Articles & Research
16
 min read
April 8, 2025

Human Performance Experiments - The Sapiens Approach to Behaviour Change

In the high-stakes worlds of private equity, venture capital, consulting, and executive leadership, peak human performance isn’t a luxury - it’s a prerequisite.

And yet, data shows a sharp rise in cognitive fatigue, immune vulnerability, and sleep dysfunction among this population. These issues often remain hidden—until they compromise critical decisions and long-term strategic execution.

At Sapiens, we specialize in precision diagnostics and evidence-based behavior change for elite performers. Our method, tested with over 7,000 executives, identifies physiological bottlenecks and applies targeted interventions to unlock energy, cognition, and resilience.

The Sapiens Framework: Data Informed Health & Performance Protocols

1. Stress Diagnostics - Tracking markers that are upstream of health and performance.

We begin with a multi-modal diagnostic protocol—combining salivary cortisol profiling, HRV tracking, hair steroid analysis, and validated self-assessments. This allows us to identify individual energy leaks and missed recovery opportunities with clinical-grade accuracy.

2. Habit Change Experiments - Applied behavior design—for people with no time to waste.

Once we isolate the most promising intervention points, we initiate a structured behavior change process—called Habit Change Experiments. This approach bridges diagnostics with sustained action by offering tailored, low-friction, high-yield habit protocols—impact measured with selected, personally relevant biomarkers.

The Sapiens Approach to Behaviour Change

Human behavior is optimized for inertia. The brain, an energy-efficient prediction machine, resists deviation from the familiar—even when the current patterns undermine performance and health. Add to this the hyper-scheduled lives of senior executives, and habit change becomes even more elusive.

That’s why we operationalized behavior change using principles from behavioral science, chronobiology, and stress physiology.

Every Sapiens Habit Change Experiment includes:

  • One Change Area for 3 Months
  • Tailored Interventions based on Baseline Diagnostics
  • Daily 20-Second Whats App Check-Ins
  • 1–2 Biomarkers for Impact Measurement
  • Coach Check-Ins for Progressive Protocol Refinement
  • If done in a team, A Gamified Approach with Peer-Support Elements and Leaderboards

Case Study: Peter – Regaining his Edge

Meet Peter - a PE executive

Peter, a Private Equity executive, wasn’t feeling “burned out,” but admitted he was running at only ~70% of his capacity.

His cognitive sharpness had declined, recovery was impaired, and sleep had deteriorated after taking on additional business responsibilities.

Insights from Peters Baseline Diagnostics

With the Sapiens Stress Diagnostics he identified:

  • A blunted Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) → Linked to delayed mental activation and sluggishness until mid-morning
  • Elevated Evening Cortisol and Reduced Night-Time HRV → Indicative of difficulty to wind-down after work and sympathetic overactivation at night
  • Reduced Deep Sleep in First 3 Hours → Compromising physiological recovery and immune resilience

In short, his daily schedule was creating a vicious stress loop:

Late-night emotional emails → Elevated evening cortisol → Poor sleep → Late start into the day → Skipped breaks → Evening overwork → Repeat.

Peters Sapiens Habit Change Experiment: Evening Down-Regulation

Together with his Sapiens coach and after collecting 250+ data points with the Sapiens Diagnostics, he identified his 1 Change Area: Evening Down-Regulation.

Based on the Sapiens reference data, his coaches experience and Peters insights during the diagnostics debrief, they identified this was the one single change that was most likely to break the vicious stress loop he was in.

They expected the highest return on daily energy levels and performance from this intervention compared to other options they reviewed like gut health interventions, micro-nutrient therapy, post lunch recovery, … .

