Focus Accelerator - How To Dramatically Increase Your Focus & Flow

By making the adjustments below, you'll be getting more done and you will decrease
burnout, mental fatigue, and exhaustion.

1. KNOW YOUR 2. PREPARE YOUR 3. EVOKE YOUR 4. PLAN YOUR 5. GET INTO FLOW
RHYTHM WORK ENVIRONMENT SENSES PRODUCTIVITY BREAKS

We operate on what is Many people feel Make your work space a Many people think that When you go back to
called an "untradiam overwhelmed when they sensory experience. breaks decrease your work station,
rhythm." These are go to their desk or work You can add pleasant productivity. In before you begin your
naturally occurring environment. You can scents of lavender and actuality, taking work again, make it a
rhythms of productivity, make a few adjustments vanilla that promote frequent breaks can ritual to get into flow.
flow, and focus. They to your work relaxation and actually increase
usually reset every 90 atmosphere which can calmness. You can use productivity because Here is a quick mental
minutes. increase productivity, candles, reed diffusers, they allow you to trick for getting into a
flow states, and or essential oil naturally reset your flow state.
In the description on feelings of pleasure diffusers. work rhythms and give
the next pages, I go instead of dread and your mind a chance to Close your eyes, relax
into detail about how to overwhelm. Play soft music that can reset and sometimes the muscles in your
plan your day around help you focus and add approach things eyelids and take three
your rhythms. When you Make your workspace a enjoyment to the work differently when you go deep breaths in this
know your rhythm, you pleasant place to go by that you do. Make sure back to your work pattern: breathe in for a
can increase using soft lighting, a you aren't playing station. count of five, hold it for
productivity and flow by clean space, adding anything that you can a count of five, and
working on a task for plants and other sing along to. That can When you take breaks, exhale for a count of
45-60 minutes, then trinkets that you enjoy. be distracting and pull make sure you get up, ten. This will stimulate
taking a 10-20 minute These can be your focus away from move your body, your vagus nerve and
break. This will allow motivational quotes, your work that you need hydrate and separate help you feel relaxed
your rhythm to reset picture of your family, to get done. from the work that you and in flow for
itself naturally and will or a desk organizer. are doing. This will help increased productivity.
reduce mental fatigue. Also make sure your you approach your new
workspace is distraction work flow with energy
free. and clarity.
 Understanding Your Rhythms
When it comes to the average workday, most of us simply try to power through from start to end. We sit down at our desks and get cracking, hopefully attacking our most
difficult project first and avoiding the early morning email trap. When we’re finished with one thing, we move on to the next.

But what if I told you that this isn’t the most effective way to get things done? What if I told you that working this way actually puts you in competition with your own body and
that strategic rest during the day is necessary for maximum productivity?

What exactly am I getting at? Ultradian rhythms.This isn’t a particular hack or trick for focusing. It’s all about working in concert with your body’s natural rhythms to optimize
your performance. If you know how to tap into your body’s ultradian rhythms, you can get more done by working when your body is at it’s best and then recharging when you
need it most.

These ultradian rhythms help to account for the ebb and flow of our energy throughout the day. Physiological measures such as heart rate, hormonal levels, muscle tension
and brain-wave activity all increase during the first part of the cycle—and so does alertness. After an hour or so, these measures start to decline. Somewhere between 90 and
120 minutes, the body begins to crave a period of rest and recovery.

While this may seem like a mere piece of science trivia, the implications for productivity are massive. Every 90-120 minutes, your body has a period of significant energy and
alertness followed by a period of fatigue. During that burst of energy, you can work with your body to get far more done. During the low point of the cycle, you have to work
against your body’s natural rhythms to accomplish much at all, which is often a losing battle.

Think about your own experience. How often have you hit a point in the afternoon when you’re physically incapable of getting more done? You’re most likely at a very low
point in an ultradian cycle. Trying to break through that cycle and be productive is difficult and even counterproductive.

The more you try to fight against your body, the less productive you’ll be and the more burned out you’ll become. Working in concert with your body, however, can
unlock reservoirs of productivity you didn’t know you had.
 Accelerate Focus & Flow
Instead of plowing through the day with your nose constantly to the grindstone, you’ll be more effective if you have periods of deep focus followed by short periods of total
rest.

You don’t need to be sleeping during those periods of rest, but your brain should be disconnected from work and able to recover.

It’s relatively easy to implement this by using a routine like the following:

Work on your most important task for between 60-90 minutes.

Take your cues from your body. When you find your concentration and energy beginning to falter, it’s a good sign that you’re beginning to hit a low point in an ultradian
rhythm.

Break up those 60-90 minute periods using 30 minute Pomodoro sessions (25 minutes of focus, 5 minutes of rest).

Take a full stop after 60-90 minutes.

This break can last from anywhere between 20-30 minutes and could include taking a walk, meditating, a short nap, conversations with a friend, etc. Your goal is to let your
brain turn off.
 Being Intentional About
Your Productivity
It’s crucial to ensure that you’re highly focused when you’re working and really resting when you’re on a break. If you don’t draw these hard and fast lines, you’ll end up
wasting prime focus time and not letting your brain and body recover sufficiently during the downtime.

Some simple ways to ensure high amounts of focus are:

Put your phone in airplane mode.

Shut down email, Slack, iMessage, and any other communication channels.

Block social media sites.Listen to focus enhancing music.

If you’re not intentional about scheduling your day around your ultradian rhythms, someone else will schedule your day for you, especially if you work in an office.

By adding these adjustments to your work day, you will be getting more done in less time, feeling more energized, and avoid burnout because you'll be in tune with your
body's natural ultradian rhythms.