I am a strategic, analytical, efficient hippie scientist.
Hippie origins: insisting on tie dye for all situations
I enjoy gathering, analyzing, and testing all sorts of practices to uplevel my life in every arena, and I’m constantly trying to determine the minimum effective dose (MED) to streamline ancient wisdom to realistically fit into our busy, modern lives.
I’ve developed the following strategies (most of which have been confirmed by science!) to be my best self as much as possible:
I work smarter (optimizing productivity and happiness) by:
- Performing my morning routine as much as possible to set me up to win the day
- Viewing low points/obstacles as challenges that make me better
- Asking “how do I want to feel?” before decisions
- Showing up fully, everywhere
- Remembering that intervals = efficiency. When I’m working, I’m all in. Same with relaxing
- Maintaining a default mode = smile
- Realizing that I can change my mental/emotional state instantly. As emotion follows motion, I can move (walks outside are the best) or use music and happy memories to bring myself up when I’m feeling lethargic or uninspired
- I keep a ‘happy pack’ of songs (in .mp3 format so I don’t need to depend on internet) on my phone that I listen to strategically to pump me up!
- Fitting in at least five minutes of meditation/stillness/observation per day. It’s always worth it
- Listening to podcasts as much as possible
- setting podcasts to 1.5x or double speed makes an enormous difference in how many I can get in during the day!
- some of my favorite podcasts are The Model Health Show, Ben Greenfield Fitness, The Daily Boost, EoFire, The Tim Ferriss Show, Get Gutsy!, The School of Greatness, and Badass and Bare!
- Always having reading material (and healthy snacks!) on hand (waiting can be enjoyable!)
- Writing affirmations, ideas, quotes, anything that makes me smile right on my bathroom mirror (I call it my affirmirror)
Yes, my bathroom is bright orange. Yes, I chose that color.
I maintain physical health by:
- Moving every day, going with how I feel. Some days I head out for morning walks with friends, and other days I channel work stresses into a hard lifting session.
- Eating protein first
- Keeping a movement calendar on my fridge, that I mark every day, even if it’s to say REST 🙂
- Completing 50 pushups and 50 kettlebell swings each day (usually morning and evening)
- Always having a challenging physical event, like a triathlon or Tough Mudder, on my schedule!
- Falling in love with and practicing cooking to make my own food as much as possible
- Not stressing over counting calories or what I’m eating or not eating.
- Maintaining an unwinding bedtime routine to ensure top-quality sleep 😉