Prolongue Focus & Stimulate Creative Thought

I hope you are finding a few quiet moments to yourself in the midst of a very busy time. It can be an extra challenge to recruit creative ideas when we are feeling burnt out. It’s been a long stretch of virtual meetings, and we may not be easily finding the energy required for performance. It is also a challenge to come up with creative approaches to what used to be the norm. The previous sales strategy or client engagement may have been altered in this new landscape, which gives us even more of a reason to come up with unique ideas.

 For this week’s blog I will be sharing easily applicable strategies to lengthen the time in which we can focus, as well as ignite creative thought patterns in the brain. The lack of focus is perfectly normal. A 2015 Microsoft study found that the average human has an attention span of less than eight seconds. Just in the last 20-minutes of working on this newsletter I have done the following…. Read part of a research paper, walked to the kitchen to heat up my coffee, checked my email, read another part of the research, left two voice texts on my phone, checked my email and then wrote these two paragraphs… yikes! 

Fortunately, there are ways to train our brain to drop into longer stages of concentration and lower this surface level activity. Even though we know from a practical standpoint, these distractions do not serve us, we have to actually create the patterns to shift out of the distracted state. It’s very similar to healthy eating habits. The more we put practices in place to choose foods in their whole form over processed sugar, the more our brain wires to keep making that healthy choice. 

Here are a few simple, yet highly effective ways to train the brain to focus:

Binaural Beats

One simple way to avoid distraction and activate alpha brain waves (creative/flow state) is through the process of brainwave entrainment. This process prompts the brain to access a particular state through a variety of different stimulation modes, including auditory and light. The stimulation convinces the brain’s activity to synchronize to the external stimulation. One simple way to activate this technique in your day to day life is by listening to binaural beats. With binaural beats, you use headphones that play two tones with slightly different frequencies in each ear to create an auditory illusion. 

Simply go on Spotify, iTunes or YouTube and type in Binaural Beats. There will be a number of playlists that come up. You can choose the beats for focus, sleep or energy. I like to listen to these while working at my desk or doing five minutes of deep breathing. 

To take it one step further, incorporate the breathing technique below while listening to binaural beats:

Get the Right Working Temperature

A study from Cornell University found that workers are most productive and make fewer errors in an environment that is somewhere between 68 and 77 degrees. Another study from the Helsinki University of Technology in Finland says the magic temperature is 71 degrees

Take Micro Breaks

A study conducted by the University of Illinois examined the impact on vigilance decrement- a drop in one’s attentional resources.  Constant stimulation is registered by our brains as unimportant, to the point that the brain erases it from our awareness. This study is consistent with the idea that the brain is built to detect and respond to change, Lleras said, and suggests that prolonged attention to a single task actually hinders performance.

"We propose that deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused," he said. "From a practical standpoint, our research suggests that, when faced with long tasks (such as studying before a final exam or doing your taxes), it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay focused on your task."

Incorporate any of the following breaks throughout your day:

Yoga Flow to Activate Energy

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jrj30ydbarfizu3/Executive%20Essentials_Yoga%20Flow.mp4?dl=0 

Guided Breathing to Lower Stress

https://www.dropbox.com/s/focyf1nvbu4yca6/Executive%20Essentials_3x5%20Breath.mp4?dl=0

Core Workout to Rev Metabolism

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vg15afjeoi98mcs/Executive%20Essentials_Core%20Workout.mp4?dl=0

Posture Session to Negate Effects of Sitting

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4fxz01jrqlja4zb/Executive%20Essentials_Postures.mp4?dl=0

Ditch Multitasking

A study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines that were similar to what they’d expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night.

One way to stop multitasking is with the Pomodoro Technique. This is a time management method that uses a timer to break down work into intervals of 25 minutes, separated by short breaks. Short breaks (3-5 minutes are taken between each interval), which aids in the information to be processed by the brain. When the interval is interrupted by anything (even a quick email), the timer must be stopped and restarted once back to the task. The goal is to get through each 25 minute interval without having to stop the timer.

Nora’s Naturals

Nutrition is also another area where we can make simple upgrades to improve our focus and sustain energy. Here are a few of my weekly staples. It can be nice to make these on a Sunday and have them for the week. 

