3 Tools to 10X Your Productivity

For men who struggle to switch off from work.

One of the best ways to be your most energetic self so you can think clearly, control your reactions and emotions and be 10X more productive is to master stress.

The thing is, we’re encouraged to ‘eliminate’ stress from our lives. That it causes illness and disease. We’re told stress is bad.

But this is wrong.

Stress is no more of a problem than food. But when you eat too much food, you get all kinds of health problems. The excess gets stored as fat and, over time, creates a cesspit for ailments and disease, and you get sick.

It’s the same with stress. Stress is not a problem. It is a fuel source for life, productive energy and being motivated enough to pursue lofty ambitions.

Known as the fight or flight response stress is a superpower.

Think of it like Ironman’s suit of armour. Fully charged Tony Stark is invincible. But the more he fires his lasers, fights bad guys, and flies nuclear missiles into space, the more his suit loses power. Eventually, he becomes weak and vulnerable. Left without power, his suit becomes a liability.

For you, it’s the same. In your business, you’re firing all the shots, fighting all the fires and flying from one direction into the next without a recharge. Then, at home, it’s time to be a great dad and husband, play with your kids and engage with the Mrs without being a miserable goose to be around.

When stress turns bad.

Stress is a problem when it becomes chronic. This is when your brain has had enough. You’ve drained every ounce of energy reserves and pushed it to exhaustion.

So, it slows down and becomes unresponsive.

Your energy plummets, your mind becomes thick with fog, and your once-passionate drive dwindles into resentment for your work.

You’re skipping meals and relying on caffeine for energy to power through your day …

You’re sitting outside your house after a hectic day, dreading the thought of opening the door to the overwhelming energy of your kids …

You’re physically present but emotionally distant at home, unable to engage in conversations. Instead, you’re on low power mode, trying to conserve what little energy you have left.

To harness stress and use it for good, you need buffering tools. Here are three of the best that I know about:

Walking:

Walking is the gold standard for buffering stress. It will clear your mind, restore energy, and even help you solve complex problems.

As you walk, your body pumps more blood, feeding your brain oxygen and nutrients, clearing the mental block and infusing your body with new energy. This rush of energy floods your brain with endorphins — mood-boosting hormones that change your mental state.

But get this: a Stanford study shows just how powerful walking can be. It found that walking boosts creative thinking (s) and opens up the doors for ideas to flow.

Think of it this way — you’re wrestling with a complex problem at work, causing you no end of frustration. You step out for a walk. As your heart rate increases, the pieces to the puzzle start falling into place. That’s the power of walking.

Successful icons such as Steve Jobs, Charles Dickens and Ludwig van Beethoven credit their creative ideas to walking.

Action Step: Today, carve out just 5 minutes. No phone calls, no emails, no distractions. Just you and the open air. Let your thoughts wander as your feet wander.

Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)

I’ve spoken about the benefits of sleep and how it restores and upgrades everything from mental function and learning to muscle growth and energy. Sleep is the apex of physical health, mental health and all things human performance.

Like sleep, NDSR places you into a state of deep rest, only minus the sleep — Yoga Nidra is similar.

This state of rest recalibrates your brain and restores your energy. So when you get back to your work, it’s almost like you’re starting with a fully charged suit of armour.

Action Step: You’ll need about 10 minutes. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, and give this exercise a go. I find this works best around 2–3pm.

The Physiological Sigh

Have you ever found yourself in a highly activated situation? Sweaty palms, a pounding heart and anxiety through the roof. You struggle to think clearly and envision all sorts of bad outcomes.

This type of stress is instantaneous. Financial worry, public speaking, or a crucial business meeting can trigger this stress response.

Although crucial to get you fired up and alert, uncontrolled, it can quickly lead to debilitating anxiety. The physiological sigh is like the brake to this accelerated rise of stress.

Here’s what you do:

Take a deep breath through your nose. Then, without breathing out, take another (this second breath will be short). Then, exhale through the mouth, ensuring the exhalation is as long as possible.

Repeat two to three times.

The physiological sign slows down your heart rate and brings you back to a controlled and relaxed state of control.

Watch this short epic video for a full explanation.

Action Step: Use the physiological sigh when you hit a stressful situation that triggers anxiousness.

To wrap up:

The key toto be your most energetic self so you can think clearly, control your reactions and emotions and be 10X more productive in your business is to master stress.

By using these three buffering tools you can harness stress and use it as an energy.

• Walk
• Non Sleep Deep Rest
• Physiological Sigh

Approximately 74% of people have reported to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope due to work related stress. If you found this article helpful, do me a favour and share it with your network. Together we can help someone who needs it.

Thank you for reading : )

Keir.

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