Neuroscience: when our brain works best and how technology can help it

You are fully focused. You have lost track of time. Nothing else exists in the world. You live at the moment.



Although this is similar to the description of meditation, it is also possible to determine the state of the flow - the feeling that you are so much involved in the work that you completely lose yourself in it, but at the same time significantly increase your productivity.



This is the Holy Grail that we all strive for in any occupation, be it a hobby or a project at work. However, achieving the best results and maximizing your potential at any time can be difficult.



Our colleagues spoke with Dr. Jack Lewis , a neuroscientist who enthusiastically studies how our brain works to find out what motivates us to do our best work and what role technology, culture and the work environment can play in this.

Brain in the stream

You may have come across the phrase "be in the stream." This is the state of mind in which the composer is when his hand is barely keeping pace with the music that sounds in his head, or a mathematician when he easily solves the most complicated equation. You may experience this feeling when playing a video game or working on a presentation.



We all sometimes end up in such a streaming state, but what causes it? Lewis says: “A stream is a“ habitable zone ”(Note is an astronomical concept). If what you do is too easy for you, then you will be bored. If your activity is better suited to your personal capabilities, that is, you are tensing, but not too much, and experiencing some difficulties, then you may be in a state of flow. If you go beyond this and you need to do too much or your activity is too difficult, then you will not achieve anything. "



This zen-like state is characterized by a subjective experience of effortless involvement, when you have a high degree of focused attention and a deep sense of control, but self-reflection is paused and your inner voice is silent.



A flow is a sensation that arises when you naturally achieve a lot without realizing what efforts you are making. When you get involved in the flow, the ego almost disappears. All that remains is what is needed to complete the task, and nothing more.



People who are in this state can maintain high productivity for a very long time, because the feeling of moving towards a goal and its achievement is pleasant. Obviously, being in this state as often as possible would be very useful - not only from the point of view of business, but also from the point of view of individuals who could receive more happiness and satisfaction from their work.

You can give people at least all the technological tools available in the world to help become more productive, but if you do not allow these tools to be used then and it is convenient for these people, you will not be able to get the maximum benefit

Technology - an obstacle or help?

Like any other tool, technology can either help us, or, if used improperly, interfere with and distract attention. Anyone who has been sucked in by a black hole in social networks that allow endlessly flipping through a news feed can claim that technology is distracting.



On the other hand, those who worked in coffee shops and airports using applications such as Teams to keep in touch with colleagues on the road may be evidence of the benefits and capabilities of the technology. Video conferencing applications, group document editors in the cloud, tools for automatically decrypting presentations, and other tools leave no doubt that, when used correctly, technologies can significantly improve our overall performance, although they do not guarantee that the user will always be in a stream state .



In addition to the technologies themselves, the organization’s culture is vitally important for their maximum use. Speaking of culture, we basically mean the leaders of the organization and the example that they show to employees. A key component of this culture, Lewis considers creating an atmosphere in which the use of innovative technologies is encouraged:



“You can give people at least all the technological tools available in the world to help them become more productive, but if you do not allow these tools to be used then and it is convenient for these people, you will not be able to get the maximum benefit.”







To confirm this idea, Lewis gives an example of capsules for sleep. According to him, the majority of companies that have installed capsules for sleeping do not really want people to use them, or there is a stereotype that work cannot be considered productive if people sleep between things. Lewis says this is a twentieth-century mindset.



“Some people work better at the beginning of the day, others at the end. Some people have a hearty lunch, because they worked all morning and had no time to have breakfast, and then they can become sleepy and have difficulty concentrating on business. If they close their eyes for 15-20 minutes, they will regain strength, and when they wake up, they can do much more in the next 45 minutes. "



“Permissiveness is only one of the cultural aspects, but it also suggests that people need to be provided with exactly the kind of flexibility in work that suits them best. Every man is his own master. Even if a person is not free to choose which technologies to use, he still knows himself better than anyone else. You know when and where you work best, and where worse. The idea that people come at 9 in the morning, leave at 6 in the evening, and everyone is equally productive throughout the day, is simply untenable. ”







In addition, it is important to note that sometimes distracting is also useful. Lewis believes that distracting sources are no less important than sources of inspiration. "The distractions that appear at the right time give the brain a break, and when you get back to work, you may have a different point of view that would not otherwise be."

Why get a sense of flow?

Having found out what a flow sensation is, what advantages it gives and how to achieve it, you can ask a philosophical question: why? Why strive to achieve this state when a person is completely and completely immersed in work?



It is easy to understand why we do not want to perform tasks that are too complex - they lead to disappointment. But the decision to exert strength to a certain level may also seem illogical, because we could more easily deal with simpler things.



The answer lies in boredom and how it conflicts with our survival instincts.



“Boredom is terrible,” says Lewis. “The modern world is sending us confusing signals.” It always seems that devices for saving labor will certainly answer the question of how to be happier. We have washing machines and robotic vacuum cleaners - all to make life easier. In a sense, these things are good, because no one wants to do boring, repetitive work, and then not have time for anything else. But it almost came to the point that we have so many devices for saving labor that many are wasting their vacant time. Sometimes it’s much more pleasant to achieve something in a long way, sometimes trial and error is the best way to improve oneself. ”



In modern society, where we no longer need to hunt to get food, do not need to build shelters and defend ourselves from predators, we must find the motivation to do what we decide to spend our time on. It’s easy to fall into a philosophical rabbit hole, but if you remember when you were really in the stream the last time and what satisfaction you felt after that, you will easily understand why it is so important to do everything possible to do the job in the best way.