When you get out into “the wild” (I love to do a one hour nature walk at the end of my work day but the wilderness for you could be a quiet room in your home or running through your neighborhood), your brain waves slow down from beta to alpha.

When this happens–amid solitude–the part of your brain responsible for self-criticism, mental chatter and constant worry shuts down. This silencing of the prefrontal cortex happens temporarily and is known to neuroscientists as Transient Hypofrontality.

With the prefrontal cortex temporarily quiet and your monkey mind on a little vacation, you enter the Flow State. Elite athletes know this as “the zone” and it’s the place where all great performance begins. In Flow, your neurochemistry is altered. Dopamine (the neurochemical of inspiration) gets released. Anandamide (the neurochemical of bliss) shows up. And serotonin (the neurochemical of pleasure) kicks in.

With what I call “A Pharmacy for Mastery” in place, you get your best ideas. Your creativity makes explosive gains. You begin to see around corners. And solve problems that few humans ever get to solve.