Relaxation Techniques for Productivity

I make it a discipline to get out of New York City at least once a month. This time away from the usual demands of work is not just a luxury; it's an essential part of my productivity strategy. It allows me to return to my clients with renewed energy, sharper focus, and fresh insights. Establishing a recharge practice is something I coach my executive clients to do, too. Feel like that's impossible, given your demands as a leader? Even adopting shorter recovery practices can help increase clarity and focus. Here are a few you can try now: 1/ 🧘 Mindful Meditation: Evidence shows that just five minutes of focused breathing (deeper breaths consisting of 4 secs inhale, 2 secs hold, 4 secs exhale - in a smooth rhythm) at your desk can markedly reduce stress and sharpen focus. Start by setting a daily reminder to take a brief pause, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. 2/ 🌳 Nature Exposure: The benefits of connecting with nature and fresh air are profound and documented, including lowered stress levels and improved mood. For the busy executive, this could be as simple as institutionalizing a 10-minute walk outside during the day. 3/ 🙏Gratitude Journaling Ending your day by jotting down three things you're grateful for can transform your perspective and cultivate a positive mindset. This practice, taking only a few minutes, can significantly impact your emotional well-being, helping counterbalance a high-pressure environment. 4/ 📴 Digital Detox Allocate specific times of the day (e.g., during meals, the first hour after waking up, or leaving the phone outside the bedroom at night) as tech-free zones. This intentional break from digital devices can prevent stimulation overload, improve sleep quality, and enhance present-moment awareness. For executives, integrating these practices doesn't mean overhauling your schedule but rather inserting short moments of recovery that can lead to substantial benefits in stress management, productivity, and overall well-being. Pictured below—a trip last month to Big Sky, Montana, and the freshest of air and snow! #growth #leadership #leadershipanddevelopment #executivecoach

Rest is not weakness. Stillness is not laziness. Breaks are not indulgences. And productivity… is not what you think. A client recently shared he had just landed late the night before from a long trip from China. He was at his desk, a bit bleary-eyed from his long work trip. I could see it in his eyes, even on Zoom. I asked why he was at work—as technically, I coach all leaders to take a day to recover from long international travel. He shared he feels guilty when he’s not pounding away at his keyboard. We define productivity—emails, meetings, pounding away on our keyboard, grinding it out back-to-back.  The productivity illusion. But if you’ve ever sat through a real brain science session, or one of our leadership classes, you know better.  And honestly, once you know it, you can’t unsee it. Real productivity is all about creating psychological safety in your brain. When your brain feels safe, it works better, clearer, and you get more done. It’s the little things: → Petting your dog → Watching funny memes → Breathing deeply (six slow breaths) → Taking a quick walk in the sun → Putting your bare feet in the grass These moments build your productivity. A recent study even found that people become 44% more productive after looking at cute pet photos. They call it the "cute aggression" effect — that little surge of joy you feel seeing something heart-meltingly cute literally makes you sharper, and perform better. Meanwhile, MRI and EEG studies show that without breaks, especially after back-to-back Zoom meetings, stress and fatigue set in, making you slower and more drained. Hustle culture sold us a lie: Doing more means being more. The American Stress Association backs this up too. Safety and recovery — not hustle — are what lead to sustained high performance. Even now, I catch myself saying I've got to get back at it.  Like many of us, we tie our success to constant output and activity. For some, sitting still still feels... wrong. One of my mentors used to say: "If you want to be an amateur, work yourself into the ground. If you want to be an athlete, protect your energy." It’s a tough lesson, and I know, despite years of self-development, I consciously still have to work at it. I’m getting better at scheduling time to sit, relax, and breathe — and I feel more rested, more focused, and more me. So, if you’re feeling drained, it’s not a weakness. It’s your brain asking for care. Treat it like the asset it is. Excuse me now, I  have to go sit on my porch and enjoy my funny dog videos.

As the Founder of EQ@Amazon, I've delivered EQ trainings to hundreds of thousands of people. One of the most popular techniques I've shared all over the world to help people increase calm and boost cognitive efficiency is mindful breathing. Breath control techniques have been scientifically proven to : 🌟 Reduce anxiety 🌟 Promote relaxation 🌟 Change the electrical state of neurons 🌟 Sharpen the mind 🌟 Improve performance What's not to like?! One of my favorite techniques was popularized by the Navy SEALs, and it's called "box breathing." It's pretty simple: 👉 Inhale through the nose for a 4-count 👉 Hold for a 4-count 👉 Exhale through the mouth for a 4-count 👉 Hold for a 4-count Do this for six cycles, and it physiologically changes the state of your body. It gets more oxygen to your brain and it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which downregulates heightened emotions (anger, fear, anxiety) and decreases heart rate and blood pressure. (This actually a form of pranayama or breath control, which has been around for thousands of years). Next time you want to reduce stress levels, increase calm, and improve brain function, use this technique. The great thing is that you can do it anytime and anywhere--before a challenging meeting, during a meeting, to start your day, to end your day. It can provide benefits in a variety of situations! Read more about the science here: https://lnkd.in/gyxVcdCn