Peters Experiment Protocol

Peter and his coach created personalized interventions that ended up to be tailored like this:

Goal: Reducing evening activation and rumination to improve sleep architecture and raise daily energy levels

Timeline: 12 weeks

Biomarkers Tracked:

  • Avg. night-time HRV (via ECG monitoring)
  • Pre-bed cortisol levels with saliva samples (5 samples per month)
  • 1 Minute check-in of Resting Heart Rate and Blood Pressure before bed

Daily Pulse Check:

• 20 second Check-in on energy and focus levels

Tailored Interventions

Peter and his coach selected these 5 interventions as they hypothesized these had the highest impact on his goals - reduced evening activation and increased day-time energy levels:

  • A morning routine involving movement and sunlight to stabilize his cortisol awakening response
  • Regularized bedtime
  • Eating dinner early
  • Digital sunset: Blocking devices prior to bed
  • Cognitive offloading routine involving journaling and stretching

Peters Experiment Journey

After kick-off of the experiment in a 1:1 with his coach, Peter received his at-home experiment kit containing:

  • ECG-based heart rate monitor
  • Saliva test samples with 15 sample tubes (5 for each month)
  • A manual alarm clock so he could actually be serious about his pre-bed device shut down
  • A simple device to measure Blood Pressure & Resting Heart Rate before bed
  • “Science of Sleep” behaviour playbook

Peter started out in the first month of the experiment with a light routine to initiate the habits and to notice (and measure) the ROI:

  • Morning Routine - 5 minutes
  • Regularized bedtime +-1 hour
  • No food before bed -3 hours
  • Digital sunset: Devices off pre-bed -30 min
  • Cognitive offloading routine involving journaling and stretching - 5 min routine

Here is how Peter engaged in the experiments in just a minute per day, and

  • Daily: Calendar reminders for his interventions + 20s pulse checks
  • Pre Bed**:** Take 1 minute to measure pre-bed Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
  • Every 4 Weeks: Measure impact (Cortisol samples and ECG monitoring), receive progress report and engage in 30 min 1:1 Coach call to refine interventions and recommit habits
  • Week 12: Final biomarker measurement + experiment debrief + integration into daily routine

In 1:1 check-ins with his coach, Peter decided to progressively intensify his routine, e.g., in months 3 the regularized bedtime was +-30 min and he didn’t eat 4 hours prior to bed.

Peters results & Reflections

Already in month 1, Peter measured lower evening cortisol levels, a +10% in sleep efficiency and higher self-rated day-time energy levels.

Peter’s results? Within 12 weeks, his morning alertness rebounded, deep sleep normalized, and evening HRV increased by 18%. He described it simply: “I got my mornings—and my edge—back.”

The Behavioral Science Behind the Sapiens Habit Change Approach

At Sapiens, we don’t just talk about behavioral science—we build it into the Sapiens Habit Change Experiment System.

As BJ Fogg (Stanford Behavioural Scientist) stated, a new behaviour occurs when motivation, ability and prompt all work together.

Behavior = Motivation × Ability × Prompt

Sapiens Experiments operationalize this by:

  • Motivation: Personal biomarker baseline and progress markers makes the “why” obvious
  • Ability: We take out all the friction of your habit change and provide you with tiered habit change levels (Light, Medium, Aspirational) to keep change doable; our platform notices when you get busy and recommends a down-scaled version of your committed habits until the intense week is over
  • Prompt: 20-second daily check-ins drive consistency coupled with personal accountability check-ins with a Sapiens Coach.

As emotions and positive feedback loops play a large role in habit change, we don’t just recommend dry habits but we help clients to create rituals:

Rituals add meaning and structure to behavior, making habits stickier—even under stress.

We design rituals into the habit journey:

  • Evening shutdown rituals, not just sleep advice
  • Our coaches support you in identifying meaning behind your habits and working on the emotional root causes behind habit change obstacles
  • Check-in rhythms that provide stability in chaotic weeks

The most important element to make the habits stick even after the 3 months experiment is over:Body literacy. We are supporting our clients in building a deeper level of awareness on how their behaviors may contribute to the outcomes they (don’t) want. Peter learned to check-in with his evening personality that was having a hard time to set a boundary and shut off. He was also learning to notice his evening activation levels and practiced techniques to self-regulate before evening stress spiraled out of control.

Instead of relying on willpower, we embed the psychology and biology of change into the habit change architecture:

  • One change at a time
  • Enhancing body literacy, not just providing protocols
  • Scaled intensity for real-life feasibility
  • Biological and behavioral tracking to create feedback loops

Applied behavior design—for people with no time to waste.

