular sounds can enhance cognition under specific conditions.

◐Partially SupportedStanding for at least half of the workday is a beneficial goal for health and productivity.

◐Partially SupportedEngaging central pattern generators through repetitive movements can reduce anxiety and vigilance.

◐Partially SupportedFifteen Hertz binaural beats can improve response accuracy on spatial verbal memory tasks, while five and ten Hertz binaural beats decrease working memory accuracy.

◐Partially SupportedBinaural beats can influence brain rhythms associated with cognition and action by creating specific interaural time differences.

◐Partially SupportedPure binaural beats are more effective for cognitive enhancement than those superimposed with ambient sounds.

◐Partially SupportedThere is no universal rule for optimal background noise levels for work; literature supports various environments as beneficial.

◐Partially SupportedThere is no evidence to suggest that white, pink, or brown noise patterns optimize specific mental functions.

✕Not SupportedExtended exposure to white noise, pink noise, or brown noise may damage the auditory system and cause background stress.

◐Partially SupportedStationary treadmilling or cycling improves cognition by recruiting neuromodulators associated with the reticular activating system and striatal system.

◐Partially SupportedLimiting visual field can benefit human focus, similar to how blinders are used on horses.

◐Partially SupportedUsing bright artificial lights on a desk during the early part of the day can help maintain alertness and focus.

◐Partially SupportedTo maintain focus, the target area for work should be within peripheral vision, ideally within the space created by cupping hands near the eyes.

◐Partially SupportedUsing tools like Freedom or turning off one's phone can shorten the latency to enter a focus state.