APPLYING NEUROSCIENCE IN WORK: 5 Tips to Improve Your Performance
- Marcela Emilia Silva do Valle Pereira Ma Emilia
- Sep 11
- 5 min read
💡 Applying Neuroscience in Work: 5 Tips to Improve Your Performance
If you think that neuroscience is thing of laboratory, think again! It can be a tool powerful for the day to day in work, helping you to prepare for challenges, maintain the focus and elevate your productivity. Based in concepts as neuroplasticity, attention selective and activation cerebral – tips that focus in the individual without depend of teams or environments collectives – they help to stand out in meetings, concentrate in spaces shared and train the brain for results better. The neuroscience is not adornment of slide: is tool practical to improve focus, decisions, learning, well-being and culture. Below are five applications simple to take today to the work — without fads, with utility real.
🔬 What is “apply neuroscience” in work
Apply neuroscience is transform findings solid (attention, memory, stress, taking of decision, relations social) in routines and choices of management that increase performance without sacrifice health mental. Is do the basic well-done: structure the focus, study with method, modulate the stress, decide with clarity and give feedback that the brain accepts. Remember: the brain is malleable, and with practices simple, you can “train” it to perform in the peak.
⚙️ The 5 applications (how and benefits)
🧠 Prepare for Meetings Important with Breathing Guided and Visualization
Breathing Guided and Visualization The neuroscience shows that techniques of breathing activate the cortex pre-frontal, improving the clarity and reducing anxiety.
How apply: In the 5-10 minutes before the meeting, practice the breathing 4-7-8 (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8) and visualize scenarios positive, as responses assertive.
Benefit in the brain: Reduces activity of the amygdala (center of the anxiety) and strengthens paths neural of confidence.
Example practical: Before a presentation, imagine the flow of the conversation — this prepares your brain for decisions calm.
Tip extra: Do this practice in a place calm, without distractions. To the reduce the activity of the amygdala and activating the cortex pre-frontal, will reduce the anxiety pre-event, and will prepare the brain for responses more calm and focused. Greater confidence and performance in situations of high pressure, result in decisions more rational.
🧠 Improve the Focus in Rooms Shared with the Effect “Body Double” and White Noise
"Body Double" Effect and White Noise The “body double” (presence of others working around) activates areas social of the brain, increasing the will of also do your work. While white noise (sounds constant – ventilators, computers etc.) filters/masks distractions in the cortex auditory.
How apply: Position yourself near of colleagues productive and, if can, use earphones with sound constant (as rain or ventilator), or try focus your ears in the white noises of the room to mask noises.
Benefit in the brain: Improves the attention selective, reducing interruptions and maintaining the flow cognitive.
Example practical: In a open office, listen waves of the sea while work to the side of someone focused — creates a “zone of productivity”.
Tip extra: Even activate the do not disturb in the cellphone, deactivate the notifications. Thus will have the reduction of distractions and increase of productivity in environments noisy, without isolation social.
🧠 Use Personal Gamification for Tasks Daily
Personal Gamefication Gamify activates the system of reward, releasing dopamine for motivation and habits positive.
How apply: Transform your to-do list in game: attribute points by tasks and rewards small to the reach goals.
Benefit in the brain: Reinforces neuroplasticity, becoming tasks monotonous more engaging and more gratifying of be finalized.
Example practical: In a app as Habitica, gain 10 points by emails answered and a coffee to the reach 50 — turns a cycle addictive!
Tip extra: Invite colleagues to participate of the same dynamic, thus is possible create a game in group. With this tactic there is a increase of motivation intrinsic and performs sustained, becoming the day to day more productive and fun.
🧠 Train the Memory and Focus with Exercises of Neuroplasticity Daily
Train memory and focus with exercises of neuroplasticity daily Exercises daily strengthen the hippocampus (memory) and cortex pre-frontal (focus), creating new connections neural.
How apply: Dedicate 10-15 minutes to read something new or practice mindfulness focused in a task.
Benefit in the brain: Improves the retention of information and adaptation fast to new demands, elevating the performance individual.
Example practical: Start the day with 10 minutes of training of memory. Play game of memory in the cellphone, do a crossword, or even read and try speak tongue-twisters.
Tip extra: Dedicate a time daily also to reinforce your knowledges about your segment of work, as read a article new or listen a podcast.
🧠 Optimize Your Posture and Environment for Greater Alert
Optimize your posture and environment for greater alert Posture erect improves flow blood to the brain, while elements natural activate paths of well-being.
How apply: Adjust your station of work for posture ideal and add plants or light natural; lift yourself to each hour for movement or stretch.
Benefit in the brain: Maintenance of energy and focus prolonged, increasing alert and cognition flexible, reducing fatigue mental.
Example practical: In a room shared, use chair ergonomic and try position a by near — pause for a walk short, stretching or take a water.
Tip extra: Adjust the your station to your height and posture ideal, with the screen to the level of the eyes, for example, besides of have elements that recall to nature by near if not have a view to the street. Exposition to the nature or movement varied boosts the cognition flexible.
⏳ Effects in the Brain and in the Performance
These tips are not magic — they base themselves in how the brain responds to stimuli:
In the brain: Increase dopamine for motivation, reduce distractions and strengthen connections neural.
In the performance: Greater focus (until 25% in studies), better memory and decisions more assertive.
These tips are indicated to prepare the brain for challenges specific of the day to day, basing themselves in principles neuroscientific to promote the growth personal and professional, without mix them.
🚀 Practical Daily Application
Start small: Choose a tip by week to test.
Monitor: Note how feel yourself before/after to see the impact neural.
Integrate with tools: Use apps as Calm for breathing or Mahjong for training cerebral.
❌✅ Mini FAQ: Myths and Truths
FAQ: “Neuroscience is only for specialists?”
❌ MYTH: Any one can apply tips simple to give a boost in the brain.
FAQ: “These techniques function fast?”
✅ Truth: With practice daily, you note changes in weeks, thanks to the neuroplasticity.
FAQ: “Need of equipments expensive?”
❌ MYTH: The majority uses only the body and apps free.
FAQ: “Can overload the brain?”
✅ Truth: If balanced, they optimize, not exhaust — respect your limits.
🌟 Conclusion
Apply neuroscience in the work is about empower yourself: prepare yourself, focus and train your brain for the success. Is not about be perfect, but about use the science to perform better.
Apply neuroscience in the work is choose routines that the brain understands: focus in blocks, study that sticks, stress under control, decision structured and feedback that teaches.
Start by one application today and repeat tomorrow. Experiment these tips and see the difference! Is thus that science turns culture — and result.In your next meeting or task, breathe, focus and lead your own brain.
📚 References and readings recommended
Ariga, A. & Lleras, A. — Pauses brief maintain the focus (Cognition).
Cepeda, N. et al. — Effect of the spacing (Psychological Bulletin / Psychological Science).
Roediger, H. & Karpicke, J. — Test-enhanced learning (Psychological Science / Perspectives on Psychological Science).
McEwen, B. — Load allostatic and stress chronic (Annals NYAS).
Balban, M. et al. — Breathing structured and humor (Cell Reports Medicine).
Rangel, A., Camerer, C., Montague, P. — Decision by value (Nature Reviews Neuroscience).
Eisenberger, N. et al. — Pain social and exclusion (Science).
Edmondson, A. — Safety psychological in teams (Administrative Science Quarterly).
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