01 Focus at Work

Be wary of buying products from unfamiliar retailers if shopping online. There’s a market for unlicensed smart drugs: while the possession of many of these isn’t illegal, the sale and supply of them might be. What’s more, some of these “brain-enhancing” pills haven’t been tested in human clinical trials. Watch out, too, for hyperbolic or oddly specific claims: “reduce procrastination” or “quadruples productivity”.

What should you take to boost your brain at work? “Caffeine, hands down,” says Harvard University’s Dr Pieter Cohen, who studies the supplement market. A study of Navy Seals found that the optimal dose for mental sharpness and better mood was 200mg of caffeine – the amount in a triple-shot Americano. Of course, some of the best prescriptions aren’t chemical: screen breaks, fresh air, exercise and time in nature.