The Focus Cast

The brain and the gut are besties. It is why you feel like shit when you eat like shit. Much of our food today is filled with all kinds of additives which are clouding our brains causing brain fog, chronic fatigue, depression, lack of motivation and more. Today we are going to talk about the brain and the gut, food additives that are affecting our brain and some simple steps we can take to limit processed foods and increase our focus.  Let’s dig in… 

0:00 Intro to Food Additives and Focus
0:42 Intro to Podcast
1:00 Problem with Food Additives and Focus
12:10 Solution to Increase Focus

SHOW NOTES #35

The Brain and The Gut
Elo.health: The best (and worst) foods to eat for focus
“Research studies have shown that your gut and brain are in constant communication with each other via chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are produced in the brain and control feelings and emotions (like serotonin).”
“Your gut microbes also produce a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as butyrate, propionate, and acetate, all of which are thought to impact various brain functions including mood, fear, and stress..”

Processed Foods: Sugar, Salt, Fat and Additives
Additives…
MSG: https://www.mdlinx.com/  MSG is the salt form of glutamate, or glutamic acid. The body naturally produces glutamate when needed to trigger cell death. Too much dietary glutamate, however, can severely disrupt normal cellular function, particularly in the brain.
Artificial Food Coloring: Cleveland Clinic: Hyperactivity, including ADHD. Behavioral changes like irritability and depression. Hives and asthma. Tumor growth (three of the primary food dyes contain benzene, a known cancer-causing substance).
High-Fructose Corn Syrup: UCLA Health: Previous research led by Gomez-Pinilla found that fructose damages communication between brain cells and increases toxic molecules in the brain; and that a long-term high-fructose diet diminishes the brain’s ability to learn and remember information.
Artificial Sweeteners: National Library of Medicine. Aspartame (α-aspartyl-l-phenylalanine-o-methyl ester), an artificial sweetener, has been linked to behavioral and cognitive problems. Possible neurophysiological symptoms include learning problems, headache, seizure, migraines, irritable moods, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Artificial Flavoring: MDLinx. Cysteine is an amino acid and food additive that’s used to extend the shelf life of bread and other food products. It’s also used as an artificial flavoring agent. Now for the gross part: Cysteine is created via hydrolysis of human hair and poultry feathers (as well as cow horns and pig bristles). Even worse: High cysteine levels have been associated with the development of neurological disease, including Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease. So, you might want to think twice when walking down the bread aisle of your local supermarket.
Carrageenan, Sodium Benzoate, Trans Fat, Xanthan Gum, Yeast Extract

Effects of Processed Foods on the Focus
Brain Fog
Chronic Fatigue
Depression

What can we do?
Atomic Habits
Look at what you consume
Purge your diet of processed foods
Use apps to help read labels if you need it:
Fooducate: Fooducate analyzes information found in product nutrition panels and ingredient lists. Scan to discover things manufacturers don't want you to notice:
Locavore: Locavore helps you find the healthiest, tastiest and freshest produce near you.

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Fats and Focus

Bro, you like butter? Well, you better take care of that scull butter because the brain about 60% fat. Certain fats have been shown to improve memory and cognitive functions, while others increase the risk of heart disease. Today on F&F episode… we’re talking about fats and focus. 

0:00 Intro to Fat
0:40 Intro to Podcast
1:18 How Fats Effects Focus
13:45 Solution to Increasing Creativity

SHOW NOTES EPISODE #34

• The brain is 60% fat, 40% water, protein and carbs. 
• Your brain is not made from “storage fats” but “structural fat” (if your brain was storage fat your body would eat it if it was starving)
• Fats are comprised of a glycerol head with 3 fatty acid tails which is a hydrocarbon chain. (a carbon skeleton bound by hydrogen atoms)
• There are 4 main categories of dietary fats
  • Saturated Fats: When all carbon atoms are fully bound to hydrogen atoms. Because of this structure they are solid at room temperature. (Butter, tallow)
  • Unsaturated fats: Some carbon atoms bind to each other as a double bond, so the fatty acid tail is “bent”. (olive oil, peanut oil)
  • Monounsaturated fats: Fat molecule with only 1 double bond. (Mono for One)
  • Polyunsaturated fats: Fat molecule with more than 1 double bond. 
  • Trans fats: (margarine, vegetable shortening)
• The body can synthesize all the fatty acids it needs except for omega-3 and omega-6 hence being called essential fatty acids. These must be consumed. 
• Good Fats: Certain unsaturated fats increase HDL levels (good cholesterol) while reducing LDL levels (bad cholesterol)
• Neutral/bad: Saturated fats can raise levels of good and bad cholesterol.
• The worst fat of all: Trans fat. Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that is solid due to the carbon hydrogen structure. Trans fats lower good cholesterol and raise bad cholesterol. They rarely occur in nature so the body does not have the necessary enzymes to break them down. 