Habit Change

Calibrate your daily routines

Personal Experiments

2-week experiments of life- andworkstyle changes with 1:1 debrief

Accountability Calls

Peer-accountability calls andcheck-ins on team habits

Expert Counseling

1:1 or group counseling, e.g., blood test withMD debrief, nutritionist, sleep expert

Impact Diagnostics

Repeat diagnostics 3-6 months laterand to refine your action plan

Workshop examples

A better way to manage team energy and operate under pressure

Our workshops are customized based on your teams data. Below some example modules from previous clients

Workshop Module 01 - Body regulation for critical work situations

Use biofeedback technology to monitor and regulate your body, emotions, and mind in high-pressure situations – see sample outline here.

Workshop Module 02 - Address your team’s top 3 energy leaks

Identify your team's main physiological, emotional, and cognitive energy leaks and develop actionable strategies to address them.

Workshop Module 03 - Redesign team habits for sustainable performance

Leverage stress data to identify team habits and align the team calendar to minimize strain.

Diagnostics

Measure what anchors your performance

Our industry leading stress diagnostics creates a complete picture of your energy leaks, resilience factors, chronic stress levels and stress drivers. You receive a simple diagnostics kit at-home which includes hair steroid analysis, ECG monitoring, circadian saliva profile and a self-assessment. You receive a personal report and in a 1:1 debrief with your coach you interpret the 250+ data points  to set personal priorities and action plan to raise your performance and health while reducing your stress.

Newsletter

Boost your performance with 5 science-backed tips tailored to your intense schedule

Enter your work email address and receive 5 proven human performance tactics every month. No ads, only science-based insights.

Integrate habits

Integrate the most effective interventions into your busy schedule

At the end of the 3 to 6-month period, we will repeat the full-spectrum stress diagnostics, using all relevant biomarkers to pinpoint which experiments impacted your goals most. This includes a 3-month retrospective assessment of chronic stress through hair cortisol and cortisone levels, offering insight into the overall effects on chronic stress levels. 

With your coach, you will develop a personalized work and lifestyle playbook for achieving your goals with sustainable performance habits and a backup plan for managing periods of high stress or increased workload.

Boost your performance with 5 science-backed tips tailored to your intense schedule

Enter your work email address and receive 5 proven human performance tactics every month. No ads, only science-based insights.

Do N=1 experiments

Find the interventions that work best for you

Using your aspirations, internal obstacles, and stress diagnostics report, we will design small, actionable experiments, which you will implement in two-week cycles with the help of your coach. Each experiment includes specific metrics to assess its impact, following an ‘N-of-1 clinical trial’ approach for tailored evaluation.

Example: If you aspire to reduce stress, your experiment program could look like this.

Weeks 1 & 2: Work-Home Transition

Goal: Create a structured work-to-home transition to improve recovery after work hours.

Biomarkers: Recovery rate percentage after work measured by ECG monitor and evening cortisol levels.

Weeks 3 & 4: Sleep Quality

Goal: Improve sleep quality by establishing an evening ritual and eating the last meal at least 4 hours before bed.

Biomarkers: Resting heart rate before bedtime and recovery rate percentage during sleep, tracked by ECG monitor.

Weeks 5 & 6: Weekend Recovery

Goal: Maximize nervous system recovery over the weekend by fully disconnecting from work.

Biomarkers: The recovery rate percentage during weekends is measured with an ECG monitor and the weekend email open rate.

Measure biomarkers

Measure your baseline and track intervention results

Once your goals are set, we identify relevant biomarkers to guide your journey. Often, we use our stress diagnostics kit, which measures over 13 biomarkers and includes multiple self-assessments, generating 200+ data points. This assessment establishes a baseline and pinpoints specific areas for intervention. You can view an example report here.

We also use lab blood tests, sensor analytics, and additional assessments to establish a baseline and identify key areas for targeted intervention. Here is how we make different goals measurable:

Reducing Stress

  • Hair steroid analysis for a 3-month retrospective of cortisone, cortisol, DHEA, and testosterone levels;
  • ECG monitoring to assess nervous system recovery during and after work hours;
  • Sleep tracking and analysis for quality and duration;
  • Self-assessment of stress levels using scientifically validated tools.

Reducing Fragmentation

  • Workstyle metrics, such as task or app switches per day and email frequency;
  • EEG monitoring to track brainwave activity during work hours;
  • Cognitive assessments, including attention network and memory tests.

