The Focus Cast

Everyone teaches you to be a pushover, now it’s time to learn how to stand up for your dreams. 

The brain is wired to understand the physical boundaries around you to keep you from falling off a cliff, but society has taught you to sacrifice your personal boundaries at the expense of everyone else. And while doing so, you have little time for your dreams.

On today's episode of the Forms and Focus Podcast (EPISODE #025), we are discussing focus and boundaries. And what you can do TODAY to establish healthy boundaries, increase your focus on long-term goals, and accomplish your dreams. Let’s dig in… 

0:00 - Intro to Boundaries
0:34 - Podcast Intro
1:02 - Problem/Boundaries and how it impacts our focus.
10:03 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

The Brain Creates a Buffer:
Meghan Rabbit in “What you need to know about personal Space.”
There are brain regions that are sizing up the space around you: the parietal cortex (which processes sensory information) and the premotor cortex (which plays a role in generating movements).

“These areas of the brain have neurons that fire to let you know if something or someone is getting too close, and you unconsciously respond, says Graziano. “I call them ‘bubble wrap’ neurons, and they align your vision, hearing, and sense of touch to build a multisensory map of space that helps you create a bubble wrap of safety around your body.”

Why we Suck at Setting Personal Boundaries: Bethany Juby, “Personal Boundaries: Types and How to Set Them.”
From childhood, we’re often taught to bend and mold ourselves to make others comfortable. EXAMPLE: Messaging is implied (as in school dress codes). Direct (“I don't care if you don’t want to hug your grandfather, it’s rude not to!”).

She continues.. We’ve been taught from a young age to put the feelings of others ahead of our own needs, to the point that many of us don’t even know how to answer, “What are boundaries?” How do I set them?”

Annie Tanasugarn in “Personal Boundaries and Building Self Love.” Unhealthy or weak personal boundaries are often identified as having a poor sense of self-identity or limited feelings of self-worth. For many who grew up in a codependent environment, they may be out of touch with their own feelings, or may have not been allowed personal space earlier in life.

How to set personal boundaries.
First and foremost, from the book Boundaries by Henry Cloud, “It is an act of kindness to yourself and those around you to set boundaries.”

Some tips from Ben Hershey, “8 Ways to Establish Healthy Boundaries at Work.” He references Doctor Dana Gionta’s book, From Stressed to Centered, which offers a step-by-step process for assessing personal boundaries at work:

Know your limits

• Pay attention to your feelings
• Give yourself permission to set boundaries 
• Consider your environment
• Communicate Upfront: “I don’t answer emails past 7:00 PM
• Create Clear Structures: Structure is important in the workplace. You're the architect of your own boundaries, so build them solid.
• Keep Your Relationships Professional: 
• Delegate Work When Appropriate: One important part of establishing boundaries is in setting expectations about the work you will do. Book, Get the Monkey Off Your Back.
• Actually Take Time Off: One Hour A Day, A week a quarter. 

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#focus #dream #boundaries

Not everyone has an inner voice, but we all have an inner critic. Through evolution, parental guidance and cultural scripts, we have all been trained how to act, think and perform in a way that benefits others. As adults this leads to a battle between our inner critic and our inner nurturer. For many of us, the critic is winning. 

On today's episode of the Forms and Focus Podcast (EPISODE #024), we are discussing focus and Inner Narrative. And what you can do TODAY to put your inner critic in its place, confide in your inner nurturer, and accomplish your dreams. Let’s dig in…

What does science say about our inner narrative? 

• This may be shocking, but not everyone has an inner voice. 
• Researcher Mark Scott of the University of British Columbia found evidence that a brain signal called corollary discharge plays an important role in our experiences of internal speech. 
• Example: Corollary discharge is a kind of predictive signal generated by the brain that helps to explain, for example, why other people can tickle us but we can’t tickle ourselves. The signal predicts our own movements and effectively cancels out the tickle sensation. 
• He continues… “We spend a lot of time speaking and that can swamp our auditory system, making it difficult for us to hear other sounds when we are speaking, by attenuating the impact our own voice has on our hearing — using the ‘corollary discharge’ prediction — our hearing can remain sensitive to other sounds.”

