Why you need two State Resets a day

I'm finding that for me to really have a productive, happy day I need to do two State Resets.

About halfway through the day, my mind will be kind of like a web browser with too many tabs open; I'll be more susceptible to distractions and I'm more likely to get stuck in the weeds of some menial task. If I do a State Reset about halfway through the day I return to more high-level thinking and am able to more clearly prioritize my efforts and often reach a productive, focused, and creative flowstate as opposed to slumping into mid-afternoon doldrums.

I'll usually end my work around 8 PM - 9 PM, my intention upon finishing work is usually to go out do something social, or read a book - enlighten myself on some meaningful topic before finally going to bed. However, to be honest I rarely do either of these two things if I don't do a State Reset immediately after finishing work. In my frazzled state after 8-10 hours of work if I don't do the State Reset I will often get drawn down the rabbit hole of lower consciousness digital amusement; reading articles, browsing social media, chatting with people on Facebook, watching YouTube video essays, conspiracy theory documentaries, movie clips, etc. Then after a few hours of really unproductive screen time, I'll finally go to bed, tossing and turning for 30-60 minutes before finally getting to sleep.

However, if I do a second State Reset, the waning hours of my day are a whole lot more purposeful. I'll go out, attend a meetup, make new friends, meet new people, or hit the salsa dancefloor.

If I don't socialize, I'll instead spend time reading (usually non-fiction) a book on a topic germane to Limitless Mindset or something else important in my life. I'll go to bed around the same time but my quality of sleep will be a whole lot higher.

How to do a State Reset

Probably the best way is 20 minutes of meditation. However, 40 minutes of meditation a day while certainly beneficial, sounds - frankly - boring to me and a little time-consuming. The good news is that 10 minutes of Dual N-Back training has almost the exact same effect; it resets your emotional state to neutral, improves your discipline (following through on what you want to accomplish), and upgrades the RAM of your working memory. Now that's a lifehack!

Dual N-Back Pro

 

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Category: Software & Apps

And there are a couple of other ways to do a State Reset, like...

Doing a 5-15 minute relaxing or energizing breathwork session, here's my favorite tool for this.

Othership

 

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Taking a power nap, I've never been able to nap in the middle of the day but it works for some people.

Doing Heart Rate Variability training - check out What I learned from +300 HRV training sessions...

If you're a dude you could get away from screens, lie down, and do 10-15 minutes of tantric self-cultivation while listening to some relaxing tunes.

Contemplative or spiritual practice, I keep an old-school leatherbound Bible within arms reach of my favorite armchair for this.

Or some light exercise - keep a yoga mat or some dumbbells near your desk.  

And I know what you're thinking...

I'm too busy to do TWO state resets a day!

Well, start with trying to do just one; either in the mid-afternoon or upon conclusion of the workday. I bet you'll find that it makes you a little more productive, happy, and more well-slept. And then you'll start to realize that "being busy" is what's keeping you mediocre and holding you back from greatness.