“If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.”

– Thomas Aquinas

Wellness Tip:

Boost Your Walk With Intervals

So, going for a 5-mile run every day just isn’t your thing. We get it! But what about walking? Good news is, walking can help you burn fat and get fit. It even boosts creativity.

Research shows that walking in intervals – moderate walking with short bursts of power walking – maximizes the health benefits. For example, you might do a minute of moderate walking followed by a minute of power walking, and repeat for a total of 30 mins.

Your power walking should be fast enough that it’s hard to hold a conversation. To intensify the workout, lengthen the power intervals, increase your pace, and/or add hills.

Give it a shot! Your morning walk is about to get a whole lot better (and sweatier!).

Productivity Tip:

Use Mental Time Travel

Close your eyes and, for the next 30 seconds, imagine yourself waking up tomorrow. Picture it vividly: the room, the sunlight, the sounds. Where are you? Who are you with? Now picture yourself waking up in one year from now. Then 10 years from now.

This exercise (follow a more detailed version here – trust us, it’s worth doing) is one of “Episodic future thinking” or EFT. Another name for it? Mental time travel.

By “imagining the unimaginable”, mental time travel allows your brain to create new possibilities. It’s a powerful tool: it can help you plan and make decisions about the future, prepare for things that scare you, and get motivated to create the future life you want.

Check out this article at TED Ideas for the science behind it, and give it a try today.

Routine Breakdown

Wim Hof, Extreme Athlete & Motivational Speaker

Does “The Iceman”, founder of the Wim Hof Method, incorporate a cold shower into his mornings? You betcha! Reportedly he:

• Wakes up with the sun, meditates and stretches.
• Does a session of power breathing, then takes a cold shower – both key pillars of the Wim Hof Method. 
• Spends the morning working, then spends the afternoon in his garden. 
• Fasts until dinner time. 

Why it works:

• Meditation has a bunch of science-backed benefits (great way to start the day!). 
• Some studies show that the Wim Hof Method allows for voluntary control of the autonomic nervous system. Hof’s method boasts benefits like reduced inflammation, higher immunity, balanced hormones, better sleep, and production of endorphins.
• Time in nature does beautiful things for our health and wellbeing.
• Much research suggests fasting can have a huge range of benefits. 

How do you feel about the cold? While we’re not about to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in just a pair of shorts (yes, Hof really did that) an icy shower can be invigorating… Maybe? 🤔 What’s your experience? Hit reply and let us know!