The function of dietary fats in the body

• In the diet, fat is a carrier for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and supports their absorption in the intestine. Consuming sufficient amounts of fatty foods that contain these vitamins is thus essential for adequate intake of these micronutrients. European Food Information Council (EUFIC)
• Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required for maintenance of optimal health but they can not synthesized by the body and must be obtained from dietary sources. Clinical observation studies has related imbalance dietary intake of fatty acids to impaired brain performance and diseases. (pubmed)
• Beyond their important role in building the brain structure, EFAs, as messengers, are involved in the synthesis and functions of brain neurotransmitters. (pubmed)
• Omega-3s seem to have a stabilizing effect on the heart. They can lower heart rate and help prevent arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). Webmd
• Omega-3s DHA and EPA can lower your triglycerides, a blood fat that’s linked to heart disease. Talk with your doctor before taking omega-3 supplements, because some types can make your "bad" cholesterol worse
• Omega-3 foods and supplements curb plaque buildup inside blood vessels, helping with blood flow. So they may help prevent stroke caused by clots or a blocked artery. WebMD

SOLUTION

• Fatty fish is the best source of Omega 3
• Anchovies, mackerel, herring, sardines, oysters, salmon
• Plant oils: Plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil)
• Nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts)

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Unfortunately, toxins are everywhere and if you become obsessive about these toxins, you may die from anxiety. So let’s take a look at a few examples of toxins, how they affect us and then some simple steps you can take today to reduce your toxicity and focus on your dreams. Let’s dig in…  Let’s dig in… 

0:00 Intro to Toxins
0:31 Intro to Podcast
1:12 How Toxins Effects Focus
14:45 Solution to Increasing Creativity

SHOW NOTES FOR #33

• The Atlantic: THE TOXINS THAT THREATEN OUR BRAINS
• In a 2012 paper published by the National Institutes of Health, Bellinger, a professor of neurology at Harvard, compared intelligence quotients among children whose mothers had been exposed to these neurotoxins while pregnant to those who had not. Bellinger calculates a total loss of 16.9M IQ points due to exposure to organophosphates, the most common pesticides used in agriculture.
• Article in US Right to Know: Chlorpyrifos (CPS) insecticides were introduced by Dow Chemical in 1965 and have been used widely in agricultural settings. Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide, used primarily to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests on a variety of food and feed crops.
• (CPS)  is used on a wide variety of crops including apples, oranges, strawberries, corn, wheat, citrus and other foods families and their children eat daily. USDA’s Pesticide Data Program found chlorpyrifos residue on citrus and melons even after being washed and peeled. By volume, chlorpyrifos is most used on corn and soybeans, with over a million pounds applied annually to each crop. The chemical is not allowed on organic crops. Non-agricultural uses include golf courses, turf, green houses, and utilities. 
• Fluoride: According to CDC, “Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally and is released from rocks into the soil, water, and air. Almost all water contains some fluoride, but usually not enough to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride can also be added to drinking water supplies as a public health measure for reducing cavities.”
• "Fluoride is presumed to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans," concludes the US HHS's National Toxicology Program's monograph, Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects 
• Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)
• PBDE is used as a flame retardant in textiles, computers, furniture foam, plastics, electronics, automobiles, and construction materials.
• The Atlantic: “California, at the urging of the chemical industry several years ago, put the highest standard in the world on the levels of PBDEs that needed to be included in them,” Landrigan explained. “The result is that people in California have the highest levels of brominated flame retardants in their bodies.”
• The state finally banned PDBEs in 2006, after studies from Columbia showed high quantities of the compound in women’s breast milk and linked it to IQ losses and shortening of attention span. Between 2008 and 2012, PDBE levels in the blood of California residents decreased by two-thirds.

