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1.     Grabber – why this topic is important 

a.     When we are learning we are growing, and whilst it may not be easy, it certainly generates energy. The opposite is stasis, stuck-ness, doing the same-old thing, decline – you can just feel the energy draining out of you!

b.     People who aren’t growing and changing, do have a dead-ness about them, and it’s deeply unattractive

2.     How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – examples, stats

a.     There’s another reason why this is important – 

                                               i.     “Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.” W.Edwards Deming

                                              ii.     He also said, “It is easy to date an earthquake, but not an economic decline.” This applies to personal decline. Stop learning, start declining

                                             iii.     Lack of learning & growth => rigidity. “Many of the hallmarks of modern working life point to an increased opportunity and obligation to learn continuously.” The Simple Joy of Learning on the Job by Marc Zao-Sanders and Catalina Schveninger HBR March 27, 2020

                                             iv.     Learning will underpin the fourth industrial revolution 2017

b.     The Simple Joy of Learning on the Job by Marc Zao-Sanders and Catalina Schveninger HBR March 27, 2020

                                               i.     “We all know the thrill that learning can bring.”

                                              ii.     “The spark of learning joy is real and useful. So how can we bring more of it into our professional lives?”

1.     First, there is that wonderful, ineffable feeling of learning itself.

2.     Second, learning often brings with it an immediate-term achievement. The rendering of your first line of Python code; your lifelike pencil drawing; your functioning, validated forecast model in Excel;

3.     Third, there’s the opportunity to apply what you’re learning in the real world. This is the living proof of your new power, when hopeful awareness becomes fruitful demonstration.

4.     Fourth, you can find joy when you reflect on what you’ve learned. Reviewing what you’ve learned, how you’ve applied it, and how you might yet apply it, can bring a more subdued but longer-lasting kind of joy. This may be accompanied by the notion of enhanced status and a feeling of personal pride.

5.     Finally, sharing your learning can bring great joy.

3.    

How to tackle the issue/ problem – share our view on it, and the research to back it up

1. Reflect: Find spaces to question, reflect and make meaning, maybe using a journal to capture your thoughts. Consider what to un-learn and let go of, to be able to embrace the new. Analyse your self-talk abou

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Tim & Matt recently wrote a book 'Recharge' about how to stay healthy and avoid burnout. In this episode they share the importance of developing a joy strategy which will keep you motivated and healthy throughout 2023.  They also share a variety resources & research into this topic that you can indulge in.

Book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ReCharge-Boost-resilience-crazy-post-pandemic/dp/1838343709/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2C9PMJCRAANL8&keywords=recharge&qid=1673349613&s=books&sprefix=recharge%2Cstripbooks%2C86&sr=1-1

Sources:
https://heelthatpain.com/8-health-benefits-of-having-fun/ (8 health benefits of having fun)

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/14-things-proven-make-you-happy.html

Erik @ https://antimaximalist.com/having-fun/ (The 9 scientific benefits of having fun)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/well/mind/having-fun-suceeding-coronavirus-pandemic.html

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1.     
Grabber – a lack of regularly movement leads to heart disease and a severe lack of energy. It also seriously impacts our creativity and ability to focus our attention. 

I’m a firm believer in processing better when you move. There is a lovely story from the late Ken Robinson – who talks about the dancer. 

What is it about walking, in particular, that makes it so amenable to thinking and writing? The answer begins with changes to our chemistry. When we go for a walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles but to all the organs—including the brain. Many experiments have shown that after or during exercise, even very mild exertion, people perform better on tests of memory and attention. Walking on a regular basis also promotes new connections between brain cells, staves off the usual withering of brain tissue that comes with age, increases the volume of the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for memory), and elevates levels of molecules that both stimulate the growth of new neurons and transmit messages between them.

2.     How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – examples, stats

-        More than 2,600 people ages 60 and older reported their typical sitting habits (including a weekday and weekend) and were followed for nine years. Those who sat for an average of about three hours a day were 33% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period than people who sat for an average of about seven hours a day.

-        Among 8,000 people followed for 10 years, those who did light activity instead of sitting for 30 minutes each day had a 17% lower risk of dying in that period, even if they split up that half-hour of activity into periods as brief as a minute each.

-      In more than 5,600 women followed for five years, reducing sedentary time by one hour per day was linked to a 26% lower risk of heart disease. Again, the hour of non-sedentary time didn't have to occur all at once. Short, light-intensity interruptions to sitting were just as effective.

