Our lab is a molecular ecology lab that uses environmental DNA to monitor for invasive species. We have partners throughout the state of Michigan who send us samples, and we perform genetic analyses to test whether a target species is in their area. This is a rewarding project but can be stressful due to the sensitivity of our tests and the implications when the invasive species is found in a new area. What all this comes down to is that many of our lab procedures require focus. The students working in my lab will process around 1,000 samples in a few months, and a single moment of distraction can result in a lost sample run. On the flip side, my lab can be very busy. In some cases, I’ve had seven students working in tandem on summer projects. This can result in periods of controlled chaos, that is antithetical to the amount of focus that is needed during parts of our sample analysis.

While some students feel comfortable letting their colleagues know that they cannot pause and answer questions at a given moment, newer students to our lab may not. Even those who do feel comfortable with these discussions can become distracted if someone unknowingly tries to ask them a question when they need to concentrate. This led to discussions within my group as to how someone can let the rest of the lab know that they need to focus on the task without seeming rude. We batted around a few ideas, one of which was based on something I saw at a conference just after COVID. At this conference attendees were allowed to pick different colored stickers based on how comfortable they felt with different physical interactions. A green sticker was for handshake/hug, a yellow sticker indicated fist bump, and a red sticker for a ‘hello’ wave. The stickers wouldn’t work for our lab, since your back is to everyone else when working at the lab bench. We liked the color indicators and realized that because we are often pipetting, other individuals can easily see our hands. Thus, the color bracelet system was created.

Now, every student who enters the lab gets three colored bracelets. Green means ‘feel free to distract me’, yellow means ‘it is okay to distract me if it is important’, and red means ‘only distract me if my life is in physical danger or the lab is on fire’. The red one might be a bit exaggerated, but you get the idea. So far, the bracelets have been successful. It is nice walking into the lab and seeing students wearing different bracelets and knowing they are working in an environment that is conforming to the mental head space that they need for that day.