What can we do?

• Awareness is the first step. If it is made by man, it is probably bad. Which should be obvious since everyone hates men right now.
• Look at what you put in and on your body. 
• But get a jump start by limiting your intake. 
  • Purge your diet of toxins. 
  • Purge your house of toxins. 

HEAVY METALS 

Heavy Metal may sound good (when your favorite band drops a nasty breakdown), but heavy metals are extremely toxic for our brains. In this episode, we will talk about a few known metals: Lead, Aluminum and Mercury, how they enter our brain, how these metals impact our ability to focus, and what we can do today to limit exposure, reduce metals in our brains and accomplish our dreams. Let’s dig in… 

0:00 Intro to Inflammation
0:34 Intro to Podcast
1:05 How Heavy Metals Effects Focus
10:09 Solution to Increasing Creativity

Lead: Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82 which group 14. Lead is widely used for car batteries, pigments, ammunition, cable sheathing, weights for lifting and more. 

Article on NLBI:  Lead in the brain: At the molecular level, lead interferes with the regulatory action of calcium on cell functions and disrupts many intracellular biological activities which damages the prefrontal cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum
Which can lead to…  brain damage, behavioral problems, nerve damage, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia.
A 2018 study published in The Lancet Public Health suggests that of the 2.3M deaths every year in the US, about 400K are attributable to lead exposure, of which 250K are from cardiovascular disease. 
The EPA estimates that 10 to 20% of human exposure to lead may come from lead in drinking water as demonstrated in water testing throughout the United States. 

Aluminum: Aluminum is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminum is used in transportation, construction, electrical and consumer goods. 
Article found on Rezilir Health: It has been researched for decades that once aluminum enters the body, it bio-accumulates in brain tissue and contributes to cognitive impairment and memory loss. 

Significant amounts of aluminum can be found in food emulsifiers, antiperspirant deodorants, hair sprays, baking powder, many types of toothpaste, in our drinking water, and in much of our cookware, exposing us to high amounts over the course of one’s lifetime.

Mercury: Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also a good conductor of electricity, so it is a useful component of electrical switches. Mercury is also used in dental fillings, paints, soaps, batteries, and fluorescent lighting. 
Article in NCBI: Many studies show that high exposure to mercury induces changes in the central nervous system, potentially resulting in irritability, fatigue, behavioral changes, tremors, headaches, hearing and cognitive loss, dysarthria, incoordination, hallucinations, and death.

Article found on Rezilir Health: But the major source of mercury is found in our food chain and is responsible for about 1/3 of the levels found in our bodies. Mercury that naturally occurs in coal production is released during burning and enters the air; it is then precipitated into the oceans, lakes, and rivers by rain. According to the EPA, coal-fired power plants in the United States emit about 48 tons of mercury into the air every year. This works it’s way up the food chain to us. 


What Can We Do? 

• Avoid cosmetics containing aluminum, such as deodorants & beverages in aluminum cans
• Ceramic dental fillings instead of amalgam
• Give preference to organic foods: On average, organic food has 68% less cadmium
• DO NOT EAT FARM RAISED FISH
• Use water filters
• Some foods you can eat that are natural heavy metal detoxes: "cilantro, garlic, wild blueberries, lemon water, spirulina, barley grass juice powder, green tea, tomatoes

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INFLAMMATION - THE GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY

Inflammation is an effective tool for fighting infection and healing injuries. However, the sinister side of chronic inflammation is linked to a whole host of health problems. On this episode we talk about the pros and cons of inflammation and how chronic inflammation may be KILLING YOU and your dreams…..bitch

0:00 Intro to Inflammation
0:40 Intro to Podcast
1:17 How Inflammation Effects Focus
10:23 Solution to Increasing Creativity