Building Stronger Health

  • Comprehensive laboratory blood tests;
  • Regular at-home blood tests for key markers (e.g., inflammation levels);
  • Continuous blood glucose monitoring.

Clarify goals

Clarify your goals and uncover what is holding you back

The first step of your coaching journey is to understand your work and life aspirations, identify current obstacles, and set measurable goals regarding your health and performance.


Set your aspiration

What areas of your health, energy, and performance would you like to improve to live and work better? Consider goals like:

  • Reducing procrastination
  • Enhancing creativity
  • Lowering fatigue
  • Minimizing health risks from chronic stress
  • Preventing burnout


Uncover your internal obstacles and leverage personal motivators

You’ve likely worked on your goals and aspirations before, but staying committed can be challenging as life gets busier. Together, we will explore what truly matters to you, uncover stress habits that might hold you back, and build on the strengths and insights you already have. This will allow you to create sustainable and long-lasting change for yourself.


Set measurable goals

You will break down your aspirations with your coach into smaller, measurable goals. For example, if you aspire to be more present with others and minimize mental fragmentation, we’ll translate these into clear, actionable steps:

Be more present with people 

  • How can I block distracting thoughts while I am in a conversation?
  • How can I better remember what people told me two weeks after our conversation?

Reduce fragmentation 

  • How can I get into a daily deep-work mode for 90 minutes?
  • How can I limit social media distractions to 15 minutes per day?

Health

Strengthening health and longevity

“I used to worry about burnout, but now I know how to maintain high productivity without compromising my health.”

Together with medical doctors, we support clients in improving their overall health, including gut, metabolic, and musculoskeletal health. This leads to improved well-being and quality of life.

For employers, improved employee health leads to greater engagement and significantly reduced sick days.

How we measure health levels

While increased energy is a subjective experience reported by our clients, we track the underlying contributors through measurable biomarkers:

Energy levels

  • Energy assessment: We evaluate 70 symptoms across 15 common areas of potential energy drains, including hydration, gut health, and fragmentation.

Metabolic health

  • Glucose: Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) track blood glucose fluctuations, which we combine with ECG monitoring to assess how stress levels may influence eating behaviors and blood glucose stability.
  • Inflammation: We measure inflammation levels using blood markers like hs-CRP through lab-based and at-home blood tests.
  • Blood sugar levels: We evaluate metabolic health markers, including HbA1C and the HOMA-Index, to evaluate average blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.

Micro-nutrients

  • Nutrition levels: We assess vitamin and mineral levels through blood tests at partner laboratories to ensure the body has the essential nutrients required to cope with the demands of high workloads and stress effectively.

Comprehensive health assessments

  • Heath audit: For selected clients, we collaborate with third-party laboratories to provide comprehensive blood tests and health assessments.

Energy

Reducing stress frees up energy

“I no longer feel fatigued when finishing the work day, which allows me to be more present with my kids.”

Many clients report feeling less scattered and fatigued after their workday, which allows them to be more present with their families and enjoy their free time.

Corporations report significant boosts in employee energy following our programs, resulting in improved emotional regulation, stronger team collaboration, and increased productivity.

How we measure energy levels

While increased energy is a subjective experience reported by our clients, we track the underlying contributors through measurable biomarkers:

Day-time recovery

  • Morning Ramp-Up and Evening Down-Regulation: Our partner laboratory analyzes cortisol and alpha-amylase levels from saliva samples collected at precise time points over multiple workdays.
  • Nervous System Recovery: We measure recovery levels via ECG monitoring over a full workweek, assessing recovery during working hours and the ability to “switch off” after work.

Sleep quality

  • Sleep Recovery: We assess the percentage of recovery during sleep through ECG monitoring and identify specific factors influencing sleep quality.

Cognitive energy

  • Cognitive performance assessment: We test cognitive performance factors, including memory, reaction time, and executive control, to evaluate and enhance clients' cognitive energy levels.

Resilience

Stress resilience improves impact

“I remain much calmer under pressure and am less likely to react in ways I later regret.”

We help our clients measurably reduce chronic stress, enhancing their ability to adapt to stressors. As a result, they report significant improvements in creativity, empathy, and complex decision-making.

Organizations we work with benefit not only from reduced absenteeism and lower talent turnover, but more importantly, from heightened leadership impact and improved overall employee performance.

