Ep. 122 - Extended Episode: Energy Management Tips & Tricks

 In this last episode of the Energy Management series, we’re pulling everything together with some tips and tricks to utilize in your daily life. Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your routine or keep your energy up, this episode is packed with useful insights. Tune in with me and my friend (and fellow entrepreneur) Dele Downs Kooley as we discuss actionable ways to keep your energy in check and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Transcript

Today’s episode wraps up the four-part series on energy management, and it comes with a special bonus. I am going to replay an extended deep dive that I had the very fun opportunity to do on the Pivot to Joy podcast with my friend and fellow entrepreneur, Dele Downs Kooley. 

In addition to time and energy topics, I also study and teach communication skills & science. One of the best tactics, says research, is to tell stories versus simply share data. And Dele and I love a good story! 

Following is the entire hour-long episode that we did, this breaks from our usual brain-snack size segments but it also offers more insight into many of the topics you’ve heard here many times before including most recently in this energy series. 

If you’re tight on time, go ahead and skip to the 13-minute mark for more specifically on attention spans, the 23-minute mark is about reducing overwhelm, the 31-minute mark is offering a great tech tip if you get distracted a lot, the 36-minute mark is where we talk about elements of cognitive performance, and the 43-minute mark offers thoughts on how our five senses are tools that can really help re-boost our energy during the day. 

With show editing, those times might vary a bit but I wanted to give you options as you navigate to the information you need in this moment. 

A big thanks to the Pivot to Joy podcast amd to Dele for allowing this replay. I hope you enjoy it and tune in next week as we start a four-week series on time management.

Episode Description

In this episode, Coach Kooley interviews Kristin Graham, founder of Unlock the Brain and host of the Fewer Things Better podcast. Kristin shares insights from neuroscience, psychology, and habits to help listeners unlock their potential and boost productivity. She shares strategies for time management, organization, setting boundaries, and prioritizing joy and self-care. Kristin shares "brain snacks" and productivity hacks, particularly for busy professionals and working parents. She also talks about managing energy, improving productivity, and finding joy in your daily life. Kristin shares insights on how to put yourself first on your to-do list and offers simple hacks to boost cognitive performance.

Tune in now!

Timestamps:

[01:15] Kristin’s biography

[04:48] Kristin's journey and approach to career pivots

[06:40] Challenges and fears associated with taking a leap of faith

[09:14] Benefits of actively pursuing your goals after taking a leap of faith

[11:55] Importance of understanding and optimizing our attention spans

[16:02] Benefits of understanding your natural chronobiology

[19:54] Tools for improving productivity and reducing overwhelm

[32:31] The importance of aligning your brain and body when you wake up

[33:27] Energy management and cognitive performance strategies

[35:15] The four key elements of cognitive performance

[37:59] Strategies for enhancing energy and cognitive performance

[41:03] Importance of prioritizing oneself in daily routines

[50:47] The distinction between soothing and trying to fix or escape from emotions

Quotes:

• Luck is when preparation and opportunity meet. I'd like to add a dash of bravery and courage because those things intersect often. It's when we have faith, which is a big word. So I'll just say lowercase, faith to think it'll work out or won't, but I'll be all right either way. 
• If it's easy, we feel like we don't deserve it. We have somehow convinced ourselves that reward comes after extraneous effort.
• If you are interested and express that interest with your voice, body language, and words, other people will be interested in what you're talking about as well.
• When we disrupt [our melatonin cycle] in the morning, it's like we put a pause button on it. Some people say, 'I'm exhausted, but I can't fall asleep. 
• I encourage you to make a hobby of finding out more details about yourself. The elements of your day, the things you reach, and finding joy instead of escape. Because the difference becomes, did I find smiles? Did I find a happy size? Did I find energy in whatever form on the other side of that? Versus, did you check something off the list?
• There's a difference between soothing and trying to fix or trying to reverse or escape. So if we're like, I am feeling this way and shouldn't feel this way, we try to fix it. Or I'm feeling this way and want to hide from the world. Soothing is different because it's temporary.