Working bodies, thinking minds: embodied cognition and attention in hybrid project work

Purpose This study aims to examine how embodied cognition and technological mediation shape attentional stability in hybrid project environments. It explores how temporal rhythms, ICT complexity and spatial context influence moment-to-moment cognitive composure during project work. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted with three experienced project managers. Wearable EEG data – capturing “EEG Calmness” as an indicator of attentional regulation – were integrated with contextual observations across home and office settings, different times of day and varying levels of ICT complexity. The study adopts an interpretive, ecologically grounded approach rather than hypothesis testing. Findings Across cases, attentional stability tended to peak in the morning and decline in the afternoon, with office environments providing greater cognitive buffering than home offices. Meeting difficulty had limited physiological impact, suggesting that experienced managers rely on embodied self-regulation to sustain composure. ICT complexity showed context-dependent effects, indicating that digital saturation interacts with spatial affordances to shape cognitive states. Research limitations/implications The small, theoretically sampled set of cases limits generalizability but offers analytic depth. Future research could extend embodied cognition analysis to team-level and longitudinal project dynamics. Practical implications Insights highlight the importance of aligning hybrid work practices and digital tool use with workers’ cognitive rhythms and spatial affordances. Social implications The study underscores the social dimension of cognitive well-being in hybrid work. By demonstrating that attention and composure are co-produced through organizational rhythms, technology and social context, it challenges the individualization of productivity. Promoting collective awareness of cognitive rhythms can reduce inequality between home- and office-based workers and foster more humane work cultures. Encouraging transparency and participatory use of physiological data strengthens trust and inclusiveness. Ultimately, the findings suggest that equitable and sustainable digital work depends not only on technological efficiency but on recognizing embodied, relational and ethical aspects of human attention within organizational life. Originality/value The study advances organizational research by integrating neuroergonomic indicators into qualitative inquiry, offering an ecologically valid view of embodied cognition in hybrid project work. It reframes attention as an organizational resource shaped by temporal, technological and spatial rhythms rather than solely individual traits.