The Inner Critic and The Inner Nurturer

• You also have your inner nurture, but your Inner Critic and Inner Nurturer uses two different parts of the brain!!
• Beth Kurland in “How to Build Your Inner Nurturer” reviews a study that found when people experience self-criticism, the parts of the brain associated with increased monitoring of errors, punishment, and behavioral inhibition are activated. When people experience self-reassurance, the brain regions involved in expressing compassion toward others become active.
• She goes on to say, “Despite many people thinking that being too easy on themselves will lead to them straying from their goals, extensive research shows that it is self-compassion, not self-criticism, that is the best motivator.”
• Nathan Chandler in “Inner Speech Speaks Volumes About the Brain.” 
• “It does appear that biologically we all hear negativity louder than the positives. This is probably an adaption for survival. Our survival as a species was dependent on us hearing, “Watch out, there’s a snake”, while hearing “You are doing that well” was not so urgent.”

How do we stand up to our inner critic?

• Rick Hanson, “How to stand up to your inner critic.” 
• First, try to observe how self-criticism operates inside you. 
• Be aware of anger at yourself that seems out of proportion to what happened. Listen to the tone in which you talk to yourself. 
• Consider how self-critical attitudes developed inside you, perhaps when you were younger. 
• When the inner critic starts pounding away, turn to your inner nurturer as a refuge and an ally.
• Imagine a “caring committee” inside yourself with different characters who represent various kinds of support and wisdom.
• As you go through your days, register when others see decency, capability, effort, and caring in you.

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#focus #dream #innernarrative

Fear and anxiety are not the same, but both are killing your dreams. 

Whether it’s a bear attack or fear of rejection, our brains may respond the same, run. The psychological impact of generational fear heightened by modern day fear mongering is training your brain to live in a constant state of FEAR. This separates us from our goals and dreams. 

On today's episode of the Forms and Focus Podcast (EPISODE #023), we are discussing focus and fear. And what you can do TODAY to reverse the effects of fear on the brain, increase your focus on long-term goals and accomplish your dreams. Let’s dig in… 

0:00 - Intro to Fear
0:39 - Podcast Intro
1:12 - Problem/Fear and how it impacts our focus. 
14:36 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

What Is Fear?
(APA Dictionary) Fear is an intense emotion aroused by the detection of imminent threat, involving an immediate alarm reaction that mobilizes the organism by triggering a set of physiological changes. 

Your body will increase rapid heartbeat, redirection of blood flow away from the periphery areas of the body, tenses of the muscles, and a general mobilization to take action: fight-or-flight response. 

How does the brain respond to fear? 
(Lacagnina), IMMEDIATE THREATS (BEAR ATTACK): The visual information comes in. It's getting into the visual processing pathway.  Then moves into the amygdala, which is the threat-detection center…  or the “threat reflex” as Huberman Labs explains. 

How the brain stores information to prevent danger. (Anand and Dhikav) The Hippocampus is a complex brain structure embedded deep into the temporal lobe. It has a major role in learning and memory.

What are we afraid of? 
It is pretty rare to be attacked by a bear, (1 in 2.1M), odds of shark attack (1 in 3.7M, odds of being struck by lighting (1 in 500K), odds of being killed by any animal ( 1 in 1.6M) odds of being killed by terrorist attack (1 on 30M) odds of being killed by foreign‐​born terrorists is (1 in 104M). 

Fear is on the rise.
(Winkelmeyer) 54% said they're more fearful than hopeful about what's in store for the world in 2022, while 44% said they're more hopeful. 

What You Can Do TODAY

• Fear has power when you don’t share it.  If you suffer from severe anxiety, get help!!! 
• But if you are looking for ways to improve your overall mental health, reduce the fear state, anxiety and start working on your dreams, here are some tips you can start today! A great article by (Lebow) in Psych Central pulls quotes from leading psychologist
• Change the scripts: “If you want to focus on thinking and perception, you can develop new anxiety scripts that tell you a different story, one that makes you feel safe,” 
• Practice challenges: “In other words, do the thing you’re scared of,” she says. “Start with easy challenges: If you feel social anxiety, your first challenge could be to make one quick friendly remark to someone in line at the coffee shop.”
• Reality testing: Devised by Sigmund Freud, reality testing is a helpful way to shift your perspective around experiences that typically make you feel anxious.
• Meditation: “Meditations with a focus on compassion and kindness can be very helpful as they help reframe thoughts, thus creating new brain pathways.”