• Inflammation comes in two forms—acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term). Acute inflammation is the body’s immediate response to an injury or infection. It comes on quickly—usually within minutes— and disappears within days. (Harvard Medical School Special Health Report “Fighting Inflammation”)
• The Good: When you're injured, this inflammation is actually a good thing. The area you injured will become red and swell as an army of beneficial white blood cells flow in to fight infection and help you heal. The same response occurs in other parts of your body when you encounter a virus or infection. Harvard Health Publishing 
• The Bad: chronic inflammation is not short-lived—and it is rarely helpful. Although it may begin with the same cellular actions as acute inflammation, it morphs into a lingering state that persists for months or years. The body sounds the alarm and emergency help arrives, but the threat never recedes, and the fire continues to burn (“Fighting Inflammation”)
• Example of Chronic inflammation: Your body continues sending inflammatory cells even when there is no outside danger. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory cells and substances attack joint tissues leading to an inflammation that comes and goes and can cause severe damage to joints with pain and deformities.
• The most common reasons for chronic inflammation include: Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, where your body attacks healthy tissue. Exposure to toxins, like pollution or industrial chemicals. Untreated acute inflammation, such as from an infection or injury. Cleveland Clinic 

Inflammation in the brain

• When you stub your toe or cut a finger, the resulting inflammation is rapid and obvious. Deep inside your brain, inflammation can be more gradual and much harder to detect. Yet the effects of long-term inflammation on the brain can be much more destructive than a visible toe or finger injury. 
• Researchers have linked brain inflammation to the development of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as to mental health conditions ranging from depression to schizophrenia (“Fighting Inflammation”)

Potential signs and symptoms of chronic inflammation include 

• fatigue and lack of energy 
• depression, anxiety 
• muscle aches and joint pain 
• constipation, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal complaints 
• headaches  and a “fuzzy” mental state. 

Things that cause or increase chronic inflammation

• Inflammatory foods: Fast foods, cured meats with nitrates, refined oils, trans fat, refined carbs and sugars. 
• Smoking, excessive drinking, lack of sleep, chronic stress. Sound familiar!? (us talking to audience)

What can we do? Also, we are not doctors!

Drugs! Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These over-the-counter medicines lower inflammation. 

Steroid injections: Corticosteroid shots decrease inflammation at a specific joint or muscle. For example, if you have rheumatoid arthritis that affects your back

• Eat anti-inflammatory foods: (Mediterranean diet) fatty fish, green, healthy oils. 
• Exercise
• Better sleep…. 
• Managing stress
• Quit smoking and drink less. 

Collaborate and Listen
To accomplish your dreams, it might start with reaching out to friends and peers in the area you are trying to make your next move in. Today we talk about why we struggle at collaboration and what you can do today to increase collaboration and accomplish your dream.  Let's dig in....

0:00 Intro to The Creative Space
0:30 Intro to Podcast
1:00 Problems Keeping You From Collaborating
11:50 Solution to Increasing Creativity

PROBLEM: We Suck At Collaboration

• An article on career statistics site, zippia.com found 86% of employees in leadership positions blame lack of collaboration as the top reason for workplace failures. 
• One of our greatest fears of collaboration is our fear of failure: Article on Globe News Wire finds from 1,083 respondents surveyed, 1 in 3 Americans were found to be scared of failure.
• Fear someone will steal your idea. 
• Another barrier is our lack of trust: The article, Americans don't trust one another,  on USA Today quoted research that found: only ⅓ of Americans say they trust others. 
• Internally struggling: In Episode #21 - #23, we talked about stress, conflict and fear. It can be extremely difficult to collaborate when we work with toxic people. 

TYPICALLY, PEOPLE WITH LOW EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE REALLY STRUGGLE TO COLLABORATE. Here are some signs to look out for from Very Well Mind: 

• You are Always Have to Be 'Right'
• You are Oblivious to Other People's Feelings
• You Blame Others for Your Problems
• You Have Emotional Outbursts
• You Turn Conversations Toward Yourself

BENEFITS OF COLLABORATION

• CRITICAL DISCLAIMER: Don’t start a business with a dumbass or a toxic person because you fear doing it alone!!! 
• Your brain knows what it knows. Forming new pathways in the brain will be essential in starting a business. 
• Break through decision paralysis.
• Having a group of peers who encourage and challenge you.
• Accountability. “Hey, how is that business idea coming along?”
• Last but not least, if you are starting a business, collaborating with customers or potential customers is THE GREATEST MOST IMPORTANT activity. 

