#6: How To Add Deep Focus Sessions in Your Everyday Life.

Hi,

I'm happy you want to invest in your brain. That's a smart choice. As always, I've got 4 Brain Nutrients for you:

• One Short Article: How To Add Deep Focus Sessions in Your Everyday Life.

• Two Quotes.

• One Neuroscience Fact: Stress increases focus.

Enjoy!

One Short Article: How To Add Deep Focus Sessions in Your Everyday Life.

Cal Newport coined the term "Deep Work" and wrote a book with the same title. Getting to your focus peaks is the secret to high performance. If you spend that time working on your goals, you're heading for success. Sadly, Big Tech companies don't want you to achieve goals.

Deep Work is a time of deep focus while working on intellectually demanding tasks. Concentration strengthens your cognitive abilities. Today, I'll give you a simple recipe for how to get to that state.

Remember, your ability to focus is a skill. It means you can improve it. The more you practice it, the better you get at it. And your brain benefits. You don't expect to play piano, make free throws, or dance ballet at a high level after a week of practice, do you? At first, it will be hard, and you'll probably suck. But you can't skip this part.

As soon as you know how to focus, you'll be unstoppable. You'll be able to learn faster, read with higher understanding, and produce more outcomes, whether it's writing code, text, or solving other problems.

Here's the recipe:

• Block 60-90 minutes a day. Preferably at the same time each day. If it's too long, start with 30 minutes.

• Have a clear goal for the session. Focus on one task. It can be a book, an online course, an article you write, or a side project you're currently working on. Note: If your tasks are smaller, you can increase the number. But don't exceed three items to avoid context switching.

• Remove all distractions. Put your phone in another room, and activate airplane mode. If you need internet access for resources, turn on a website blocker.

• Expect a transition time. It's impossible to switch to a deeper focus in an instant. Usually, it takes 5-10 minutes. But through practice, you'll get there faster.

• Maintaining a deep level of focus for an extended time is unlikely. Your concentration is dynamic. During each session, your focus deepens and shallows. Be gentle to yourself if you lose focus. Deliberately pay attention to your task again.

If you decide to begin with shorter sessions, gradually increase their length. But 90 minutes should be the upper limit. Pros manage 2 hours; Lex Fridman 4 hours. But he's a robot.

Bonus Points.

You can boost the results after the session. First, disengage from the session. But don't jump straight into distractions. Invest the next 10-15 minutes and free your mind. You can meditate, go for a walk, take a short nap, or lie with your eyes closed. Delay the "busy" mode.

Then, prioritize your sleep. The physical growth of synapses occurs during sleep. To be more precise, during the REM phase. The longer you sleep, the longer you are in the REM phase and the more growth of synapses. Don't waste your efforts, and get a decent night's sleep.

Two Quotes

• "Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate, and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed." Paulo Coelho

• "You won't be successful unless you're clear on your goals and how to achieve them." Dorie Clark, The Long Game

One Neuroscience Fact: Stress increases focus.

A modest level of stress improves your cognitive performance. When you're stressed, you release cortisol, adrenaline, and epinephrine. They narrow your thinking context and visual field. It sharpens your concentration by creating a tunnel-like focus.

Thanks for reading. See you next week.

Keep your brain in mind.

Kris

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