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#focus #dream #tension

Conflict is around us, conflict is within us, and conflict can keep us from focusing on our dreams. There are several types of conflict, but what we are most familiar with is what we experience on a micro level, a terrible coworker, a bully at school, or shitty family members. But another form of conflict that we are greatly influenced by is on a macro level, global conflict, our culture of conflict, our consumption of charged content and the conflict within. 

On today's episode of the Forms and Focus Podcast (EPISODE #022), we are discussing focus and conflict. And what you can do TODAY to reverse the effects of conflict on the brain, increase your focus on long-term goals and accomplish your dreams. Let’s dig in… 

0:00 - Intro to conflict
1:02 - Podcast Intro
1:34 - Problem - Conflict is killing your focus.
11:40 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

STATISTICS

• ADULTS IN WORKPLACE: 
  • According to a study commissioned by CPP Inc., 85% of U.S. employees deal with conflict. (Hayes)
  • A 2007 Zogby survey reported that 37% of workers have been bullied at work. (Namie)
• STUDENTS IN SCHOOL: 
  • According to National Center for Educational Statistics:
  • 2019, 20.2% of students report being bullied.
  • 41% of students who reported being bullied at school indicated that they think the bullying would happen again.
  • The reasons for being bullied reported most often by students include physical appearance, race/ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation.
• PEOPLE ARE ANGRY: 
  • According to the latest NPR-IBM Watson Health poll of 3,004 people, 84% of people surveyed said Americans are angrier today compared with a generation ago. (Jonides and Nee)
  • “We’re living, in effect, in a big anger incubator,” said Raymond Novaco, a psychology professor at the University of California at Irvine. (Chang)
• CONFLICT IS MORE THAN THE PRESENT
  • Transference is a psychological phenomenon in which conversational or relational partners activate earlier memories. As a result, we may unconsciously repeat conflicts from the past that have nothing to do with the current relationship.

WHAT MODERN CONFLICT RESPONSE LOOKS LIKE:

• You are not in the wrong: Fight or Flight
• You are in the wrong: Justify or Pacify

SOLUTIONS

STEP ONE:

• Acknowledge Your Emotions
• Acknowledge Your Breath
• Acknowledge Your Body
• Acknowledge Your Value

STEP TWO: Say, “I need a minute.” Take a walk and change settings. Step 1 and 2 pulls you out of your amygdala and puts you back into your prefrontal cortex

STEP THREE: Now you can work through the conflict. Either personally or with the person that you are interacting with. 

SOLUTION FOR WHEN FACED WITH CULTURAL CONFLICT

• Reduce the consumption of charged content. 
• Get away from toxic relationships. 
• Practice mindfulness and meditate on the good. 

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#focus #dream #stress

SUMMARY 

Chronic stress can literally rewire your brain to focus on the wrong things, and over time, kill your dreams.  Stress can influence what consumes your focus. This can reduce productivity & motivation for long-term goals, which can lead to depression, and eventually kill your dreams.

At Forms & Focus, our mission is to increase your focus so you can accomplish your dreams. Many of us have dreams and goals. What keeps us from them is our inability to remove distractions and focus. We will accomplish our mission by providing you with guided forms that manifest radical focus.

0:00 - Intro
1:25 - Problem - Stress is killing your focus. 
7:26 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

Problem

• In research from Bernstein (2021), when you experience chronic stress, the body makes more cortisol than it has a chance to release. Chronic stress has a shrinking effect on the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
• While stress can shrink the prefrontal cortex, it can increase the size of the amygdala, which can make the brain more receptive to stress. 
  Christopher Bergland writes in Psychology Today. “Cortisol is believed to create a domino effect that hard-wires pathways between the hippocampus and amygdala in a way that might create a vicious cycle by creating a brain that becomes predisposed to be in a constant state of fight-or-flight,”
• From Harvard Health (2021), Your brain isn't just a single unit, but a group of different parts that perform different tasks, says Dr. Ressler. Researchers believe that when one part of your brain is engaged, the other parts of your brain may not have as much energy to handle their own vital tasks.

