According to health scientist and performance physiologist Dr. Greg Wells, the following five methods can help you recharge and refocus – whether you have a few seconds or a few weeks:
1. Seconds: Breathe
Even if you only have a few moments, taking a slow, deep breath – or even better, several – can immediately reduce stress levels and boost energy by reducing tension in the body and focusing the mind. Think of blowing out a candle on your exhales, and that’s about the level of force you want to use to blow away your fatigue and worry.
2. Minutes: Shift control or take a power nap
Our experiences create emotions and feelings, which in turn create thoughts in our minds, and those thoughts often drive our actions. But as Dr. Wells notes, based on his work with Canadian Olympian athletes the best approach is what he calls “shifting control”: turning the process on its head from “feeling-thinking-acting” to “acting-thinking-feeling.” Positive routines (e.g., assuming a certain posture, breathing, eye focus) allow us to act in a certain way in response to circumstances, challenges or negative outside stimulus, after which we think, then feel, in turn allowing one to gain control over our emotional responses.
Power napping is another great way to re-charge and refocus, providing the mind with a period to shut down and relax, bringing the body along with it. Anywhere from three to 20 minutes, but not more, is ideal, according to Dr. Wells. “Any more and the mind slips into a deeper state of sleep that is difficult to emerge from with a clear mind.”
3. An hour: Go for a walk
Walking is a great way to relax the mind while invigorating the body, and has been shown to increase BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factors) in the brain that stimulate the creation of neurons. These neurons help us to think more clearly and faster, as well as more creatively.
4. A day: Change your environment
Especially with so many of us spending so much time at home as a result of the pandemic, changing our environment by getting outside or into some other stimulatory environment is critically important to recharging our minds. According to Dr. Wells, getting into nature is particularly powerful, as it has been shown to stimulate the brain to move from beta mode – a state of focus, execution and hustle – to alpha mode, a state of meta-cognition, strategic thinking, and open it to a state of learning and absorption.
5. A week: Learn something new
If you have a week or more, learn something new to stimulate your mind and recharge your energy, says Dr. Wells. “From music, to painting, to learning a new language or skill, learning puts us into growth mindset, and is revitalized and energized through the process of new neuron creation.”
No matter how much time you have to do so, taking the time – whether a second or a week – and following these simple steps can help you re-energize and re-focus to help tackle whatever challenges may lie ahead.
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