Minute With Mallon: Trough Time

Hi folks and welcome to "Minute With Mallon!"

Ever get tired in the middle of the day?

Something I Taught:

Daniel Pink calls early to mid afternoon "Trough Time".  In his book When, Pink shows how for most people, their peak time is in the morning with a rebound in the second half of the afternoon.  That means most of us have to endure this trough time in between, either in the late morning or early afternoon.

I was working recently with a woman who lives out west. She is a high achiever and told me that even though she wants to fill up her whole day with accomplishments, often she feels sluggish and somewhat drained around 2:00 p.m.  I fully understand what she means, and imagine you do too.  So I taught her a little technique that I've used for years now.  It's called Rebooting Your Brain!

Here's how it works:

I have a comfortable chair in my office that I use primarily for reading.  Sometime in the afternoon, I grab a men's neck gaiter face mask.  I use these when we go to Kenya to keep the dust out of my lungs, but anything that blocks light will do.   Anyway, I roll it up, lean back, set a 7-12 minute timer and put it over my eyes.  I then breathe, focusing on the breath coming in and out of my nose.

At first, thoughts always pop up in my mind.  When you become conscious of them, don't get angry or frustrated.  It’s a natural part of the process.  Instead, just imagine that you have a windshield wiper set to low and they're just gently wiping the thoughts away.

Sometime during the session, I zone out.  It's probably just for 3-5 minutes, but when the timer goes off, I'm usually surprised.  I then take the cloth off my eyes.   And at that point, I'm ready to take on the afternoon with focus!

It always amazes me how refreshed I feel after this simple exercise.  Think of it this way: Your mind is like your smartphone.  If you have too many apps open, it won't damage your phone, but it will slow it down and you'll probably notice your battery draining faster. Your mind is the same.  During the morning and early afternoon, you are "opening apps" in your mind, and by mid-afternoon, you’re naturally feeling a little drained.  So try this: for the next couple of weeks, schedule 7-12 minutes to just Reboot Your Brain sometime in the early afternoon!  I think you'll be surprised at the results!

Something I Learned:

I recently read the book Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication by Vanessa Van Edwards.  Very interesting book on how to communicate more effectively and great for any leader's growth.

One of the interesting things I learned in the book was this:

In a groundbreaking study from Princeton University, researchers found that highly charismatic, likable, compelling people demonstrate a special blend of two specific traits: warmth and competence. It’s a simple equation. This formula is a powerful blueprint for every interaction. 

According to the research, warmth and competence account for 82% of our impressions of others.  

We quickly assess someone’s warmth, answering the question: Can I trust you? Then we look for competence: Can I rely on you?

So which side of the equation do you need to work on, Warmth or Competence?  Most people lean towards one or the other.

Something to Ponder:

"Napping is a reset button for the brain.  It clears the clutter and awakens the creativity within."  Sara C. Mednick

Something I Saw:

That time of the year!!!

Thanks for subscribing!  I'll do my best to make this interesting and to never disappoint!

Robert

Have a comment? I’d love to hear your thoughts on my newsletter.  Feel free at any time to contact me at Robert@EliteCoaching.Solutions

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