[00:00] Welcome back to the Focus B show. This is Katie Suddar here aka the focus b. And on this show I interview high performers and leaders around the world to discover their secrets on peak performance, productivity, mindfulness and leadership. So if you want to take your performance and your leadership to the next level, then you're in the right place. Listen up and connect with the magic.
[00:41] I'm really excited to announce that in the upcoming weeks I am launching my new program to help you to optimize your time and your energy to reach the results and impact you want in your business and in your life. If you want to find out more about my new program, check out thefocusbee.com program continuing this series on attention, or in other words, focus, as I love to say it, as the Focus B. As you know, since you're listening to the Focus B show, interestingly, you might often think of attention and focus as action. You might believe that to be focused you need to be in full action. And though this is true part of the time, it is equally, if not more important to be resting. I repeat this, it's equally, if not more important to be resting for your focus. This is why on so many of the interviews I've been on for podcasts, I've mentioned take breaks, take breaks, take breaks. And I remind myself throughout the day also, as everyone else, am also guilty of sometimes skipping them or not taking long enough breaks. Why is it that it's so fundamental to take breaks for your focus and your attention? For many reasons. Firstly, that level of in depth concentration and focus doesn't last eternally. I wish it does start to dwindle and you need, and your brain needs to recharge to enter another cycle of focus and attention. And if instead of taking a break you continue, your performance will deteriorate, your stress levels might go up and your overall concentration will just diminish and it won't feel as satisfying either. This is when you're most likely to get distracted and do something else because your brain is sending you the signal I need a break, I need a break, and you're not giving it. So instead it'll be like oh, I'll give you a break. We'll quickly check this and that on social media or the internet. In those moments, catch yourself, get up and take a break. Also know that if you take a break on your phone, although it might feel like a break because you're doing something else than working, it is not actually a break for your attention because you still need to focus quite a bit when you write messages or look at videos or do things. So you're not actually resting your brain when you do this. A term that I first discovered with Imogent Roy is the ultradian rhythm. And this rhythm is 90 to 120 minutes focus and then maybe 1015 minutes, maybe even 20 minutes break. And this is the optimal cycle for both sleeping and when we're awake. It was first discovered by Nathan Kleitman. I don't know if I'm butchering his name, but Nathan Kleitman, who did some groundbreaking research on sleep, and he calls this the basic rest activity cycle. These are 90 minutes cycles where you progress through five stages of sleep if you're asleep, but also during the day. This is why so often you might hear that the optimal amount of hours to work is maybe eight, and that you have two hour blocks, a two hour, then half an hour rest, or 50 minutes rest, then a two hour block, then rest, then block, then rest. And you want to alternate between the action, the activity, the focus, and the rest. As I said at the earlier in the episode, if you don't do this, your focus will diminish, your creativity will diminish, your overall performance won't get that great ill lower, everything lowers. It sucks. Don't do it. Take breaks. It's so, so important. And what I've noticed from coaching executives, leaders, business owners, is that there is a huge reluctance to taking breaks. Interesting. So these magical, powerful things of literally not working and being in front of a computer and getting up, having a walk, going around, talking to a few colleagues, is something that most highly hyperachiever people don't want to do. Why? Well, if you're one of them, you know, because it feels like you're wasting time. And this comes from the fact that when we plan our time, we make the mistake of not planning in our breaks. If you plan back to back meetings or back to back projects, and you don't plan in a break, then suddenly taking time out of your plan day to get up and just walk around or feel like a waste of time, but it's not. It's super important because it's rebuilding your focus, it's rebuilding your energy levels, it's rebuilding your attention. And this will then support you on being more focused afterwards, which will give you higher performance. And when you perform at a higher level, you need less time to do a task. Because you know, as I know, that when you start to feel tired and your focus is kind of going out of the window, then it takes you longer to do stuff. So you actually and this is where I want to do a sort of drum roll. You actually lose time when you don't take a break. I don't expect you to just believe me because you hear me say it. I expect you or wish or set the intention for you to experiment with this. If you're someone who never takes break during the day and eats lunch in front of your computer, then maybe the first step for you is just, first of all, to eat lunch away from your computer and your phone. That would be step one for maybe ten or 15 minutes every day. And then you want to gradually build in these breaks during the day. And sure, 20 minutes might sound ludicrous and you might never get round to that, and fine, but instead try and fit in five minute breaks here and there. 20 minutes would be better for your attention and energy, but if you can just do five, even every couple of hours, seriously, that's it. It will already support you tremendously and it will make a huge difference. And your body needs it. And if you're feeling close to burnout or overly stressed, then your body really needs it. Doesn't need it a bit, it really needs it. And if you want to avoid burnout or high levels of stress, all it might take is for you to have a few breaks. This is not a big cost. Keeping in mind that if you burn out, you probably lose months of work performance. People sometimes take years to recover. So those five minutes you're losing, which you're not here and there, that's nothing compared to losing months of production performance work. Because suddenly you can't focus at all because you're burnt out. So let's not go there, let's avoid that place, manage your emotions, manage your stress levels and take breaks. Once you start to implement this in your daily routine, in your work, you'll notice how much greater your focus is, that your energy is greater. And also, if you really practice this properly and you combine it with great physical energy, moving throughout the day, eating well, sleeping well, you won't feel tired at the end of the day. It's possible I've done it. So you can do it to after ten hour, twelve hour days to come home and feel energized. Why? Because you managed your energy and attention during the day. You don't feel all burnt out, because that happens when you've clogged in too many things and your brain hasn't had time and space to breathe and disconnect for a bit. And it's also because your nervous system can't be in sympathetic all day, which is the focus. Action. Go. Go. It needs to be a bit in, parasympathetic, a bit in the rest, and digest, walking, eating a meal, having a brief drink of water, a tea, staring into space and then coming back. And if you do this all day, you can do very long days or 1012 hours and be focused. But also, I'd say if you can have boundaries in place and do shorter days, less than ten hour day, it is better for your energy levels and your relationships and everything else in your life, for sure. I'm just saying if there are exceptions where you need to work longer days, it's possible to feel fully energized at the end of the day by practicing this. So if you're not practicing it already, start to put in place small breaks here and there. Avoid back to back meetings. If you do have back to back meetings, show up late, just go away, walk for a few minutes, breathe, have a glass of water and then come back. And in general, if you can put in those breaks, it really, really is fundamental. So this is a huge aspect also of energy, not just of attention, but obviously for your attention and your focus. It makes such a huge difference. I've spoken about this so more, I feel I've been speaking about it all the time. It's obviously something I'm constantly reminding myself of also. Yes, there are days I forget. I always have a lunch break away from tech and a walk. That's every lunch, but sometimes in the mornings and evening I forget. That's fine, you forget. Doesn't matter. Next day back on track. And if you can put in your calendar or a reminder, this might help you and support you to fit in those breaks. I hope you've enjoyed today's episode. I really hope you will implement them. This makes such a difference. I want to scream at it out loud. Don't get burnt out. Don't use up all of your energy by being overly, overly in the sympathetic mode and always in action and always focusing. Take time to breathe, to rest, to digest and to reconnect with yourself. So important. Hope you've enjoyed it, hope you'll implement it. And if you find this useful and you want me to help to sorry, if you want to help me to reach more people, then please leave a review. It means so much to me. Thank you for tuning in today and wishing you a great day.
[12:14] Thank you so much for tuning in today to the Focus Bee show. I would absolutely love to hear your feedback. So let me know in an Apple review or YouTube comment what was most valuable for you and feel free to share this episode with a friend or a family member. Wishing you a wonderful, magical and focused day ahead.