Adjusting Your Thermostat Might Improve Your Thinking

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You think best when the air temperature is at a level that makes you feel the most comfortable, new research suggests.

The study included two groups of participants with different ambient temperature preferences, one cool and the other warm. The groups were asked to complete thinking tasks in three rooms with different temperatures: 77 degrees, 68 degrees and 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

The participants did better at the tasks when they were in a room with their preferred temperature. It’s believed that working in a temperature you find comfortable slows the use of energy required to do mental tasks, said study authors Lorenza Colzato and Roberta Sellaro, of Leiden University in the Netherlands.

“The results confirm the idea that temperature influences [thinking] ability. Working in one’s ideal temperature can promote efficiency and productivity,” the researchers wrote.

The study was recently published in the journal Psychological Research.

Previous research has suggested that people think better when they’re in a cooler setting, according to a university news release.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke offers an overview of the brain.

Source: HealthDay

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