If you think about how music affects us—from pumping us up, to filling us with pleasure, to bringing tears to our eyes—it’s not hard to imagine that music has a powerful effect on the brain and body.

During delta brainwaves, our mind and body regenerates. Sleep is when we restore energy levels, repair tissues, remove waste, and recover from a hard workout. Sleep also helps to regulate appetite, consolidate memories, and increase immune function. Pausing to rest during our waking hours gives our bodies and brains the break they need to recharge and sets the stage for getting a deep, restful sleep, in which we can fully recover. One way to do this? Take a vacation. And not just any vacation, a real vacation.

One of the most common pieces of feedback we get is that people love Q&A sessions. So this week we thought we’d compile all of the FAQs that we’ve received from our community over the past year - through emails, live events, and coaching sessions. Hopefully you find this information helpful and that there are some key takeaways that you can apply to your daily routine. Of course if you have any questions that we missed don't hesitate to reach out!

Trying to make changes to your lifestyle isn’t easy. We often get caught up in a cycle of “bad habits” that are hard to break. This is because we are meant to conserve energy (remember Decision Fatigue!). The challenge is then to try to implement new habits that will improve your health and performance, and get away from habits that are damaging. In order to do this, we need to make our lifestyle changes as easy as possible and we need to be consistent.

One of the questions we asked in our recent survey was what your main barriers are when making a change to improve your health. “Lack of motivation” was the top answer...by a landslide. This is a HUGE increase from our survey at the beginning of the pandemic, and while not surprising, we wanted to dedicate a week to addressing this.

Our recent survey revealed that managing stress and anxiety is still one of the biggest pain points for members of our community. While many of you noted that your physical health has improved since the beginning of the pandemic (nice work!), for many of you, your mental health has gotten worse.

We hope you enjoyed a nice break over the holidays! Now that you’re recharged and refreshed, it’s time to get excited for the year ahead! We have a lot of great topics headed your way for the next few months. But first, we want to dedicate this week to taking a step back and focusing on your bigger purpose. This will set you up for the coming year and help you stay focused as we dive into more advanced topics to amplify your health and performance.

The key is to switch from time management to priority management. Time management is living by your calendar. Priority management is getting the most important things you need to do every day done.

Have you noticed how much less stressed you are after going for a walk outside or after spending a weekend camping in the wilderness? This is because nature is so powerful in improving both physical and mental health.

When your behaviour becomes a habit, you are able to sustain it because you’re not putting any mental energy into doing it. When people want to implement a behaviour change, they need to do it consistently in order to make it a habit.

As many of you know, one of our main mantras is that incremental improvements, or micro-gains, will help you win over the long term. Being just 1% better every day has a huge impact on your physical and mental health over time.

We drive ourselves day and night. We never rest. We never step back. We push and push and push.

Why is this a problem? Because that’s not how the brain works. It’s not how the body works. It’s not how performance works. And it’s not what optimizes our health and longevity.

There are several ways you can alter your physical environment to change the way you work. You might not be able to change the state of your building, but you can make small changes to workspaces or rooms that make a big difference. And you don’t have to spend a ton of money—you can work with what you have to create a space more conducive to improved focus and productivity.

An interview with Dr. Greg Wells - It's okay to dream big, but start small. With "1 per cent tips," Wells advocates staying focused on micro-improvements (using spices, not sauces, to cut calories; walking 15 minutes a day to potentially lower risk of breast and colon cancer 24 to 40 per cent). "Microchanges are sustainable forever," he says. "When they add up over time, it's like compound interest for your body and mind."

Creativity does not happen by accident. Advances in physiological research can provide us with insights about how we can spark our own agile thinking and problem solving.

As a leader in business, you're probably pushing the limits on a daily basis. Adopting deliberate practices that improve your creativity and mental agility will allow you to perform at a higher level more easily and more consistently. Putting these ideas into practice does require a shift in mindset and a reallocation of your priorities. It will be challenging in the short term, but the long-term benefits will be powerful for you personally and for your career and business.