🚀How I Get Myself Out of Stress & Into A Flow State At Work🚀 Here's a Bold Statement: Your results match your emotional state. You can unlock higher levels of productivity when you feel good. You can't get more than mediocre results when you are stressed. When you are not in a peak emotional state (for example if you are feeling overwhelmed, rushed, stressed, etc), you will not get peak results. Your results will match your emotional state. Therefore, when you are not in a great emotional state, it makes sense to stop immediately, and do what you need to do to relax and get into that flow state where: 🌟 You are more creative 🚀 You get bigger and better ideas 🔗 Information connects effortlessly ⏰ You accomplish more in less time 🌠 Inspired actions flow naturally Here are some ways I get myself out of a frazzled state and into a flow state where I get more done in less time (so that I can live my best life): 1) Listen to alpha brainwave music. The alpha brainwave state occurs when you are in light meditation and where you are most creative and most likely to enter a flow state of productivity. I put on my headphones, and simply press play on a beautiful hours-long YouTube music-only video to have playing in the background while I focus on creating my best work. 2) Meditate with a cup of cacao. I simply prepare myself a cup of heirloom cacao and sit in silence while I have my cacao and focus on being alive and aware. I can't do this in the office, but every time I get to do this from home, I churn out my best work in record time. 3) Exercise or yoga. I've found that when I skip my morning workout, I'm a lot less productive during the day. Yoga breaks during the day or evening also help with focus, clarity, and relaxation. 4) 15 minute breathwork. If I'm having a bad day I cannot shake, I love to do 3 sets of Wim Hoff breathing, but any type of breathwork will do. The idea is to get fresh oxygen flowing through your body and brain for peak performance. 5) I ask my soul: What do I long for right now? And if it's possible, I go and do it. Many hesitate, fearing they should be 'on' and working 24/7. Yet, answering your soul's yearnings can unlock new dimensions of insight and productivity. It fosters fresh perspectives and swifter problem-solving. It goes to show that a flow state of heightened awareness gets monumentally better results than a stressed state, which gets at best, mediocre results. --- I help business professionals become impactful leaders and live their best lives personally and professionally. If you found this post valuable, share or like it so that it reaches more people, or most importantly, take some inspired action. Follow to be the first to see more posts like this. #mindfulness #flowstate #stressrelief #worklifeharmony

Workplace stress. It's a productivity killer. Not just for individuals. But for entire organizations. Think it's an exaggeration? Consider this: ✅ 76% of workers report stress affecting their personal relationships ✅ 63% are ready to quit their jobs due to stress ✅ Stress-related health problems cost companies $300 billion annually These aren't just statistics. They're warning signs of a widespread issue. I've watched stress destroy careers and derail promising projects. It starts small in teams: ↳ Missed deadlines ↳ Interpersonal conflicts ↳ Increased absenteeism Then it snowballs organizationally: ↳ Higher turnover rates ↳ Decreased innovation ↳ Compromised decision-making at all levels Many think they're managing it. But at what cost to the company? ↳ Creativity? Stifled. ↳ Strategic thinking? Compromised. ↳ Long-term organizational health? At serious risk. Ignoring stress isn't a sign of organizational strength. It's boiling water. But here's the good news: It's possible to defuse it at scale. Here are 5 proven strategies to foster calm under pressure: 1) Recognize stress signals in the workplace. Teams show stress before individuals admit it. → Increased conflict? → Missed targets? → Low engagement? These are organizational warning signs. 2) Implement strategic breathing practices. Simple, yet effective. Encourage the 4-4-4 technique: → Inhale for 4 seconds. → Hold for 4 seconds. → Exhale for 4 seconds. Imagine the collective impact of an entire team doing this. 3) Reframe challenges company-wide. Stress often stems from perspective. Encourage teams to ask: → "What's the worst-case scenario?" → "How probable is that, really?" → "Where's the opportunity here?" A shift in organizational mindset can change stress levels. 4) Normalize strategic breaks. Constant work isn't productivity. It's a path to burnout. → Encourage 5-minute breaks every 90 minutes → Promote stepping away from workstations → Provide spaces for stretching or brief walks Watch team performance sharpen. 5) Foster a culture of self-compassion. Stop the cycle of harsh self-criticism in your organization. → Model speaking to others as you'd speak to valued colleagues → Promote kindness in feedback → Acknowledge that challenges are universal Managing stress isn't a luxury for organizations. It's essential for peak performance. Start small. Implement one technique company-wide this week. You'll be amazed at the boost in productivity (and morale). What stress-management practice has your organization found most effective? Share below. P.S. I help companies build stress-resilient teams that outperform the competition. Want to improve productivity and slash turnover? DM or Comment “Wellness” and let’s get the conversation going.