Top Down Attention

• According to The Neurochemistry of Focus, 2020, there are two types of attention, bottom up and top down. 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

• Reduce social media Pew Research Center, 2018 reported as many as 59% of teens report having experienced cyberbullying.
• American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2017 reported that using platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat for more than two hours a day is associated with feelings of social isolation among individuals between ages 19 and 32.

Turn up your “Top Down” Attention

• Meditate: (Williams, 2018) in New Scientist, Mindfulness meditation increased thickness in the prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes, both linked to attention control
• Apps like BrainFit
• Read and Thinking Activities
• According to neuroscientist Susan Greenfield and her book Mind Change, when we read a novel, we read linearly, rather than sporadically jumping from tab to tab, and slowly think about the information in front of us
• Physical activities, (Tsujii et al., 2012), found that physical exercise improved behavioral performance of the working memory task compared with the control condition.

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#focus #dream #stress

SUMMARY

We live in our monkey brains, the “monkey brain” includes the majority of our tissue, and controls more complex tasks as well as emotions. Most mammals lead with their “monkey brain”, which is fueled by our most basic responses to fear and desire.

At Forms & Focus, our mission is to increase your focus so you can accomplish your dreams. Many of us have dreams and goals. What keeps us from them is our inability to remove distractions and focus. We will accomplish our mission by providing you with guided forms that manifest radical focus.

0:00 - Intro
0:55 - Problem - Your Monkey Brain is killing your focus. 
8:40 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE #20

PROBLEM

• STRESS.ORG: Our brain can be separated into three sections: our lizard brain, our monkey brain, and our human brain…
• The “lizard brain” is found at the base of the brain, and contains the cerebellum and brainstem. Lizards only have these elements of the brain, which controls our most basic instincts.
• The next part of the brain, the “monkey brain” includes the majority of our tissue, and controls more complex tasks as well as emotions. Most mammals lead with their “monkey brain”, which is fueled by our most basic responses to fear and desire.
• The most advanced part of the brain is the “human brain”, which consists of the outer layer. This area allows for logical, emotionless thought, as well as delayed gratification.
• Psychology Today: According to Buddhist principles, the “monkey mind” is a term that refers to being unsettled, restless, or confused. Writer and Buddhist Natalie Goldberg, who teaches many writing workshops, suggests that the monkey mind is the inner critic…
• It’s the part of your brain most connected to the ego, which contends that you can’t do anything right. It’s also the part of you that stifles creativity and prevents you from moving forward with your passions.
• Science.org by TIMOTHY J. BUSCHMAN AND EARL K. MILLER talks about Top-Down Versus Bottom-Up Control of Attention in the Prefrontal and Posterior Parietal Cortices.
• Top-Down (or ‘Voluntary focus’). This is generated mostly in the Prefrontal Cortex. Top-down focus is goal oriented. It’s responsible for seeing the bigger picture and uses your past experiences to figure things out.
• Bottom-Up (or ‘Stimulus-driven focus’). This is generated mostly in the Periential Lobe. When a thought creeps up on you or something around you grabs your attention (like a ping, bing, or notification) you’re suffering from Bottom-Up focus. You can’t help but pay attention to what’s happening.
• According to a University of California Irvine study, “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task.”

SOLUTION/HABITS

• Do everything you can to stay in the present. 
• Reduce involuntary distractions, increase Intentional breaks.
• Apologize immediately and move on. 
• Breath and Exercise 
• Scheduling seemingly distracting tasks (email: University of British Columbia, checking email 3 days a day reduced stress. 

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#focus #dream #monkeybrain

SUMMARY

Work and money are the top two stressors that are reprogramming our brains. Unfortunately, we have convinced ourselves that it is normal and part of life. In this podcast, we challenge this norm and provide solutions to reduce tension so you can focus on your dreams. 

At Forms & Focus, our mission is to increase your focus so you can accomplish your dreams. Many of us have dreams and goals. What keeps us from them is our inability to remove distractions and focus. We will accomplish our mission by providing you with guided forms that manifest radical focus.

