“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”
- Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning
Wellness Tip
Switch Up Your Workout Routine
We love routines. They build good habits, save time, boost efficiency – you name it.
That said... some routines are made to be broken.
Sticking to the same exercise routine for months on end? Not the best idea. Your body (and mind) will simply stop being challenged. When that happens, it’s time to change things up a bit.
This doesn’t have to mean taking up a whole new activity. Here are some simple ideas you can try:
- Go running on different terrain – track, trail, or beach – instead of the road
- Change up the order of your exercises
- Add resistance bands
- Swap your regular workout for HIIT
- Change up the frequency, intensity, or duration of your workouts
A common question is, how often should you change up your exercise routine? It certainly doesn’t have to be daily. Some experts suggest keeping things more or less the same for 4-6 weeks at a time. As you start to plateau, introduce some variety.
How do you keep your workout routine fresh?
Productivity Tip
Use Task Batching
You’ve probably heard by now that multitasking is a myth. One of the reasons it doesn’t work is because switching from one task to another slows us down, creating what’s known as switching costs.
But here’s the thing: even if you focus on one task at a time, when you move from one to the next it still breaks your momentum.
Enter task batching – grouping similar tasks together and then taking care of them in one swoop. By batching similar tasks together, you can focus better. You don’t have to change gears or reorient yourself.
Here are some examples of things you can batch together:
- Meetings
- Financial tasks like accounting and invoicing
- Responding to emails and messages
- Doing creative tasks
- If you have multiple projects or papers to write, try batching tasks like planning, research, writing and proofing into separate blocks
Once you’ve worked out which tasks to batch together, block out time in your planner to work on them so you stay focused.
Have you tried task batching? Why not try it tomorrow and see if it works for you.
Routine Breakdown
Sara Blakely, Founder & CEO of Spanx
Staying healthy is important for billionaire CEO of Spanx, Sara Blakely. Here’s what her mornings look like:
- Kicks off the morning with some yoga.
- Has the same thing for breakfast every morning – a nutrient-packed smoothie and green tea with honey and homemade cashew milk.
- Gets dressed into something simple: “I don’t put a lot of thought into what I wear. I go for comfort.”
- Draws out her morning commute so she can spend time thinking in the car. “I live about five minutes from Spanx but I will drive around sometimes for up to an hour before I go into the office.”
Why it works:
- Yoga has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep, increase strength and flexibility, and more.
- Cutting down decision-making on what to eat and wear means Blakely can save brain power and avoid decision fatigue.
- There’s a strong relationship between mind-wandering and creative thinking. Driving lets Blakely’s mind wander, allowing breakthrough ideas to happen.
In fact, Blakely says many of her best ideas happen while driving. “The name Spanx came to me while in my car,” she says. “I always jot things down. I’ve carried a notebook with me since I started Spanx.”
Science agrees that letting your mind wander is a great way to encourage creative ideas to float to the surface. If you’ve ever had your best ideas in the shower, you’ll know what we mean!
Do you have time in your day where you can just let your mind wander? How does it work for you?