Here's a soft skill that most people don't practice enough: Knowing how to self-regulate your nervous system. Too often, we try to problem solve while triggered. That's a mistake. Problem solving is an impossible thing to do when you're flooded with emotions. Notice the messages your body is telling you so that you can self-soothe: 🫀Fidgeting — You feel nervous. 🫀 Startles Easy — You feel ungrounded. 🫀 Procrastinating — You're in Freeze State. 🫀 Difficulty Concentrating — Your mind is turbulent. 🫀 Dissociation from your body — You're distancing yourself from distress. If you notice yourself experiencing any of the above, stop everything you're doing. It's time for a break! In moments like these, I: 🧍🏾 Invite Movement — Stand up, stretch, take up space, move around. This will lower cortisol and increase testosterone to help you perform better. 😮💨 Breathe — Inhale through your nose for 4, out through your mouth with pierced lips for 8. This will slow your heart rate and create a sense of calm. 🤌🏽 Constructive Rest — This isn't just napping or watching tv. It's doing something that complements your last task. Maybe it's journaling, calling a loved one, or doing the Wordle. ✍🏽 Reset — Once I feel calmer, I return to the task at hand. I jot down all my thoughts to help organize them and make a realistic plan for moving forward. #mentalhealth #productivity #problemsolving

Have you ever felt like you're drowning in your business? Like you can't catch your breath between the endless tasks, decisions, and fires to put out? I've been there. And I've discovered a simple yet powerful secret! Breathe. Taking a moment to breathe can be a game-changer in your business day. As a small business owner, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the whirlwind. I've learned that pausing to take a few deep breaths can make all the difference. Whether it's a quick 10-second breather when things feel overwhelming or a deliberate 15-minute meditation break, giving yourself that mental space is crucial. In my courses and coaching, I teach a technique called mental fitness reps—short mindfulness exercises that help reset your mental state. It's as simple as feeling your feet on the floor for a few seconds or noticing your breath. These micro-moments of mindfulness can dramatically shift your perspective and energy. I also give my clients access to leadership meditations. These guided sessions, designed specifically for business owners and leaders, help cultivate clarity, focus, and resilience. They're a useful tool for developing a calm, leadership mindset. I encourage my clients to schedule regular time away from the business to reflect and recharge. It might feel counterintuitive when your to-do list is a mile long, but trust me—giving yourself time and space to breathe will make you more productive and focused when you return. How do you build breathing space into your day? When was the last time you stepped back from your business to get some perspective? Remember, taking care of yourself is taking care of your business. Don't underestimate the power of a deep breath, a quick mental fitness rep, or a leadership meditation to transform your day and your leadership. #meditation #leadershipskills #calm #wellbeing #SmallEmployer

The secret to getting more done: Take breaks. Yes, it's that simple. Those who know me know I love chatting about productivity and efficiency. There's just something satisfying about gaming your way through a difficult situation and coming out of it for the better. One technique I often use is the Pomodoro Technique. Simply stated, you focus intensely on a single task for about 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat four times, then take a longer break. Though it sounds counterintuitive, taking more breaks throughout your day actually leads to better productivity. Researchers have studied the Pomodoro Technique, and there's scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness. Why does this work so well? Our brains aren't built for non-stop focus all day. They need time to rest and recharge. By working in short bursts, you maintain high levels of focus and energy. The frequent breaks prevent burnout and keep you fresh. Use this time to stand up, stretch, or grab a glass of water. Step away from your screen. Let your mind wander. These short pauses help you avoid mental fatigue and eye strain. This technique is a lifesaver for busy professionals. It helps you manage your time better and increases your output. You'll finish your day feeling accomplished, not drained. Fun fact: The Pomodoro technique was named by an Italian university student in the late 80s who used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to track the intervals, known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for tomato. 🍅 🇮🇹 Do you use this technique? What works for you? Share in the comments.