Three (No Bake) Superfood Snacks to Improve Brain Power

Avocado Pesto

In a blender or food processor, mix the following ingredients: 

• 2 avocados 

• 1 bunch basil leaves 

• ¼ cup olive oil 

• ¼ cup water 

• 2 cloves of garlic 

• Salt and pepper to taste 

• Enjoy with raw veggies 

Cocoa Bites 

In a bowl or food processor, mix the following ingredients: 

• ½ cups Oats

• ¼ cup cocoa powder 

• ¼ cup chia seeds

• ½ cup almond butter 

• ½ cup coconut flakes 

• ½ cup coconut oil 

• ¼ cup maple syrup 

• Make into small balls. Store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and enjoy.

Blueberry Bites 

In a bowl or food processor, mix the following ingredients:

• 10 Medjool dates pitted

• ½ cup almond butter 

• ½ cup blueberries

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ cup coconut flakes

10-Minute Meditations for Stress Relief, Deep Sleep, Sustained Concentration & Accelerated Energy

Meditation has never come easy for me. I do enjoy a variety of wellness experiences, but when it comes to sitting down and meditating, I can officially say that I have never been successful for sustained periods of time. In fact, I have had many meditations using an app where I spent half the time texting. The lovely instructor’s voice was telling me to exhale to let go, while I was holding onto the phone, rapidly replying. Needless to say, I did not experience all of the profound benefits that come with a meditation practice. I was simply just checking a box to think I completed the mental wellbeing part of my routine.

Since my futile attempts, I have learned a much more practical way of experiencing meditation. My great friend and team member, Adam Peot, is a certified Meditation Coach, Yoga Instructor and Holistic Practitioner. He has been immersed in meditation for the last twenty years, creating an accessible way to implement mindful practices for all of us in a 24-7 workweek. For this week’s blog, I will share some strategies I learned from Adam and guided meditations designed for stress relief, strengthened immunity, enhanced focus, and accelerated energy.

This brief outline of helpful practices and tips is designed to support you with incorporating meditation and mindfulness into your daily life for greater clarity, ease, focus, heath and less-stressful living. Approach these practices as free, accessible and time-tested tools for daily renewal.

Sit comfortably in a quiet place, rather than trying to copy an image in your head of how one “should” look while meditating. Find a sense of natural aligned ease that you can carry from your practice into daily living.

Your practice unfolds from interest to effort to practice, to an effortless way of being. Begin with a few minutes and lengthen as you feel comfortable. Silence is great, but some relaxing music or time in nature may help as well, so try both out. Keep it simple.

Stress Reduction

Using breath and body awareness to shift, settle, expand and ease our state,(de-stress) energy.

- from tension to ease
- from contraction to space
- from feeling scattered outwardly to centered inwardly

Sitting in a comfortable chair or lying down with eyes closed. Breath = the link and regulator of body and mind.

Smoothly, naturally and slowly breathe in a 3-2-1 inhale, pausing, and 3-2-1 exhale.

Belly to Full Body Breathing- It is common to breathe shallowly into the chest which can lead to tension and getting stuck in our busy minds. By shifting the awareness to the belly and then full body breathing the entire body-mind and nervous system can settle, expand and calm.

Concentration

Energy and mind centering (vs being scattered and exhausted). Like fine tuning a telescope for closer examination and clarity, we use breath and awareness to sharpen our presence and quality of mind power.

Training the distracted “monkey mind”

- from scattered to centered
- from blurry to sharp
- from shallow to deep

Breath counting (1-10) and then breath following (without wandering off). Session by session you will tame the untrained mind and shift from being run by it, to using it as your tool and ally.

Open Presence- Sitting comfortably with eyes lightly open, focus on the clear space in front of you rather than the objects and sensations that arise. Not too tight, not too loose, you become aware of being aware. Rejuvenating Inner Stillness arises. Sensations and thoughts habitually pull your attention away, but gradually you come back to open clear lucid presence (natural awareness) and the moments of remembrance begin to outweigh the periods of forgetfulness.

In this space you have the freedom to respond rather than react.

Energy

As all of life is made up of energy, we tune in to and use our awareness and movement to center, settle and relieve the tensions that get built up. Then one can build up rejuvenating focused energy.

Dynamic Meditation- Sometimes before one is able to truly benefit from more still meditations, one has to get rid of the tensions that accumulate in body and mind. All dynamic means is to move; to dance, shake, exercise, walk; just do something physical to loosen up the stuck energy before you settle into stillness.

Chi Gathering- First rub your hands briskly together to feel the warm chi energy that energizes your body-mind. Using relaxed breathing and awareness of your body's natural energy centers (palms, soles of feet, pelvic floor) to first gather and then pull the energy from these centers into the space beneath and behind your navel.

