For two centuries, 80% of the value of work has depended on technical mastery of machines and production processes. Now, the success of most businesses primarily depends on intellectual skills. As reliance on intellectual capabilities increases, indicators of workplace mental health are deteriorating significantly, with an estimated annual cost of 3 billion for companies. (1) Meanwhile, advances in neuroscience show that working in a way that respects the brain's natural functioning improves both efficiency and well-being. So, how can insights from neuroscience help businesses reconcile the imperative of efficiency with quality of life at work?
Protecting Cognitive Capital
Avoiding Interruptions
Today's work environment has become an interruption machine: a manager loses 2.1 hours a day handling them, spends 28% of their time on emails, and checks their smartphone 150 times daily¹.
These interruptions are costly: one minute of distraction requires 10 to 23 minutes to regain full concentration, depending on the complexity of the task (2). Neuroscience identifies three practices to protect focus: First, limit interruptions during deep work. In practice, this means using headphones, keeping messaging apps closed, and putting your phone on airplane mode. Second, create dedicated spaces for concentration to enhance the ability to maintain sustained attention (3).
Finally, set clear rules for communication. Reserve certain channels for different levels of urgency to better manage expectations and reduce stress from potential solicitations.
Switching to Single Tasking
The ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously is perceived as an essential skill. This is an expensive myth because frequent task-switching slows overall progress and hampers our capacity to identify important information. Switching to single-tasking is a far more effective method based on a better respect for our natural functioning: while the brain initially considers all tasks equally important, clearly identifying the priority and displaying it in your environment allows it to be automatically recognized as the most important. Then, persevere! The brain, programmed to save energy, naturally gravitates toward simple, low-energy tasks. Overcoming this natural tendency through prioritization encourages the progress of complex tasks. Finally, take breaks before starting again: regular active breaks significantly regenerate our cognitive functions. Reducing involuntary interruptions and moving to single-tasking are simple solutions that enhance performance. How can these be implemented individually and collectively?
Rhythm, Move, Breathe!
Organize Your Time According to Brain Rhythms
Research in chronobiology shows that cognitive abilities follow a precise circadian rhythm that predictably affects attention and intellectual performance (6). Between 9 AM and 11 AM, alertness and analytical skills peak. The period from 2 PM to 4 PM is favorable for quality social interactions, while late afternoon supports memory consolidation and planning. To synchronize the day's rhythm with that of the brain: reserve the mornings for complex tasks requiring intense concentration, prioritize meetings and social interactions at the beginning of the afternoon, and dedicate the end of the day to preparing tasks for the next day.
Take Active Breaks
Skipping from task to task without pausing overlooks a fundamental biological mechanism. After two hours of continuous activity, concentration and decision-making capacity drop significantly (7). It also has physical consequences: research shows a direct correlation between the intensity of cognitive activity and chronic muscle tension, which reduces brain oxygenation, affecting alertness and creativity. (8) Regular physical activity acts as a powerful natural regulator. Just 15 minutes of walking enhances brain plasticity and restores cognitive abilities. Practical applications: engage in active breaks without your phone, hold walking meetings, and do exercises during lunch breaks.
Cultivate Calm and Serenity
Work stress literally sabotages the brain. When the human body is stressed, its analytic and decision-making capabilities are reduced by 28% (9). There are powerful techniques to counter this phenomenon. The most accessible is heart coherence: breathe at a precise rate of 6 breaths per minute (5 seconds inhaling, 5 seconds exhaling). (10) This practice significantly improves cognitive functions: 15-25% for working memory, 10-20% for decision-making, and 20-30% for sustained attention capacity. Regular practice of three 5-minute sessions per day is enough to start achieving remarkable results.
Reinventing the Collective Approach to Work
For nearly two centuries, the industrial era shaped a view of work centered on physical production, equating humans to an extension of machinery. Today, as production capacity primarily relies on cognitive abilities, we have paradoxically maintained this "mechanistic" approach, applying the same continuous production demands to the brain as a manufacturing line. But the brain operates according to radically different principles. The question is no longer whether organizations need to adapt their work methods, but how to orchestrate this transformation. Companies that can work harmoniously with the brain's natural functioning will be the ones to thrive tomorrow.
(1) According to Santé Publique France (2022) and "Cost of Work Stress in France" study (2022), INRS.
(2) Mark et al., 2016
(3) Sander et al. (2019)
(4) Research by Pentland and his team at MIT (2018).
(5) Work by Woolley et al. (Science, 2010)
(6) Research by Roenneberg (2012)
(7) Summary work by Ratey (2020)
(8) Research by McEwen (2018)
(9) Research by Arnsten at Yale (2015).
(10) McCraty and Shaffer (2015).
(11) Research by Davidson (2016).
