“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

– Nelson Mandela

Wellness Tip:

Regulate Your Nervous System

Feeling reactive or like you’re on high alert? It could be that your nervous system is dysregulated. Here are some ways to practice nervous system regulation:

• Deep breathing: Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold again for four. Repeat this ‘box breathing’ for 10 rounds to restore calm.

• Visualize emotions: Picture them as separate from you to create distance.
• Mind wandering: Close your eyes, recall a joyful image or memory, and immerse yourself in that positive visualization until you feel calmer.
• Positive Thoughts: Intentionally focus on positive thoughts, or try humorously singing your negative thoughts to lighten them.

Read more here, and consider practicing nervous system regulation daily (see Shani Taylor’s routine below!) rather than waiting until difficult moments strike.

Productivity Tip:

Start The Day With a Self-Assessment

Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg has been doing this simple activity every morning for more than a decade, and he says it makes him a “better boss”. 

Each morning, Vestberg ranks his mood from 1 to 10:

• 1-2: He should stay in his office and work by himself, because he isn’t in a good headspace to collaborate with others.
• 3-7: He’s “energized” and able to work at a high level. This is his best state.
• 8-10: Vestberg jokes that at this range he has “so much energy that people get tired of me.” He tries to dial back to the 3-7 range and prioritize his work.

It’s all about developing self-awareness so you can find the right energy for the task. What do you think? Have you tried a morning self-assessment?

Routine Breakdown

Shani Taylor, Sales Mentor & Author

“It’s an act of Self-Love to prioritize your connection to heart, mind, and body first,” says Shani Taylor, “because how you treat yourself is how the rest of the world is going to treat you.” She:

• Gets up at 3:45am. “Being up while the rest of the world is quiet allows me to center myself. In the Ayurvedic practice, waking up before the sunrises is a loving “sattvic” (quality) that aligns you with a peaceful mind and freshness of the senses.”
• Nervous system regulation. “I prioritize doing NS practices like Integrations that bring me into my body and regulate me to a ventral state – the baseline for social connection. People are drawn to those who feel safe, and you radiate safe energy when you have your nervous system in a state of balance.”
• Client responses then exercise. “Because my business operates in over 19 different timezones, I wake up to things that require my attention. I prioritize a few hours of work from 4:30am onwards, then exercise mid-morning before getting back to work at lunchtime.”

Why it works:

• Getting up early has benefits – but what’s key is doing what works for you!
• These practices help us lower stress and manage our emotional responses.
• Work followed by an exercise break is a great strategy for staying focused.

“By being intentional with how we start our day, we are intentional with how we create our day,” says Shani. “Run your day from the moment you wake or it will run you.” Agreed!