Techniques for being productive while limiting stress

[FrostedShores]

I was curious if anyone knows of any techniques that can help a person be productive in their day-to-day life while also reducing stress. The Peat community focuses a great deal on diet and supplements to lower things like cortisol, prolactin, estrogen, etc. But I don't see a lot of discussion about actual lifestyle/productivity techniques (it's possible there's plenty of discussion about this, and my ability to use the search function just sucks). So any suggestions? Anything anyone's tried that is particularly effective?

Recently, I've been implementing the pomodoro technique: remove all distractions and work for twenty-five minutes, then take a five minute break, then repeat for four cycles before taking a longer break. So 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, longer break (anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes). Breaking things up into smaller sections and having plenty of smaller breaks seems to be helpful for getting plenty of work done while preventing stress and burnout.

I'm a natural procrastinator, though, and even breaking down larger tasks into 25 minute sessions can feel overwhelming. Like my adrenaline and cortisol just spike at the thought of doing much of anything. The pomodoro technique is helpful, but I'm hoping you wonderful people have some better suggestions.

Oh, and just to clarify, I'm talking about productivity in both work and home life. How do people get all their work done and manage to keep the dishes clean without being flooded with stress hormones?

 

[TheSir]

Sorry for not offering any practical advice. I'd just like to point out that both unproductivity and stress tendency stem from low metabolic energy. You procrastinate because you are lacking energy. And because you are lacking energy, taking action is going to cause stress, no matter how you approach it. This is because in absence of true energy, only stress hormones can prepare you for action. Thus, instead of looking for productivity techniques, it would be more productive to look into how to fix your metabolism. Do that, and you will become naturally productive and stress free.

 

[FrostedShores]

Sorry for not offering any practical advice. I'd just like to point out that both unproductivity and stress tendency stem from low metabolic energy. You procrastinate because you are lacking energy. And because you are lacking energy, taking action is going to cause stress, no matter how you approach it. This is because in absence of true energy, only stress hormones can prepare you for action. Thus, instead of looking for productivity techniques, it would be more productive to look into how to fix your metabolism. Do that, and you will become naturally productive and stress free.

Ah, perhaps I should have clarified. I've been applying Peat's principles for a while now, and I've experienced a significant increase in energy, as well as a reduction in overall stress. I have plenty of energy to do things I enjoy, but when it comes to work and chores, I put them off in favor of more enjoyable activities. In other words, I have lots of energy, but that doesn't mean I use that energy wisely or manage my time well.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I find that the more I am present the slower time seems to go by. Stress I think is caused by imagining a bunch of stuff you haven't done yet, while in reality there is only the present moment.

I find writing stuff down as soon as I think of it gets it out of my brain better. My best days just flow on their own and I find myself getting stuff done with no concept of "forcing myself" or being the actor at all. I am sort of "done to" rather than the "doer."

See

8 Traits of Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes 'Flow' as a state of complete absorption.

positivepsychology.com

 

[FrostedShores]

I find that the more I am present the slower time seems to go by. Stress I think is caused by imagining a bunch of stuff you haven't done yet, while in reality there is only the present moment.

I find writing stuff down as soon as I think of it gets it out of my brain better. My best days just flow on their own and I find myself getting stuff done with no concept of "forcing myself" or being the actor at all. I am sort of "done to" rather than the "doer."

See

8 Traits of Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes 'Flow' as a state of complete absorption.

positivepsychology.com

I've heard about "flow" but I haven't looked much into it. Thank you for the resource!

 

[LarryinBangkok]

techniques that can help a person be productive in their day-to-day life while also reducing stress.

Valuable topic. Thank you FrostedShores for posting about this.

 

[Dapose]

Listening to great podcast interviews with Dr Peat is my favorite way to do yard work or the dishes and clean. I put on headphones to really get the feel like I’m hanging out with him while he’s discussing calcium and whatnot.
I don’t mean to say I do this every time I do chores because chores are endless. I just like this method for when I’m doing back to back chores.
You need to try to find the dream world in your head. Have fun. Don’t do math to figure out whether you’ve been productive or not. Just because you sweep one messy corner of the room doesn’t mean you HAVE to sweep the whole room. Do what you want. Have fun and think fun thoughts when you do the dishes. Like name all your plates and give them personalities. Or get some Cats! We have 3 and they make so much of a mess that it forces you to clean! Because you love them and you don’t want them to have to poop in a stinky liter box.
Another thing I think you could try is to talk to yourself while your doing the chores. Pretend like like people are watching you and you are an actor on a sitcom.
Or hire a cleaning service and piggyback on there work! That helps us too. If you know they are coming over once a month or week or whatever it forces you to pick up sh!t and do some preemptive cleaning. “Tidying Up”

 

[alephx]

One thing that works wonder is actually writing: At the start of the day I'll write down main goals in a journal. Then as the day goes on I add or modify. If you procrastinate a lot, just split a goal in sub tasks that you are going to do IN ORDER and commit to them. Write 1-5 tasks and do them. You can add tasks but you have to do/try things in the order you write them.

