We all know the feeling: the post-lunch slump. That drowsy, unfocused haze that settles in during the afternoon, turning productive work sessions into a struggle. I was tired of feeling sluggish, so when I heard about the Focus Protocol — a 15-minute routine of liberating physical movements designed by Dr. Yana Nakhimova to restore sharpness — I was intrigued.
Subjectively, the results were immediate. On the days I performed the protocol, my afternoon work sessions felt significantly more productive. But a nagging question remained: was this a genuine neurological shift, or just a placebo effect fueled by my own desire for it to work? I wanted a way to measure the effects beyond just a feeling.
Luckily, I had the tools for the job. Using a special pair of EEG headphones, the MW75 Neuro (upgraded with the Research Kit), I could record my own brainwaves. This was the perfect opportunity to run a personal experiment.
The Experiment: A Tale of Two Weeks
My hypothesis was simple: If a machine learning classifier can reliably predict whether I did the Focus Protocol based solely on my brain signals, then the protocol must be having a measurable neurological effect.
I designed a two-week experiment:
- Week 1 (Protocol): For five consecutive days, I performed the 15-minute Focus Protocol before my afternoon work session.
- Week 2 (Control): For the following five days, I skipped the protocol and jumped straight into work. (I have to admit, I missed the protocol and definitely felt the difference!)
Throughout every work session in both weeks, I wore the EEG headphones and recorded my brain activity.
From Brainwaves to Predictions
With the data collected, I moved on to the analysis. After processing the raw EEG signals, I extracted a key feature: alpha power. I chose this metric for its robustness and its known association with states of relaxed alertness.
The final step was classification. I fed the alpha power data into a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a powerful model I’d recently studied in a practical Udemy course from Dr. Ildar Rakhmatulin. I trained the model on 80% of my data, holding back the remaining 20% for a final test.
The results were striking. The CNN could predict whether I had done the Focus Protocol or not with 90% accuracy, just by looking at my brain’s alpha wave activity. This suggested my initial hypothesis was correct: the protocol was indeed having a tangible effect at the neurological level.
A Quick Side Quest: I recently saw a LinkedIn post arguing that simple models are often sufficient. With that in mind, I also tested a basic Logistic Regression classifier. It achieved a respectable 80% accuracy. However, digging deeper, its confusion matrix revealed a weakness: it struggled to correctly identify the “no protocol” days, performing only slightly better than chance for that specific class. The more complex CNN model proved to be more reliable.
The Takeaway
In a world filled with constant distractions — from Slack notifications to the endless scroll of social media — it’s more critical than ever to carve out time for restorative breaks. My personal experiment showed me that the benefits of a routine like the Focus Protocol aren’t just a feeling; they can be measured in our very brainwaves.
Taking a few minutes to disconnect, move freely, and turn our attention inward isn’t an indulgence. It’s a powerful tool for enhancing our focus and protecting our mental well-being in the demanding modern workplace.
