Sahar Yousef
Lecturer | Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA, UNITED STATES
Cognitive neuroscientist
Areas of Expertise (2)
Human Productivity
Cognitive Neuroscience
About
Sahar Yousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and a lecturer at the Haas School of Business. Her 10-plus years of research on "making superhumans" sheds light on how to improve focus, memory, and overall human performance in as little as six weeks. Outside of the academic world, Yousef is the founder and managing director of Becoming Superhuman, a productivity training and consulting firm which teaches busy professionals how to get their most important work done, in less time, with less stress. Her work has been featured in Forbes and Business Insider.
Education (2)
University of California, Berkeley: PhD, Cognitive Neuroscience 2018
University of California, Berkeley: BA, Cognitive Science 2011
Links (1)
Media Appearances (6)
4 ways to be more productive, according to experts
GQ India online
2022-04-19
Our brains are not always equipped for being constantly connected or manically multitasking. Lecturers Sahar Yousef and Lucas MIller say that we can boost productivity when we learn to work with our brains and bodies instead of against them.
Structural and cultural change are what we need to escape the wellbeing rut
Insight online
2022-04-06
Mental health problems cost the UK economy at least £117.9 billion every year — around 5 percent of the UK’s GDP — and companies recognize the urgency to provide more help for workers. Lecturer Sahar Yousef said three types of breaks are needed to help workers fully disengage from work stress, restore their energy, and prevent burnout: macro (days off), meso (hours off), and micro (minutes off).
How businesses can put productivity – and people – first
The Guardian online
2022-01-13
Productivity is hampered when people constantly switch apps as part of the workflow. “In essence, it’s rapidly switching from one task to another, and then back again,” said Haas Lecturer Sahar Yousef. “Unfortunately, every time you make that switch, you pay a ‘tax’ on both your time and your energy. For that reason, it’s almost always more efficient to focus on one thing and move on when you’re done.”
A Focus on Mentally Healthy Employees
Middle Market Growth online
2021-09-21
During the pandemic, savvy firms put effort into making remote work better for their employees. AEA Investors partnered with a firm that hired Lecturers Sahar Yousef and Lucas Miller to deliver a course of lunch-and-learn-style sessions, featuring discussions about achieving productivity from home. The course offered realistic and effective tips and tricks grounded in scientific research on how to make the most of the situation and avoid burn-out.
3 misconceptions about remote work and how to manage them
Chicago Tribune online
2021-02-25
Even after the pandemic, managers will need to address the disconnect between "work" and actual productivity. Sahar Yousef, a member of the professional faculty and a neuroscientist, has pioneered the idea Associate Dean for Learning Strategies of setting a "most important task" daily, a strategy that is particularly helpful for remote teams, she says.
How This Cognitive Neuroscientist Uses Science To Increase Work Efficiency
Forbes online
2019-10-01
A training program created by neuroscientist Sahar Yousef, a neuroscientist, has made a bridge from the lab to the corporate world. Her program has been shown to improve focus, memory, energy levels, motivation, stress management, and the productivity of high-performers.
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