The world is finally opening up which for many of us means finally hopping on a plane (maybe for the first time in two years!) to relax, recharge, and destress. Of course with travel comes jet lag, which if not managed properly, can make you feel awful and can be detrimental to your health. So how can you minimize these unpleasant symptoms so you can focus on what matters and actually enjoy your vacation?

You also might have noticed that when you exercise regularly you have improved quality of sleep and are able to make better food choices. Basically - when you prioritize exercise, all other aspects of your health and performance improve!

Isolation and the lack of social connection over the past couple of years has had a huge toll on everyone’s mental health. It’s not a new discovery that humans are social creatures, however the pandemic has really highlighted how important being connected to one another is for our wellbeing.

It’s no surprise that people’s mental health has been suffering over the past couple of years. When we polled our community last year, the biggest challenge people cited was managing stress, anxiety, and depression during these times. In addition to the direct consequences, mental health challenges can impact other aspects of our health and wellbeing.

In recent years, technology has advanced to the point where we can measure stress on the spot using a wearable device, such as the Apple watch, or through an app that uses the phone camera. By simply measuring your heart rate for a minute, you’ll get a stress score through something called Heart Rate Variability (HRV).

In order to reach our potential and experience life at the highest possible level, we need to spend time in each of these brainwave states. The question then is why do we spend so much time in beta brainwave mode?

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.

Gamma brainwaves are the highest frequency brainwaves, measuring at a rate of 30-100 cycles per second (Hz). This is when various parts of the brain engage all at once to give us peak perception and function.

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.

There are ways we can manipulate our internal and external environment to help us enter into a Theta brainwave state more often, such as seeking solitude, changing scenery, and releasing tension from the body. This week we’re going to dive into one of the most powerful hacks to enter into a state of creativity: moving meditation

Theta brainwaves are one of the slowest brainwave states, measuring at 4 - 7 cycles per second (Hz). In this state our creativity is flowing. During theta wave activity, several regions of our brain activate at the same time and connect to each other. This is how we have leaps of insight, come up with new solutions to old problems, and discover links we didn’t see before. A classic example is being on autopilot in the shower, going through the motions without thought, and having a new, seemingly random, idea pop into your mind.

Last week we introduced Alpha brainwave states. Alpha brainwaves measure at 8 - 15 cycles per second (Hz), and tend to come about during acts of “metacognition” - or thinking about how you think. This state of reflection is crucial for learning, adapting, strategizing, and performing at the highest possible level. In order to enter into alpha brainwaves and strategic thinking, you need to relax your body while keeping your mind engaged so you can explore the things you want to achieve. One thing that can get in the way of this? Stress.

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve discussed the importance of entering into Beta brainwaves in order to enter into a state of deep focus and sustained concentration. Learning how to unlock beta brainwaves and enter into focused execution allows us to accomplish more, decrease stress, and direct our attention towards what is important.

​​Last week we introduced beta brainwaves, the brainwaves that occur when we are in a state of deep focus and sustained concentration. Learning how to unlock beta brainwaves and enter into focused execution allows us to accomplish more, decrease stress, and direct our attention towards what is important. However, the periods in between these deep focus states are just as important.

The five human brainwave states are Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta, and Gamma. By understanding the different properties of brainwaves and the situations in which they arise, we can learn to trigger these performance states to enter into them at the appropriate time. This week we’re going to dive into the first state: Beta brainwaves.