0:00 - Intro
2:30 - Problem - Stress is killing your focus. 
6:40 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE #19

PROBLEM

• People stressed out: Work and Money.
• Tension in the brain (Stress)
• TOURO University, Health and Human Services: Stress can kill brain cells and even reduce the size of the brain. Chronic stress has a shrinking effect on the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
• (Same as above) While stress can shrink the prefrontal cortex, it can increase the size of the amygdala, which can make the brain more receptive to stress.
• “Cortisol is believed to create a domino effect that hard-wires pathways between the hippocampus and amygdala in a way that might create a vicious cycle by creating a brain that becomes predisposed to be in a constant state of fight-or-flight,” Christopher Bergland writes in Psychology Today.
• Tension in the Body
• Back pain (8% world wide), neck and shoulder tension (30%), wrist tension, tight hips, increased heart rate, short breathing, slow digestive system, increased sickness, and just about everything else. 

SOLUTION/HABITS

• Brian plasticity refers to the ways that neural pathways are able to reform in the brain.
• Get help, counseling, better friends, self care, take a damn break. 
• Say goodbye to toxic relationships: Survey of YourTango Experts half or more of all people have toxic relationships in their lives.
• Change your job if you can: 94% of American workers report experiencing stress
• Start Small: 10 minutes a day: Focus on your body, your breathing, your awareness, and focus on your dreams. Then increase it over time. Take baby steps. Add 5 minutes a month. 
• Take time to stretch: 
• Don’t bounce, don’t aim for pain: Talk to your doctor before you do anything. 
• Dynamic Stretching
• Static stretching
• Join a Yoga or exercise Class with positive friends, Karate or a walking/bike riding group. 
• Start small (do some simple stretches in the morning, between meetings, and before bed). 

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#focus #dream #tension

SUMMARY

Take an eye break. Breaks are critical, even your eyes need a break. The average American spends close to 8 hours a day looking at screens and checking their phones 58 times a day. All this without resting our eyes. In this podcast, we will talk about the problems of eye fatigue and some simple solutions to rest your eyes.

At Forms & Focus, our mission is to increase your focus so you can accomplish your dreams. Many of us have dreams and goals. What keeps us from them is our inability to remove distractions and focus. We will accomplish our mission by providing you with guided forms that manifest radical focus.

0:00 - Intro
1:20 - Problem - We don’t rest our eyes.
7:00 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE #18

FACTS

• Data Reportal, the average American spends 7 hrs and 11 min looking at a screen every day. 
• Most people check their phones 58 times a day. Thirty of those times are during work hours.
• 70% of phone sessions are less than 2 minutes.
• March 11, 2019 – the average office worker spends 1,700 hours per year in front of a computer screen and that doesn’t include our addiction to phones and other digital devices.

PROBLEM

• Why does the computer strain the eyes more than reading print material? Mainly because people tend to blink less while using computers.
• American Academy of Ophthalmology, Focusing the eyes on computer screens or other digital displays has been shown to reduce a person’s blink rate by a third to a half, which tends to dry out the eyes. We also tend to view digital devices at less than ideal distances or angles. Link
• American Academy of Optometry, published an article Jan 2019, concluded that blue light filters are no more effective at reducing the symptoms of digital eye strain than a neutral filter

SOLUTION/HABITS

• Keep your distance: The eyes actually have to work harder to see close up than far away. Try keeping the monitor or screen at arm’s length, about 25 inches away. Position the screen so your eye gaze is slightly downward.
• Adjust lighting: If a screen is much brighter than the surrounding light, your eyes have to work harder to see. Adjust your room lighting and try increasing the contrast on your screen to reduce eye strain.
• Give your eyes a break: Remember to blink and follow the 20-20-20 rule. Take a break every 20 minutes by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Looking into the distance allows your eyes to relax.
• Keep eyes moist: Keep artificial tears at hand to help lubricate your eyes when they feel dry. Consider using a desktop humidifier. Office buildings have humidity-controlled environments that suck moisture out of the air. In winter, heaters on high can further dry your eyes.
• Stop using devices before bed: There is evidence that blue light may affect the body’s circadian rhythm, our natural wake and sleep cycle. During the day, blue light wakes us up and stimulates us.