I use my own take on bullet journaling.

 

[EustaceBagge]

Sorry for not offering any practical advice. I'd just like to point out that both unproductivity and stress tendency stem from low metabolic energy. You procrastinate because you are lacking energy. And because you are lacking energy, taking action is going to cause stress, no matter how you approach it. This is because in absence of true energy, only stress hormones can prepare you for action. Thus, instead of looking for productivity techniques, it would be more productive to look into how to fix your metabolism. Do that, and you will become naturally productive and stress free.

I 100% agree with this, and I can definitely work, but the price is paid in blood so to speak. Recovering thyroid for me is very difficult, as I do intense exercise I really do not want to give up (twice a week), and also because I'm really deep into hypothyroidism. The hypothyroidism gives me a lingering anxiety, so I wonder whether it makes more sense to calm down to increase thyroid, or to increase thyroid to calm down (probably both).

Both my parents were also hypothyroid, so in this sense do you think this hypothyroidism is more of a shared circumstances or genetics? Basically is laziness hereditary? When I was a teenager I would work incredibly hard, but was always cold, I guess my body gave up... Right now my morning temps are 35.4C or 95.7 without stress (which I had to work very hard for)

Right now I'm only considering one thing, that is to recover my thyroid naturally. Do you think that actual thyroid supplementation would be necessary just by the information I gave you? Many of the people on this forum seem to be really deep into health, yet I see very few testimonials of actual total recovery.

I know I asked you a lot of questions, but I just need some encouragement to try synthetic thyroid I guess. I have this instinctual feeling that I will have to stay on it which I don't really like, but staying like this is also shitty.

 

[Mauritio]

Recently, I've been implementing the pomodoro technique: remove all distractions and work for twenty-five minutes, then take a five minute break, then repeat for four cycles before taking a longer break. So 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, longer break (anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes). Breaking things up into smaller sections and having plenty of smaller breaks seems to be helpful for getting plenty of work done while preventing stress and burnout.

That sounds interesting. I assume you use a timer to track the time.
One of the brakes could also be used to eat a teaspoon of honey (or something sugary) to further lower stress hormones.

 

[TheSir]

Both my parents were also hypothyroid, so in this sense do you think this hypothyroidism is more of a shared circumstances or genetics? Basically is laziness hereditary? When I was a teenager I would work incredibly hard, but was always cold, I guess my body gave up...

Right now I'm only considering one thing, that is to recover my thyroid naturally. Do you think that actual thyroid supplementation would be necessary just by the information I gave you? Many of the people on this forum seem to be really deep into health, yet I see very few testimonials of actual total recovery.

Barring genetic defects, hereditary hypothyroidism tends to be caused by non-genetic factors. The mother might pass on deficiencies or toxicities to the fetus. The child may be born into an anti-metabolic lifestyle. An so on. All this means that theoretically almost all cases of hypothyroidism can be fixed.

Morover, it is very possible to heal your metabolism without taking synthetic thyroid. This does not mean that supplementing thyroid couldn't be therapeutic. It could give you many functional years. But it could also deplete and crash you further. In any case, it would not solve the underlying issues that have been perpetuating your hypothyroidism/burnout thus far. It would only be forcing your thyroid to operate at a level which your body has, for one reason or another, deemed inappropriate in your present metabolic context

I have attached an interview of Paul Eck, who was Peat's bioenergetic kindred spirit. In it you will find many of Peat's ideas affirmed, and after reading it you will come to understand what is missing. I think it will give you excellent perspective in your quest to figure out whether or not to take thyroid.

 

[EustaceBagge]

I have attached an interview of Paul Eck, who was Peat's bioenergetic kindred spirit. In it you will find many of Peat's ideas affirmed, and after reading it you will come to understand what is missing. I think it will give you excellent perspective in your quest to figure out whether or not to take thyroid.

I'll take a look thanks

 

[LarryinBangkok]

.
How would Dr. Peat answer the original post on this thread?

I'm new to all this, so I don't know:
Did Dr. Peat ever describe his personal tactics for being productive.

Based on his vast curriculum vitae, he certainly was highly productive.
I wonder if he ever said anything about how he accomplished that.

 

[Mauritio]

Recently, I've been implementing the pomodoro technique: remove all distractions and work for twenty-five minutes, then take a five minute break, then repeat for four cycles before taking a longer break. So 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, 5m rest, 25m work, longer break (anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes). Breaking things up into smaller sections and having plenty of smaller breaks seems to be helpful for getting plenty of work done while preventing stress and burnout.

Ive tried this technique the last few days, and it really makes a difference. thanks for sharing!