95% of consultants, bankers and other people with intense jobs I worked with, work against their own rhythm.

IMPACT

Reduce health risks and enhance longevity

Synchronizing to your natural human rythms enables …

• Significant improvements of positive affect
• Significant reduction in fatigue and increase in vigor
• -23% heart disease, -42% depression, -19% cancer, -29% type 2 diabetes risk for shift workers (defined as +- 2hrs work-related change in bedtime rhythm!) vs. non-shift workers

Plus: The 2017 nobel prize in medicine was awarded for research on biological rhythms.

https://www.loom.com/share/98c34754c63e4106900f28a1d6732f24

STRATEGY

How to re-sync with the 3 main human rhythms

Micradian Rhythm: Inhale-Exhale

• ✅ Humans are designed to relax their nervous system every 2-5 sec: Your nervous system and diaphragm is activated on inhales vs. de-activated on exhales, i.e., exhaling = letting go.
• ❌ Most people reinforce pre-existing stress by keeping tension high even on their exhales
• 🔄 Prime your nervous system to let go of body- and especially diaphragm-tension on the exhales by doing a 5 min morning coherent breathing practice (link to guided practice)

Ultradian Rhythm: Focus-Defocus

• ✅ Humans are designed to operate in 90 min cycles governed by the rise and fall of glucocorticoid aka. stress hormones.
• ❌ Most people struggle with distraction as they push to work beyond 90 min cycles
• 🔄 Interchange 90 min focus with 15 min de-focus. Start by scheduling 1 uninterrupted 90 min work cycle per day. Use the 5 sec rule to manage internal distractions, block out external distractions with Opal and follow-up with 15 min for deliberate de-focus (links TBD).

Circadian Rhythm: Activation-Recovery

• ✅ Humans are designed for linear, high-stress activities like focused problem solving in the first 9 hrs of the day (high cortisol, high dopamine) followed by non-linear activities like creativity or connecting with people (reduced cortisol, high serotonin) for the rest of day.