Austin Vantastic

Tasking all day can be very taxing!

 

Whether you're at the office or at home - staying dialed into the task at hand can be challenging. In a fast-paced world where productivity is an increasing necessity to keep up with the demands of a high-speed culture, what can we do to keep up and not feel burnt out??

 

Luckily there are some very fast, easy, practical tools that we can use to increase our energy, feel better to get more done in a day with more ease.. and hey, may even have a shorter workday! if your work is task-based and you were hyper-productive - getting your to-do list done in 5 hours rather than 8 hours, that would prove to be quite beneficial! you can enjoy more time to yourself, spend more time with friends and family, and reduce the stress involved with managing the daily grind 🙌

 

So, what can I do RIGHT NOW to make that change!? 

 

First off, and this not one of the 5 tips but works wonders - before you continue reading - you can literally decide right now to have more energy. this is a skill that needs to be built up, the more often you practice this skill, the stronger and more effective it becomes! 

 

Take a looong deep breath, hold it briefly, release slowly, hold briefly, long deep breath again, hold again, release slowly, hold the out-breath. Repeat once more. now let go of the breath, let it be natural. with eyes closed, visualize your self being charged up with electricity - you can imagine yourself as being plugged in, your spine as a battery, and the green bar on the battery is rising up! as you visualize this energy increasing in your body, breathe into that energy, feel your spine straightening. feel the cells of your body waking up, visualize the charge moving through your nervous system.

 

Feel it!? so cool, love that trick. taking the deep breaths helps to slow your mind down so you can visualize better - helping in the effectiveness of the exercise

 

Now the 5 tips! 

 

One : Take a Break

Giving the mind some time to rest really increases it's peak operations. Just like engines have cooling systems, so our brains need a cooling system =]

The balance of the universe depends on motion and rest. In Ayurveda - balance is called Sattva. Kinetic energy is called Rajas, and Static energy is called Tamas. 

Sattva ; Balance. Is only possible at the intersection of Rajas and Tamas

Motion + Rest = Balance

It's like a spinning top. If there is no kinetic energy - the top falls over and stays still. If it weren't for the weight of the top (weight contributing to it's static energy) the top wouldn't be able to spin properly. 

To keep our mind spinning at a healthy rate, rather than work work work, crash, work work work - we can take intentional breaks to reset the mind. 

Every half hour or so, stop to walk away from your desk and do something completely unrelated to your work. Ideally something refreshing like a walk, some jumping jacks, stretch, nice deep breaths .. rather than screen time or coffee/ stimulants. Go for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Two : Move your Body

It takes energy to make energy, baby!

When we expend more energy our body recognizes that expenditure and reorganizes our systems to be able to sustain that energy output.

Moving in the morning with some easy movement then into some more active movement is a great way to shake the webs of sleep off and get your body in the right 'mindset' (bodyset? 😅) to know that the day will be filled with fun activities! Like getting awesome levels of work done.

Other great times to get your flow on is during your breaks from the desk. A good dance, pushup, jumping jack, or flight of stairs is an awesome way to keep the blood pumping, keep you on your toes, literally, and stay sharp as that sweet oxygen and blood flow goes through your whole body and mind 🙌

Three : Hydration (not stimulation)

 Water is a massively critical form of energy. H2O baby!! Our bodies thrive on oxygen. We are constantly breathing in oxygen and expelling Co2. So why not take more oxygen in via our breath and water. 

There is a deep correlation between water, oxygen, and Ph levels in our bodies as well. We have learned that having a more alkaline system is more beneficial to our health, eradicating free radicals (oxidants) by consuming anti-oxidants - which comes from fruits, superfoods, and alkaline water. Fruits and veggies are alkalizing water for us, through nature's incredible natural process. 

So - instead of going for the coffee or tea which is going to be more acid, thus lowering our Ph, increasing free radicals, and increasing the need for more anti-oxidants .. go for water, fresh-pressed fruit or veggie juices, wheatgrass juice, algae, chia seed pudding, goji berries, or blueberries - and in this way you can be nurturing your system, boosting your system, increasing your health, reducing oxidative stress (rusting your insides) and lead a more healthy, happy, vibrant life!

Binaural Beats

This one is a bit off the beaten path .... (😅 puns for days)

Binaural beats were discovered in 1839 by German researcher Heinrich Wilhelm Dove - it was discovered that the brain throws off or operates within particular frequencies when in different states like creativity, concentration, learning, meditation, sleeping, etc. It was also discovered that when particular frequencies are played into the ears - the brain would then try to synchronize with that frequency. 

So by studying the brain in a state of concentrating, scientists figured out the frequency of concentration. Then could playback that frequency in headphones to a brain that was not concentrating, bring that brain into a state of harmony with the frequency of the sound - and thus encourage a more attuned mental state for focus and concentration.

I use binaural beats for meditation, sleeping, concentration, creativity.. you name it! I love them and think they are super useful. I think they are very useful for brain entrainment - basically - training the brain to operate and different frequencies at different times. I use binaural beats much less now than when I first discovered them as I have trained my brain to slip into these concentration or meditation states much more easily. Now I use binaural beats only on occasion for boosting my current mental state as needed. 

Meditation 

I feel like this one is starting to catch steam in mainstream thought. Meditation is like going to the gym and the spa for your brain. Meditation helps to relax, loosen, and strengthen your mind so that you can achieve more and with less stress/ more ease. 

Meditation is seriously such a powerful tool for your mind - if you commit to daily practice for 2 weeks you will see a massive benefit. If you meditate daily for 3 months, you will get to the point where you wouldn't even know how to do life without it! 

Meditation has completely transformed my life. I practice 2-3 times a day. The 2  excuses I hear the most for not meditating is:

1. I don't have enough time
2. I can't sit down and just "clear my thoughts" 

To #1 - Gandhi said that he meditates for 1 hour a day, and on busy days he meditates for 2 hours. This is an important thing to note - that when we meditate more - we become capable of achieving more. One of my teachers - Dr. David Frawley draws a comparison with a tornado. In the center of the tornado is the calm of the storm, it is perfectly still. All around the tornado MASSIVE action and transformation is taking place. Granted - tornados often spell destruction. Though the point is that without perfect stillness internally - we cannot take massive action externally. And the greater the eye of the storm, or the greater the level of stillness within, the greater the level of accomplishment we can have on the outside. 

 

 

I hope you have found this article interesting and informative. Do share with your friends, comment below, and reach out to me if you ever need some help.

Much love and blessings to you and your health,

 

Austin 🙏