Why 'Laptop Lifestyle' Could Be Killing Your Leadership Game

While out on one of my 'run's last week, I listened to one of Prof Andrew Huberman's podcasts—one of his shorter gems of 37 minutes, where he shared some of his 'daily tools' to maximise productivity.

One tip I hadn't heard him discuss before completely changed how I think about that sneaky productivity killer sitting right in front of you: your laptop screen.

I travel a fair amount and I'm often that person hunched over my laptop like I'm protecting it from laptop thieves! When I feel like a deflated balloon at 2pm, I always blamed the 'travel' for draining me. Turns out, Huberman's neuroscience research reveals why this posture can literally sabotage our energy and leadership presence.

Today's Resilience Tip: The Huberman Hack for Peak Performance

💻 Lift that screen!

Stack books, boxes, or invest in a laptop stand to get your computer screen at eye level. Your eyes should be looking straight ahead or slightly upward—never down at your lap like you're reading a bedtime story to your keyboard.

When you make this simple adjustment and your head is upright with your gaze lifted (instead of that turtle-neck hunched position), you're doing three magical things:

Lifting your gaze literally lifts your mood - upward eye movements activate neural circuits linked to alertness and positive states. Research from Stanford shows that people who look up demonstrate 23% better problem-solving abilities!

Your brain gets more oxygen - better posture opens your airways, increasing oxygen flow by up to 30%. More oxygen = sharper thinking and better decision-making

You maintain energy longer - MIT studies show that forward head posture can reduce lung capacity by 30%, leading to those dreaded afternoon crashes

Add daily micro-movements and your brain will REALLY thank you!:

Every 60-90 minutes, get up for a 30-second micro-movement. NASA research found that even brief movement breaks can boost cognitive performance by 12% and reduce fatigue. Touch your toes, do jazz hands, pretend you're conducting an orchestra—whatever gets your blood flowing!

Bonus neuroscience nugget: Dr. Amy Cuddy's research on "power posing" shows that upright postures increase testosterone (confidence hormone) by 19% and decrease cortisol (stress hormone) by 25%. Your posture isn't just about comfort—it's literally changing your brain chemistry for leadership success.

I now stack my laptop on books like I'm building a productivity altar (because essentially, I am). My neck thanks me, my energy stays consistent, and I've stopped looking like I'm perpetually searching for dropped contacts.

Ready to work smarter this week?

Your future focused, energized self will thank you!