Sundar Pichai's Non-Meditation Technique to Curb My Stress. It's 10X Better Than a Morning Routine

There are countless ways to curb stress, but so many seem to require long-term commitment -- ongoing routines, schedule shifts, daily activity. For some, the idea of implementation is just an added strain. That's why when Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently revealed one of his pandemic-era techniques for keeping stress at bay, ears perked up.

It's not meditation. It's not diet. It's not journaling.

It's a collection of non-sleep deep-rest (NSDR) podcasts.

Business Insider took a deeper dive on NSDRs, a term originated by Stanford neuroscience professor Andrew Huberman. According to Huberman, NSDR involves "self-inducing a state of calm" and "directing our focus to something."

More specifically, Huberman calls out two critical components of NSDR: yoga nidra and hypnosis. The first puts you in a static physical state and prompts you to focus on a part of your body or its natural rhythms -- your breathing, for example. The second is, well, exactly what it you'd imagine -- translated by Huberman as "eliminating the surround [to achieve] a state of high focus."

Easier said than done, especially for busy C-levels who spend their day constantly in motion, juggling a million and one tasks.

The key is to pair NSDR with an activity you might already do, though after some trial and error myself, I recommend you keep it to something that is rote and requires minimal mental effort -- like washing the dishes.

For some, these activities can be Zen-like even without the help of NSDR, but if you need an extra level of calm, NSDR can actually help get you there quickly. Here's why, in my experience:

• The impact of surroundings on a harried CEO can be the number one source of stress. Requests, demands, and appeals from employees, investors, and the community are never-ending. If you can train yourself to remove those elements -- just for a few minutes -- you will be able to apply this tactic to calm your mind at any point throughout the day, even when you're not in the thick of NSDR exercises.
• The yoga element of NSDR trains you to recognize areas in your body where you carry your stress. Being mindful of this, and consciously sending signals to relax or release pent-up stress, is helpful for two reasons. First, you'll be able to feel when stress is mounting and intentionally step back before you're overwhelmed. But perhaps more important, you can stay on top of your stress continuously by "feeling" it in your body and giving it a release.

Because both of these benefits can be enjoyed at any point in the day -- and, if supported by NSDR, become second nature -- they can quickly mirror the benefit of morning or evening routines without the time-intensive hassle and schedule changes that usually go with them.

If you're interested in a good starting point, check out A Bit of a Boost: NSDR on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. You can also get more well-being insights from Huberman on his own website.

To be sure, there are countless relaxation and stress management techniques, and there is no one-size-fits-all. However, I believe the more we learn to manage our stress in the moment, the less need there will be to compartmentalize our "relaxing/unwinding" and our "doing, doing, doing." We'll be able to function in a state of calm whatever our harried schedules demand.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Mindful Leisure Time – Rewire the Brain

Experts claim that about 95% of our daily actions are done on ‘autopilot’, in a process which is controlled by the ‘fast brain’. The neurotransmitters that control our repetitive habits do it with such efficiency, and that is what makes breaking a habit (e.g. smoking) difficult. Mindfulness is the exact opposite of automatically giving in to habits, and when we practice it, we put our ‘slow brain’ to use.

The more you practice, the stronger the sense of control over the mind becomes, and new habits can form. But there is one problem. While our ‘slow brain’ is doing the work, the ‘fast brain’ is still trying to get us to take shortcuts. To remind ourselves that we’re the ones in power over our minds we can take a number of steps:

1. Create a Motivating Environment – If one of your goals for the day is to stretch instead of sitting on the couch watching TV, place your workout mat in the middle of the living room. It will remind you of your decision, and invite you to take action.

2. Mix Up Your Motivation Methods - The previous tip might work for a week or so. After that the ‘fast brain’ will prompt you to go back to your old habits, and caving to it will be harder to resist. Therefore, you need to freshen up the ways in which you motivate yourself to take action. For example, instead of placing the mat in the living room, stick a note on the TV screen saying ’10 minutes of stretches’.

3. Intentionally Create New Patterns of Thinking - Create a new thought pattern using the ‘X means Y’ model. For example, if you want to be more relaxed and happy when you get home from work, repeat the mantra ‘Coming in through the door means a smile’. If you’re nervous about making phone calls, repeat ‘phone calls mean deep breaths’. This intentional conditioning will help you be more aware of your actions and behaviors, by using the ‘slow brain’.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement 

How your food can influence your mood

Everyone emphasises on the need to eat healthy to stay healthy. Sure, a well-balanced diet can keep a lot of diseases at bay. But, have you wondered that our food choices can also trigger happiness? A new study suggests that what we choose to eat influences our emotional being too. A Prof. of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry said, “Research shows that what you eat does impact your mood.”

A study that has been published  that when people suffering from depression scored high on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (eating a diet based on nuts, whole grains, produce, and omega-3 fatty acids), the chances of their depression symptoms recurring for an 11-year period went down.

About 16 other studies were analysed. Covering about 446,000 people, they echoed that people consuming a healthy diet (veggie-based or one rich in fibres) had lower chances of experiencing depression symptoms. While it’s difficult to trace till what extent our food choices influence our moods, patterns are emerging from various studies.

Have you got the guts?
It’s a common phrase that roughly translates roughly into “are you brave enough (to do something)”. Why so? Because our gastrointestinal system is connected to your brain and influences emotions.
When the microbiomes of 2,000 adults were studied, those showing symptoms of depression were found to have lower levels of ‘good’ gut bacteria.  Thus, our microbiomes (the good and bad bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract) are specifically important.

“We know that the good bacteria in your gut produces a lot of neurotransmitters implicated in mood, like norepinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA),” said Drew Ramsey, MD, and author of “Eat Complete” based in New York.

The problem with processed foods
Studies have already shown that binging on packet foods and colas leads to higher risks associated with cholesterol, obesity and other health issues. According to a study, people consuming ultra-processed foods had a 33 per cent higher risk of being depressed compared to those who ate minimal amounts.

“These foods tend to be lower in essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins that play a crucial role in brain health,” said  a nutritionist. According to Consumer Reports, these highly processed foods are also low on fibre, which means that your microbiome and mood tend to be at stake.

Tips to eat healthy:
While there’s no concrete connection between healthy food and good mood, practising healthy eating is always a good idea-

• Go vegetarian: Natural produce rich in greens has proven to be effective for improving health time and again.
• Avoid sugary and oily foods: Check the ingredients of food items you buy. Try substituting milk chocolate with dark chocolate.
• Eat more whole foods: Consume a diet rich in grains and avoid going for packaged foods.
• Adopt the Mediterranean diet: It’s an excellent combination of nuts, fruits, vegetables among others and helps in preventing heart disease, diabetes etc.
• Practice mindful eating: Focus on your food. Feel connected to it. If required, calm down before your meal time and take a few deep breaths.
• Pick colourful ingredients: Pick colourful produce and arrange it in a pretty way. It helps in stimulating appetite.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                       https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                     FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                   

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