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IT IS TIME TO TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

Sometimes, you just need to unplug. Life is crazy, and it seems to never stop. Because of this, we never stop, which is killing us. One thing we can do is prioritize a little "ME TIME." Today, we are going to talk about the benefits of being alone and some things you can do TODAY to enjoy a little solitude and increase your focus.  Let's dig in....

0:00 Intro to The Creative Space
0:23 Intro to Podcast
0:54 Problems Keeping You From Resting
5:45 Solution to Increasing Creativity

SHOW NOTES FROM EPISODE #29

PROBLEM: We Are Not Intentional About Disconnecting

• Episode #27-28, people are not taking vacations, people are not taking lunch breaks. 
• Here is another problem, when people have a few extra minutes, they are going straight to social media. According to Statista, “People worldwide spend 147 minutes a day on social.” Over 2hrs bro. 
• Here is what sucks though, “according to an article Lonely Nation on StudyFinds.org, “2 in 3 Americans for more alone than ever before.”
• People are not good at being alone: Article, “What Happens In The Brain When You’re Alone” on Headspace shared research:
• In one study, people were left alone for 6 to 15min with no distractions—except a device that administered electric shocks. Nearly 70% of men and 25% of women chose to shock themselves. In another version of the study, participants were told to sit alone in their home with their thoughts for 10 to 15 min. More than half confessed to cheating by getting up from the chair or distracting themselves with phones or music.

BENEFITS OF SOLITUDE

• Amy Morin, psychotherapist and the international bestselling author wrote in an article in Forbes: “7 Science-Backed Reasons You Should Spend More Time Alone.”
• Alone time increases empathy & Solitude increases productivity.
• Solitude sparks creativity.
• Being alone can help you build mental strength.
• Being alone gives you an opportunity to plan your life.
• Solitude helps you know yourself.

HABITS

• Be intentional about being alone. 
• Set times on your calendar to be along. 
• Set spaces you go to with the intention of being alone: hiking, running, biking, go see a movie alone, go eat alone, etc. 
• Don’t look at your phone (that is your monkey brain). 
• Take a notepad and write down whatever you are thinking. 
• Read a book about someone who inspires you. 

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YOU NEED TO CHILL OUT

Everyone I know works really hard. Some people work two jobs while single parenting kids plus they are working on their dreams. If we grind hard, we need to chill hard. This keeps us productive when it is time to grind again. On todays episode, we are going to talk about setting up the perfect chill space so you can rest from all that grinding. Let's dig in...

0:00 Intro to The Creative Space
0:32 Intro to Podcast
1:10 Problems Keeping You From Resting
8:10 Solution to Increasing Creativity

PROBLEM: People need to fucking chill out

• People are stressed: Episode #21 - #23 75% of adults report symptoms of stress. 80% of U.S. workers say they experience stress on the job. 50% OF U.S. adults say that stress has negatively affected their behavior.
  • People Don’t Take Breaks: Article from Washington Post, “What does America have against vacation?”
  • America does not mandate vacations like most other countries. 
  • Survey or more than 2000, 54% — reported feeling guilty about taking vacation time.
  • 55% of Americans did not use all of their paid vacation time.
  • 70% of respondents admitted to checking in with their workplace from vacation at least occasionally.
• People are not even breaking during the day: 
  • Article from NPR, “We're Not Taking Enough Lunch Breaks.”  1 in 5 five people steps away for a midday meal. Most workers are simply eating at their desks.
• Problems with mental Fatigue
  • Article from health line, “How to ‘Unfry’ Your Brain.”  You might also experience other changes in mood or emotions. Cynicism, apathy, lack of motivation, and trouble focusing can all be signs of an overworked brain.

SOLUTION: Be intentional about your chill space so you can take a brek

• Article from Psychology Today, “How Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain?”
  • Movement breaks for your physical and emotional health
  • Breaks can prevent “decision fatigue.”
    • Breaks restore motivation, especially for long-term goals.
  • Breaks increase productivity and creativity
  • “Waking rest” helps consolidate memories and improve learning.
• Designing your own break room!
  • Free from work and life distractions
  • Relaxing environment: candles, wine, comfortable lounge furniture.
  • Make your bedroom your most chill space of all

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Believing you are creative is the first step. Creating a creative space is the second. 