Immunity

Using calm breathing and visualization to help guide your body and energy back into homeostasis and natural well-being. Like a cut that scars and heals purely from the internal genius of our body, our entire system wants to “heal” and recover like that cut.

Lying or sitting, begin to scan your body from head to toe first visualizing and then feeling each aspect of your body aligned, pure, flowing, functioning, pain free, using neuroplasticity to rewire “as if” your body's inherent wellness is already underway.

It may be challenging at first, but in time it will become more rejuvenating and your immune system will thank you. These practices will begin to yield direct immediate results with no harmful side effects.

The Importance of Finding Time for Self-Care as an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs have always had a lot on their minds, but the ubiquity of modern technology adds a layer that can be exhausting. In between strategizing inventory challenges and expansion plans, business owners are also barraged with customer emails, Slack messages, and social media notifications. It’s a quick recipe for burnout without appropriate breaks and self-care.

Below are 4 main takeaways from my FastCompany interview with Leann Livingston, the senior international marketing manager at Square, about the importance of prioritizing breaks, ways to free up time for self-care & how to recognize early signs of burnout.

Self-care is a business imperative that should be prioritized.

Time is money, so the idea of a 30-minute lunch—or even a five-minute walk outside—might sound impossible at first blush. “We’re wired to be productive,” Tobin says. “Yet I always find that being productive does not necessarily equate to the best performance.”

Through that lens it’s clear that self-care is a smart business investment. Trying to work through periods of low energy or feeling overwhelmed typically leads to tasks taking longer and subpar work. “Five minutes a day can add up to significant change in our mood or mindset,” Tobin says. “[It’s about] being okay taking that time, knowing that … it’s all going to be there, but you’ll be even more creative and productive when you get back to it.”

Livingston takes a daily half-hour lunch break away from the computer, during which she puts down her phone, goes outside, and focuses on a meal—a routine she describes as life-changing. “It never feels like you have time to take out of your day,” she says. “But you will always be better off for it. [Even] if you just sit outside for 30 minutes, it will help you get through the rest of your day much more efficiently, versus kind of just dragging through the rest of it.”

As for the notion that self-care is selfish, the pair wholeheartedly disagree. “You are doing what you need to actually be your best version of yourself,” Livingston says, “and that helps support others and those around you.”

Know Thyself: Recognize your individual signs of burnout- and what makes you feel energized.

By the time you’ve hit total burnout, it’s probably been building for a while, Livingston and Tobin agreed. But since everyone has different businesses—and lifestyles—individual signs of stress will vary. For some it might be keyed-up anxiety and finding themselves snapping at family members; others may feel sapped, like it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning.

“For me personally—and … a lot of our small business owners as well—it’s [about maintaining] energy levels. The things I really like doing no longer seem enjoyable,” Livingston says. “You’re no longer energized by the thrill of having your own business. Or things that you used to enjoy start bugging you in a way they wouldn’t normally. That’s when the warning [lights] start to go [on] for me: You might need to take some time out.”

What one does with that time out also ties back to energy. One business leader’s idea of a reenergizing day off may be a massage followed by a night out with friends. By contrast, an entrepreneur who has young children may prefer a quiet reading night. It’s about what leaves you, personally, with more energy to tackle the day.

Delegation & automation are your friends.

For Tobin, delegating tasks to staff is crucial for her—even though many owners may find it hard to let go. “We can only do so many high-level…tasks versus low-level work,” she says. “I [like] outlining those two categories and then breaking them up within our team.… Having that organization, and then knowing that we don’t have to do both categories all the time, has been really helpful.”

Livingston notes the importance of automating routine tasks. Square, for example, offers tools that can automate sending marketing emails and basic communications with customers, as well as other software that assists with inventory, team management, payroll processing, operations, and more. Technology, Livingston says, can “help free up your time, help you prioritize those tasks that need to be [not just done], but done well.”

Incorporate small strategies for quick boosts.

As Tobin puts it, “It’s really nice to be able to go to yoga class for an hour” at lunch, but many business owners could never do that. But a minute here and there adds up. She recommends walking around for one minute every hour, for example. And when she’s overwhelmed, she uses a jade roller that she stores in the fridge, running the cool stone over her face for a “physical stimulus [that] can really snap you out of it.” As for Livingston, she has adopted a daily 30-minute screen-free lunch before diving into the afternoon’s tasks.