Every month, you'll get actionable tips and insights to start, grow and build your personal resilience, mental health and productivity in less than 4 minutes. Our newsletters are drawn from our award-winning self-leadership and resilience training programmes that help your teams and leaders handle pressure, adapt to change, and stay engaged so you can boost productivity, retention, and results.
Stop what you are doing right now
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Hi Reader, Stop. Right now. Drifting to your inbox. Flicking between tabs. Tired for no obvious reason. Suddenly very interested in making a coffee. Classic signs your brain is asking for a break. And you should listen, because we are naturally programmed to want a break every 90-120 minutes. Why?Ultradian rhythms are natural cycles your body runs through every 90 minutes or so, governing your energy, alertness, and ability to concentrate. It's the same biological system that drives your sleep cycles, just playing out through your waking day. This means your brain needs a rest every 90 minutes to perform optimally. This rest needs to be between 5 and 20 mins long. Nipping to the toilet for 2 mins just won’t cut it. Your brain tells you it's time for a break. Signs include:
If you ignore your body’s signals and battle through these low-energy dips, your energy and focus will eventually crawl out of the ultradian trough, but not nearly as high as before. After a missed break, your next ultradian performance peak will be significantly lower than your previous one, which means you won’t get as much done or do it as well, and you won’t feel anywhere near as good. For the next 90 minutes, your body and brain will keep slogging on, but at a reduced capacity. Pushing past 90 minutes feels productive. It isn’t. It’s counterproductive. Ultradian Rhythm Break ActivitiesHere are some ideas to get you started:
Work with your natural rhythm, not against it. Your focus, energy, and ideas will thank you.
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Hi! Welcome To The Home of Resilience Skills
Every month, you'll get actionable tips and insights to start, grow and build your personal resilience, mental health and productivity in less than 4 minutes. Our newsletters are drawn from our award-winning self-leadership and resilience training programmes that help your teams and leaders handle pressure, adapt to change, and stay engaged so you can boost productivity, retention, and results.
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