In a series of four experiments, Oppezzo and Schwartz asked a hundred and seventy-six college students to complete different tests of creative thinking while either sitting, walking on a treadmill, or sauntering through Stanford’s campus. In one test, for example, volunteers had to come up with atypical uses for everyday objects, such as a button or a tire. On average, the students thought of between four and six more novel uses for the objects while they were walking than when they were seated. Another experiment required volunteers to contemplate a metaphor, such as “a budding cocoon,” and generate a unique but equivalent metaphor, such as “an egg hatching.” Ninety-five per cent of students who went for a walk were able to do so, compared to only fifty per cent of those who never stood up. 

3.     How to tackle the issue/ problem – set an alert – I think every 60-90 mins. This ties into productivity. Most productive chunks being 90 mins. I see more and more people have raised desks as well. 

4.     Application – I’ve introduced power walking – described it in the last podcast but a daily walk has worked wonders.

5.     Conclusion – where to find out more: 

a.     Check out

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Ever had the experience of being wiped after a demanding day? You’re tempted to grab some takeaway food and your alcoholic beverage of choice and crash in front of the TV. Somehow you resist and do some exercise instead. Afterwards you feel transformed. You sleep deeply too. That’s because:

“A single workout will immediately increase levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. That is going to increase your mood right after that workout. My lab showed that a single workout can improve your ability to shift and focus attention, and that focus improvement will last for at least two hours.” 

Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. TED talk: The brain-changing benefits of exercise. https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise

This is one of those topics that can affect so many other areas of our +R model, such as mood, energy levels, ability to focus, sleep, diet, joy, connection to nature

”How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – examples, stats

Additionally, a critical dimension to managing your resilience is increasing your chances of remaining healthy and staying alive! 

Having an exercise regime is fundamental to that.

“Middle-aged and older people who live sedentary lives are up to two and a half times more likely to die early. The risk remained even if sitting was broken up by standing and walking, typical of a desk-based job. Light activity such as cooking or washing-up could help lessen the risk. People who did regular physical activity of any intensity were about five times less likely to die early than those who were not physically active.”

Rosie Taylor in The Times, in ‘Sitting at desk for 9 hours a day raises risk of early death.’ 22 August 2019

Remember that from 45 years old– the body needs to maintain muscle otherwise it starts to waste away and is increasingly hard to get back.  So, also consider some workouts to maintain muscle. You don’t have to go to a gym and it can be done at home. There are loads of apps and websites to guide you; here’s one: See https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/6-exercises-for-building-muscle-without-equipment

Vitality & energy levels. 

·       At a basic intuitive level, we are more attracted to people that have healthy energy levels, whereas by contrast people that are flat and run down are less attractive

·       The extent to which you look after yourself through things like diet and physical exercise can influence the impact you make

·       To illustrate this, we know of a KPMG adviser that observed that when they did strenuous exercise in the 24 hours before an important presentation/ pitch for work, they were consistently more energetic in those meetings compared to when they didn’t

·       My example with BT coaches pitch – end of summer versus end of 6-weeks of intensive overseas travel with little exercise

Focus

“What if I told you there was something that you can do right now that would have an immediate, positive benefit for your brain including your mood and your focus? And what if I told you that same thing could actually last a long time and protect your brain from different conditions like depression, Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Would you do it? Yes! I am talking about the powerful effects of physical activity.”

Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. TED talk: The brain-changing benefits of exercise. https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise

How to tackle the issue/ problem – share our view on it, and the research to back it up

The most important thing is t

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1.     
Grabber – Advice is very confusing about what you should eat to be healthy. 80% of people do not know what the best food advice is. We’ll aim to help you clear that up. 

https://foodinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-FHS-Report-FINAL.pdf  

2.     How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – Huge Anxiety. Plus, relationship between obesity, heart-disease is confirmed. Morbidity and cancer less so. However, compelling research in for processed foods being pretty bad. 

What do people want? Sustainable weight loss and a healthy diet. And hey – with that more energy too. 

Challenge? Every ‘body’ is different. Me? 85% diet 15% work-out 

A healthy diet isn’t the same for everyone. Some people like intermittent fasting etc. You really have to play around with stuff. And most people have been swayed by inconclusive data which boosts fads. Suddenly potatoes are bad for you and then found out to be less harmful than originally thought. 

 We’re crystal clear on the fact that carbs from foods like veggies, starchy veggies (such as potatoes), fruits and pulses, all of which supply antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber, are quite different from overly processed carbs, which supply few, if any, whole food nutrition.

Research 

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-science-says-about-best-way-eat-what-we-re-ncna1104911

What can the science actually agree on:

Plant-based foods are good for you.