How we measure stress and stress resilience

Clients who join our 3- to 6-month programs typically achieve measurable improvements in the following stress-related markers:

Chronic stress

  • Biological Stress Markers: We measure key indicators such as cortisone, cortisol, DHEA, and partially testosterone through hair analysis;
  • Self-Perceived Chronic Stress: Assessed using the scientifically validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).

Resilience

  • Biological Resilience Factors: Assessed through ECG monitoring and HRV (Heart Rate Variability) analysis, along with hair-based measurements of endocannabinoids and DHEA;
  • Self-Perceived Resilience: Evaluated using the Brief Resilience Scale and Brief Resilience Coping Scales, both validated by scientific research.

The figures provided reflect sample results achieved by small client groups during our programs. A comprehensive research study involving all participants is currently underway, with results expected to be published soon.

Self-assessment

Identify and address your top 3 energy drains.

In less than 5 minutes, you can find what limits your resilience and contributes to chronic stress. You will receive a report and a toolkit with personalized strategies to address your top 3 energy drains delivered to your inbox for free.

Boost your performance with 5 science-backed tips tailored to your intense schedule

Enter your work email address and receive 5 proven human performance tactics every month. No ads, only science-based insights.

Get a toolkit

Get 25 proven strategies for resilience

In less than 5 minutes, you can find what limits your resilience and contributes to chronic stress. You will receive a report and a toolkit with personalized strategies to address your top 3 energy drains delivered to your inbox for free.

02 - Reinforce

Synchronize your work and lifestyle with your natural rhythms

Adopt small lifestyle tweaks in your most impactful intervention areas such as calendar management, recovery, movement, nutrition, self-regulation, and cognitive regeneration.


Review your daily work and lifestyle routines based on your body data

Once our clients have mastered to recognize and regulate their state and reduced their primary energy drains, we can focus on optimizing their overall energy levels and health.

We begin by assessing how current routines impact resilience, stress, and personal goals. Then we identify small adjustments in different intervention areas to shift from a stress-inducing lifestyle to one that aligns daily routines with each person’s biology and natural rhythms.

Get the right experts for personalized interventions

The health and lifestyle tips from your favorite Instagram influencer often aren’t suited to your unique biology.

We connect you with PhD-level experts to help you optimize six key lifestyle factors that most influence chronic stress and resilience, targeting intervention areas where small, immediate changes can lead to significant results.

04 - Reduce

Reduce your top energy drains

Identify hidden stressors and tackle root causes through science-based, data-driven experiments.


No relentless self-optimization, but self-synchronization 

Our clients are senior executives and high performers who already have what it takes to excel in the most demanding business environments. Yet, many find themselves unintentionally getting in their own way.

Their intense workstyles and periods of pressure often lead to stress-driven habits, like late-night sugar intake, excessive caffeine, irregular sleep, or moving too little. These stress habits create internal stressors or energy drains, such as suboptimal metabolic health, circadian rhythm misalignment, nutrient deficiencies, muscle imbalances, and chronic tension.

Over time, these energy drains elevate cortisol levels and fuel chronic stress, creating a vicious cycle of job strain, stress habits, and escalating energy depletion.

Identify energy drains that contribute most to chronic stress

We have identified the 15 most prevalent energy drains among our high-performing executive clients.

Using self-assessments, consultations with our team of medical professionals, and detailed diagnostics, we pinpoint your personal energy drains that have the most impact on your chronic stress.

Address your major energy drains one step at a time

Rather than offering generic health advice or overwhelming you with self-improvement tips, we provide highly personalized support, addressing your top energy drains with small, targeted interventions.

Example: One client identified ‘blood sugar dysregulation’ as a major driver of chronic stress, causing significant fluctuations in energy and focus throughout the workday.

To address this, we implemented a series of small, measurable experiments, using a continuous glucose monitor and ECG to assess both blood sugar and acute stress levels. For this client, we created the following program:

  • Weeks 1 & 2: Shift from a carbohydrate-based to a protein-based breakfast.
  • Weeks 3 & 4: Take a 5-minute walk after a carb-heavy lunch.
  • Weeks 5 & 6: Replace sweet snacks with savory options, keeping ready-packed nuts and vegetables on hand.