For many of us, we believe we are NOT creative which is a FALSE narrative. We even quote general research to validate our belief by saying things like, "I guess I am more of a left brain person." When accomplishing our dreams, there is a LOT of "new" things we have to do that we have never done before. Today we are going to talk about speaking truth to your inner critic, you are creative. We will also cover some simple tips to increase creativity and accomplish your dreams.  Let's dig in...

0:00 Intro to The Creative Space
0:24 Intro to Podcast
1:19 Problems Keeping You From Being Creative
9:43 Left Brain Versus Right Brain
14:14 Solution to Increasing Creativity 

Problem: People are distracted.  

• First, what keeps us from being creative? 
• ENVIRONMENT DISTRACTIONS: Article from Teamstage, “Workplace Distractions Statistics: Problems and Solutions in 2022” It takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully recover focus after a distraction.
• INTERPERSONAL BLOCKS: A great article on Angeles Earth wrote, “What prevents you from being creative.” 
  • Perceptual Blocks: how we perceive the situation. 
  • Cognitive Blocks: Repeat Solutions: I’ve solved it this way before, I should do the same again. 
  • Accepting the rules without question. 
  • Emotional Blocks: Fear of failure, Thinking we are not creative.
  • Cultural Blocks: lack education, distrust of environment/people

Left Brain Versus Right Brain: We have heard the right brain is more creative, but that is a limited perspective. 

• Article found on National Science Foundation, “Where in the brain does creativity come from. Evidence from jazz musicians?” 
• Creativity is, in fact, driven primarily by the right hemisphere in musicians who are comparatively inexperienced at improvisation. However, musicians who are highly experienced at improvisation rely primarily on their left hemisphere.

Solution: Everyone has the power to be creative (period). 

• HBR Article, “Train Your Brain to Be More Creative” The more we learn about the workings of our gray matter, the better we can train it, control it, and make it do what we want.
• Create an attitude that gives you permission to be creative. 
• Create a space free from distractions. 
• Add in that space inspirational attributes that inspire you to be creative. 
• A study in Psychological Science by Kathleen Vohs, of the University of Minnesota, found: Working in a messy room seems to help them try new things and come up with creative ideas.

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Killing Your Grind Time
What keeps us from grinding? Distractions.

When we have a long list of tasks to accomplish our dreams, they often get pushed to the back because of our long list of tasks we have to complete for everyone else. On todays episode, we are going to talk about ways to set up the perfect space for you to grind away at your goals and accomplish your dreams. Let's dig in...

0:00 Intro to The Grind Space
0:22 Intro to Podcast
0:40 How Distractions Kill Your Focus
13:08 How to Create a Grind Space

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE #26

Problem: People are distracted.  

• Article from Teamstage, “Workplace Distractions Statistics: Problems and Solutions in 2022” 
• Companies spend up to 31hrs a month in unproductive meetings.
• As many as 40M Americans suffer from anxiety in the workplace. (Episodes #21 - #23)
• 50% of employees say that they are distracted by their phones at work.
• 98% of the workforce say they are interrupted at least 3 or 4 times a day.
• Distractions can lead to committing twice as many errors as usual. 

Stats from Statista, “Leading distractions among employees while working from home - 2020.”

• Social Media - 61.6%
• Smartphones - 53.7%
• Binge-Watching - 42.1%
• Kids - 33.8%
• Gaming - 30.4%
• News Media - 24.3%
• Pets - 18.1%
• Online Shopping - 16%
• Partner - 12.3%

What is happening with the brain? Recap Top Down Bottom Up - Episode #21

• The “bottom up” attention, sometimes called exogenous attention, is when your sensory world is driving what information you notice. 
• The “top down” attention, sometimes called endogenous attention. This is where it is your brain which is dictating and directing how you should be focusing your attention.

Solution: A space to grind. 

• Grind task are non creative task that you need to crank out 
• Create a Grind Space free from distractions. - Episode #6
• Remove Clutter - Episode #7
• Turn off Notifications
• Time Block (Treat your calendar as your Top Down Planner
• Goals - Episode #11
• Task - Episode #12
• Invest in yourself by investing in your grind space. 
• Create a “JOB” Space and a “Dreams” Space/Settings  if you can. 

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