Reduce processed food and red-meat intake. (processed meat) 

Reduced or cut-out ‘bad’ or processed carbs. (potato chips or cookies) 

Energy drinks and too much alcohol/coffee. 

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1.     
Grabber – If we can’t switch off – we’ll never relax and eventually we’ll burn-out 

2.     How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – 

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24444431

UK’s Biggest ever on-line test into stress was conducted by BBC labs and University of Liverpool in 2013 and found that rumination – or continually dwelling or being stuck on thoughts – especially negative events or potential events is the biggest predictor of mental health problems. Surveyed over 37,000 people from 172 nationalities. One in 3 people with suffer from mental health issues throughout their life and WHO organization in 2010 estimated that it cost the world economies $2.5 trillion. 

Personal story – my rumination and inability to switch off led to a depressive episode where I needed help. And medication to stop my rumination. Overstimulation and ADHD – especially in kids is a growing problem – and now we have even more interruptions to deal with. Samharris.org – looks at the experience of consciousness and thinking in various ways and concludes that we cannot switch off the mind from mental activity – you can merely calm it. And I believe this to be true as well. Thoughts are always arising – and we know what you focus on grows so it helps to have a strategy that controls this. 

3.     How to tackle the issue/ problem – Matt shared in last podcast about how we develop a breathing strategy and this is our experience is critical to switching off when you need it. The next stage is to have a strategy where we populate our lives with activities which switch us off from the main stressors which affect us i.e. demands from work. A good place to find this is where we find states of flow. In podcast 3 – Matt looked into the concept of finding flow and these are excellent places to look. Flow puts us effortlessly into the moment – and typically on activities we find rewarding and stimulating. So, what are they? For me – squash, walking, reading, listening to music & writing are all activities which access it. These are a combination of high & low pulse activities. I also find it helps to have more reflective activities too – I’m an extravert so I calm the system down more with slower reflective activities too. Luckily, just closing my eyes and lying down on the sofa allows me to switch off. But what to do if you are really struggling? Reach out and have the intention of researching a potential switch-off strategy. Reach out to a friend and ask them what they do. Also ask them – what do they think you need to do to ‘switch off’. 

4.     Application – Building on the techniques of growth mindset – reframing things is essential. Also starting to realise that it is possible to calm the mind – especially through mindfulness is excellent. For a series of excellent meditations with Jayasara ( Aussie buddhist nun) you can follow her here – amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEfg9ZOMXiI

5.     Conclusion – where to find out more: 

Highly sensitive person blog & test with tips

https://hsperson.com

I’m also writing a log post on our website

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Grabber – why this topic is important 

The problem You’ve been working intensively and feel wired. You know you need to bring the RPM’s (Revs Per Minute) down, but  when you stop work, your mind is still firing thoughts and impulses like bullets out of a gun. There’s a tension and alertness (a feeling of being pumped) in your body. It all makes it very hard to relax and switch off.

How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – examples, stats

1.     Trying to sleep in that state is pretty much doomed to failure – e.g. me arriving back late after driving 2.5hrs on motorway after a flight (could barely keep awake whilst driving, but sleep badly and feel rough the next day)

2.     In that state of wiredness at home – adversely affects our ability to connect with our loved ones

3.     Affects our ability to find off and to rejuvenate – e.g. leader – bottle of wine to relax, strong coffee to wake me up

How to tackle the issue/ problem – share our view on it, and the research to back it up

Option 1: Breathing in a controlled and deep way

It sounds (too) simple. And yes, it is simple to do, but counter-intuitive in the ‘wired’ moment.

The technique we are about to share is used by many professionals who need to calm themselves down physiologically, often in high-pressure situations, in order to make quality decisions and perform at their best. 

It was part of the solution that helped the England national football team overcome its quarter-century jinx of losing penalty shootouts in major tournaments9. It’s also used by many special forces operatives who have to handle life-threatening situations such as getting lost in enemy territory. 

The technique is called ‘Coherent breathing’.

It brings you out of a ‘fight or flight’ response into a state of ‘relaxed alertness’ where you are present in the moment but with a much wider perspective of the situation you are in. By contrast, when we are in a more stressed state of mind, we tend to focus far more narrowly, experiencing ‘tunnel vision’, losing our perspective.

Here’s what happens when we breathe more slowly and deeply:

Changing the rhythm of your breath can signal relaxation, slowing your heart rate and stimulating the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain stem to the abdomen, and is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" activities (in contrast to the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates many of our "fight or flight" responses). Triggering your parasympathetic nervous system helps you start to calm down. You feel better. And your ability to think rationally returns.