Once we achieved stable blood sugar levels, we moved on to the next identified energy leak: optimizing micronutrient levels.

03 - Regulate

Regulate your energy and focus to meet the demands of any task

Prepare your body and mind for critical moments by practicing micro-recovery and transition techniques.


Stress isn’t bad, but timing matters

Our nervous system controls every organ in the body and sets our overall level of activation – often referred to as ‘acute stress.’ The body shifts between calm and alert based on perceived urgency and safety.

While stress is often seen as negative, it is actually a powerful enabler of quick thinking and productivity. High activation helps you react swiftly, while low activation fosters creativity, strategic thinking, complex decision-making, and allows you to connect more empathetically and inspire those around you.

Enter the optimal state to achieve your goals

Most of our clients embrace an intense work ethos – which is one of the reasons we love working with them. However, this relentless drive can interfere with achieving an optimal state for their goals, leaving much of their biological potential untapped.

Many are on call 24/7, ready to jump into action and racing from one meeting to the next, spending most of their time in a high activation state. They focus heavily on content and leadership but often overlook the optimal state needed to reach their goals effectively.

In our programs, clients learn to regulate their state to match their objectives. For example, a high-activation or alert state (sympathetic nervous system) is perfect for tackling 50 emails in 15 minutes. However, this same state can hinder creativity or complex decision-making.

Our clients learn to shift between high and low activation states on demand, transitioning smoothly between meetings. They use tools such as breathwork, visualization, body tension adjustments, and shifting attention between external and internal focus to regulate their state.

What got you here, won’t get you there

Most of our clients face a dilemma as they advance in their careers: early on, they rose through the ranks by operating in a high-activation state – always on, moving quickly, getting things done. This fast-paced approach helped them excel in linear work.

However, to truly thrive in senior executive roles, a low-activation state is needed most of the time. This allows executives to inspire others, lead authentically, make complex and impactful decisions, foster innovation, and support their teams with empathy and client-centered insight.

By learning to down-regulate their nervous systems, our senior clients are better able to focus on what truly drives their success, creating more meaningful impact and achieving a balanced life aligned with their aspirations.

Synchronize your calendar with your circadian rhythm

To increase the likelihood of being in the optimal state for their tasks at hand, we help our clients measure their circadian rhythm through cortisol saliva tests over a workweek. We then help them align schedules and daily routines with their unique biological rhythm.

01 - Recognize

Learn to recognize body signals early to stay ahead of stress

Gain insight into your reactions and impulses that arise under pressure by analyzing body data.


You can’t manage what you don’t measure

How you show up each day – what we call your ‘state’ – is one of the most critical success factors in demanding roles. Yet, many senior executives leave it entirely unmanaged.

Many executives rush into meetings focused solely on the work at hand rather than creating the optimal state for themselves and their teams to drive success.

Managing your state starts with awareness of your nervous system, brain, and overall biological patterns.

Shifting from narratives to body literacy

When we ask new clients, “What state are you in right now?” we often hear narratives like, “I’m having a busy time at work, I didn’t sleep well last night, or I have an important board meeting coming up.”

These narratives tend to be familiar stories rather than an accurate assessment of one’s current state. Our first step is to help clients gain a true understanding of their internal state through tapping into body data. They begin to act as ‘sommeliers’ of their own bodies, becoming highly attuned to their physical state in the present moment.

Leveraging cutting-edge diagnostics to enhance self-awareness

We use the most comprehensive stress and performance diagnostics available to assess all factors that anchor and enhance your performance:

  • Workplace stressors: Uncovering factors like a sense of control or social support.
  • Energy drains: Identifying areas such as metabolic health, dehydration, micro-nutrient deficiencies, and cognitive overload.
  • Resilience capacity and habits: Assessing your capacity to handle stress and the habits that support or detract from it.
  • Recovery: Monitoring real-time stress and recovery patterns through an ECG monitor integrated with your calendar.
  • Chronic stress: Evaluating long-term stress exposure using hair cortisol analysis.
  • Health impact of long-term stress: Gauging daily stress patterns through saliva cortisol, which is linked to mental health and overall well-being.

Most wearables and health technologies outsource self-awareness to a device. Our diagnostic solutions, however, together with the integrated coaching, are designed to empower deeper, personal self-awareness.