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#focus #dream #eyefatigue

SUMMARY

Just breathe.  Your body demands oxygen to function, especially your brain. Focusing on intentional breathing can dramatically improve your focus. 

At Forms & Focus, our mission is to increase your focus so you can accomplish your dreams. Many of us have dreams and goals. What keeps us from them is our inability to remove distractions and focus. We will accomplish our mission by providing you with guided forms that manifest radical focus.

0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Problem - We are not intentionally breathing
7:49 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE #17

PROBLEM/FACTS

• Oxygen demand organs are the liver (20.4%), the brain (18.4%), and the heart (11.6%).
• NCBI published in March 2017, A growing amount of evidence has demonstrated an association between cognitive impairment, a pathological condition that acts as a barrier to cognition, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease manifestation.
• PLOS ONE, Sep. 2018: A growing body of research proposes that the act of breathing may shape and disturb cognitive function. Breathing exercises in healthy subjects before performing a task can alter the state of the brain and improve subsequent cognitive performance and motor skills
• Respiration modulates neural oscillations in the neocortex. In particular, the phase in the rhythm of nasal respiration modulates memory performance and gamma oscillation activities in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and other areas with possible consequences for cognitive function.
• The Breath Effect, Sep 2018: Poor posture leads to shallow breathing. When we take shallow breaths, we over-breathe oxygen and breathe out too much carbon dioxide stressing our body and telling our nervous system to stay on red alert.
• Article found ResearchGate, published in 2010, Research into breathing patterns and emotions has also shown that when you adopt a slumped posture/breathing pattern you experience sadness

SOLUTION/HABITS

• First simple step is to focus on your breathing.
• Start your day taking intentional breaths with a good upright posture. 
• Focus on your breathing before meetings, focus blocks, and breaks.  
• Breath through your nose: 30 to 50 percent of adults breathe through their mouth. 
  • reduce exposure to foreign substances
  • increase air flow to arteries, veins, and nerves
  • increase oxygen uptake and circulation
  • slow down breathing
  • improve lung capacity
  • strengthen the diaphragm
• Use guided apps to help you master the skill: Calm, Headspace, Liberate… 

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#focus #dream #breathing

SUMMARY
It is time to stand up for your dreams. 

On average, Americans sit for 11 hrs each day which is slowly killing you. In this episode of forms and focus, we talk about how you should stand up for your dreams by standing the f#$k up. 

At Forms & Focus, our mission is to increase your focus so you can accomplish your dreams. Many of us have dreams and goals. What keeps us from them is our inability to remove distractions and focus. We will accomplish our mission by providing you with guided forms that manifest radical focus.

0:00 - Intro
1:10 - Problem - We sit down way too much.
8:30 - Solution/Habits for better focus.

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE #16

PROBLEM/FACTS

• According to the CDC: 1 in 4 American adults sit for longer than eight hours every day.. 
• On average, Americans sit for about 11 hrs each day, with much of this time spent at the office desk.
• Sitting is the new smoking. That raises your risk for a host of health problems, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
• Article published on May 31, 2019 on Frontiers in Psychiatry found, over a short time period, decreases in the amount of blood flowing to the brain can reduce cognitionThe mental processes by which we think, understand, pay attention, solve problems, learn and remember information.
• UCLA Study found in Science Daily, researchers found sedentary behavior is linked to thinning in the medial temporal lobe, the regions of the brain that are critical to memory formation.
• Found in the archives of internal medicine, In a study of more than 220,000 Australians age 45 and up, people who sat for more than 11 hours daily had a 40% greater chance of dying within three years than those who sat for fewer than 4 hours.

SOLUTION/HABITS

• Here is the conundrum, when you stand up for your dreams, you sit down to work on them… 
• To quote a Psychology Today Article I read, Stand Up For Yourself. 
• Standing Desks, (Ikea - $300) You can go from standing to sitting throughout the day. 
• Take frequent walk breaks. 
• Find physical activity or sport you LOVE. 
• Install an app that forces you to take a break: Stand Up! Break Time, Move, Awareness…
• Put work breaks on your calendar. 
• Eat a sammy while walking. 

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#focus #dream #sitting