Research: HBR -  Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress - by Emma Seppala , Christina Bradley and Michael R. Goldstein - September 29, 2020

https://hbr.org/2020/09/research-why-breathing-is-so-effective-at-reducing-stress

How do I do the breathing?

A regular in-breath (normally around a count of five) and the same out-breath restores a state of ‘relaxed alertness’. If we just want to be ‘relaxed’, then a longer out-breath, say for a count of eight, leads us to a state of ‘rest and repose’. A key point: when you feel agitated, lengthen your exhales

You’ll need to do it for about ten minutes.

“In our study, the leaders who practiced for at least 10 minutes every day progressed significantly more than others who did not.”

Megan Reitz and Michael Chaskalson[1]

Experiment with it. Try it the next time you feel ‘wired’, overwhelmed or pumped, when you either need to compose yourself to make a sensible appraisal of the situation and decide on the best way forward, or you simply need to relax as part of transitioning into an out of work mode.

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1.     
Grabber – Who doesn’t want a great night’s sleep? 

Lack of sleep will kill you quicker than a lack of food.  How many people die from drowsy driving every year in the US? 6000.

2.     How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – Poor performance, mood and well-being. There is a reason that sports clubs have sleep pods now and sleep regimes for their athletes. 

3.     How to tackle the issue/ problem – Understand the circadian rhythm and the sleep stages we need. Explain this. 

Circadian rhythm - Part of the biological clock that regulates our processes and understand how to work with it. share our view on it, and the research to back it up

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-facts-statistics

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526132/

Circadian rhythm. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm

Tim Ferris Show podcast #521; Dr Andrew Huberman – Neurobiologist on improving and optimizing sleep. 

Stages of sleep.

4.     Application – You have to prioritise sleep. Have a consistent strategy. 

Seek out light – especially earliest in the day – is the best clue for your circadian rhythm. Follow our tips in the book. 

5.     Conclusion – where to find out more: 

6.     Tim Ferris Show podcast #521; Dr Andrew Huberman – Neurobiologist on improving and optimizing sleep. 

Sleep foundation.org 

Blog post on our website

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Grabber – why this topic is important 

In our book this comes in the section on boundaries.

That’s because, if you can’t enforce a boundary you have set, people sense that and it rapidly becomes meaningless – and you become vulnerable to the agendas and demands of others – often at a huge cost to your energy and well-being. 

It’s a real issue – see quote

“Boundary predators are easy to find at work”[1]

Source: Set Better Boundaries - HBR - Priscilla Claman 2021

Broadening it out – we all have times when we need to have conversations about issues people may react badly to. If you can’t do it, it has an adverse impact on your sense of self

How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people – examples, stats

1.     According to the UK Governements HSE[2] there are six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if they are not managed properly – 3 of them relate, either directly or indirectly to an inability to either set or enforce a boundary at work

2.     According to CIPD[3], workload (59% of cause) is the most common cause of work-related stress followed by management style (32%) – again directly related to boundaries

3.     The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has documented the impacts of prolonged workplace stressors in areas such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.[4]

4.     Furthermore, we normally get a sense of whether someone is able to say no. If they don’t, we normally respect them less than people that can say no (skillfully) – “They are a soft touch” versus “You can’t take any liberties with them.” This is important because

“Boundary predators rely on their power and authority — and your passivity — to get what they want. It’s up to you to push back by understanding how to create boundaries and maintain them”

Source: Set Better Boundaries - HBR - Priscilla Claman 2021

How to tackle the issue/ problem – share our view on it, and the research to back it up

1]Recognize that you have the power to set boundaries, albeit some may require negotiation

Setting and communicating boundaries

‘Having a Plan for Difficult Conversations Decreases Stress, Anxiety’ 

Greg Scott and Wendy Malich on August 27, 2020[5]

In the book – our tested approach is OBRIFF

Application – how to do it in practice – give examples

Being able to say no is a crucial skill in maintaining your resilience charge in these situations. Here are some more questions to consider:

·       How comfortable are you in skilfully saying no to attempts to infringe your boundaries? When did you last do it?

·       Are there any people that you struggle to say no to (and is it a reasonable versus unreasonable no)? 

Conclusion – where to find out more: 

a.     Check out any of the sources that we mentioned

b.     Blog post on our website

c.     The book

d.     Tip of the week

[1] They include the boss who asks you to work the weekend you have a family wedding or the client who tacks on two more presentations to the senior team than you agreed to, or the team leader who assigns you more work than your colleagues.
Boundar

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