Create More Energy IMMEDIATELY By Doing This

Hi, it's Allison Maslin. Welcome to Ally and you'd. I am a serial entrepreneur and business expert, and we are going to be talking about the brain today and how you can wire your brain for high performance, which we need as an entrepreneur. Right. So you can feel better, have more energy, be inspired on a daily basis. And we have the brain expert today, Dr. Heidi Hanna, who is the co founder and executive director of the Institute for Integrative Neuroscience. And she's developed processes to train the brain to utilize energy in a way that optimizes performance while promoting health, happiness, longevity, sleep, focus, all that good stuff. So welcome, Heidi.

Thank you. It's great to be here.

Yeah. I am so fascinated with all of this because, you know, we kind of take our brain for granted a little bit.

Absolutely.

I think, you know, we're just sort of. We're operating on autopilot, which is probably not a good thing. But, you know, I read your book the Sharp Solution, and cover to cover, and I just. I just could not put the book down. It was so wonderful. So I think everyone's going to be excited to hear about this. Before we dive in to all the tips for high performance, how did you get into the interest of working on the brain?

So my story started very young, actually. So around the age of 12, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder. And I really believed that I had a broken brain. So I went my whole life kind of trying to put band aids on it with different medications and different coping strategies that really weren't very helpful for me. And when I got out of college, I thought, well, I want to help other people who might be struggling with this. And I got a master's degree in mental health counseling. I received a PhD in holistic nutrition because I realized how important nutrition was to the brain. And it really was only about a decade or so ago that all of these exciting things were happening in neuroplasticity. And I really started to grasp how much control we have over the brain we choose to have, that you could actually make a choice every day, just like picking up a set of glasses and the lens that you're going to wear, that we could actually do things to reshape the way that our brain operates. So in a lot of ways, it came from my struggle to getting to the point. And even still today, I find myself kind of taking a step back sometimes and thinking, how is my brain processing this information? And am I really using this valuable resource to my benefit instead of just letting it carry me off into autopilot?

Right. Which is what most people do. Well, it's interesting because you wouldn't choose to be depressed. Right. But in a sense, in this case, like a lot of people and how they get into things is when something wasn't working, you wanted to fix it.

Absolutely. And who would have ever thought that we could actually do something about the brain that it's actually so radically adaptable?

Right. Well, we're learning so much about it and you have this recipe which we're going to learn and the things that you're saying, that when you really optimize the brain, balance the brain, it can balance your hormones, it can help you sleep better, you can have more energy, you are happier. So tell me more about that.

In some ways it sounds like this magical formula. And I don't want to make it sound like it's quite that easy. But what is important is it's really powerful. So I think the most important thing for people to understand is that the brain's primary role is to keep us safe. And we all understand that in concept, but I don't think people realize how dramatic that can actually show up in our lives. So in a lot of ways, our brain can be like our frenemy, where it's trying to protect us, but it's kind of hurting us at the same time. So a lot of times the choices that we make, the brain's actually fueling us to do things that aren't actually helpful for one of the things I love to do is just look, listen to music, listen to one song that shifts you in a more optimal state. And now you're gonna get more done in less time, which hopefully will allow you to take more breaks and keep recharging your brain.

I really feel an energetic shift in my body around music, like instantaneous. Let's talk about sleep. Because I think that we live in a sleep deprived state society. And I know that it's something that I, I have no problem sleeping. My problem is getting myself over to the bed to go to sleep because I am a night owl. And it is something that I finally accepted my, my mom, my daughter, my brother. We could do a conference call at 2:00am wow. You know, just genetically we are wired that way. But you know, I run a business so I can't sleep till 10. So I know for myself if I'm in bed by midnight and I sleep till 8, I'm good. So that's what I really try to do. If I cut and I'm, you know, six hours or five hours, it's really tough for me.

Yeah. There's a couple of key triggers that tell the brain that there's not enough energy. And sleep is one of those. So anytime we get less than 6 hours, this is kind of a cutoff. Some people can do well on seven, eight hours, and some people actually need nine or 10 hours. But anything less than six, you're telling the brain there's not enough time. And again, it triggers that chronic stress response. Sleep is actually where cortisol levels are supposed to be coming down, and you're supposed to be recovering and repairing all of that neural tissue. You start to really consolidate memories in the brain. So people wake up and they haven't had enough sleep, feel really groggy. They have that brain fog. There's a reason for that. Again, it goes back to that protection. And another interesting thing to just think about. I'll give you two things, actually. One is that sleep experts have said that every hour before midnight is worth at least two hours after midnight.

I have heard that.

And it's frustrating for night owls. And creatives are like that, too. They really thrive in kind of the early morning hours.

You know that feeling. My husband and I were just talking about this this morning because we both fell asleep after the alarm.

And.

And you know how you get that really deep sleep right before you wake up? Yeah. I don't know what that's about, but maybe it's the same thing. Similar to the before midnight thing. It could be.

And it's also that it really takes the brain a while to shift into a state where it can sleep effectively.

Right.

So the other thing I wanted to encourage you to think about is a lot of people who get that second wind at night are actually thriving on stress hormones. So if you think about that, if you are experiencing chronic stress during the day and you're kind of rushing to get everything done, it's not natural energy that's keeping you up. It's caffeine and stress hormones. Right.

It's not good.

So if you're not. If you're not oscillating. Everything about the human system is designed to have a pulse or up and down. And if you're flatlining and you're just trying to go and go and go, then when you should be falling asleep, you're still amped up. And a lot of people experience that as being tired and wired at the same time.

Right.

So physically, you know, you should go to sleep, but mentally, you can't get your brain to shut.

I could have a party. My husband is Crashing. And I'm like, exactly. But I know you're right, and I'm working on that. Now you talk about, I love this, that the heart is like the CEO of the body and the brain is like the CFO of the body. Very different roles. I run a company, I'm all passion. I'm all like, yeah, let's do it. And then I've got some system people in our business and who are, wait a minute, let's think about this. Does this, you know, and with your brain and your heart, they have to really be in alignment.

They really need to be in alignment. And it's funny how, again, they can work against each other if we're not careful. So if you think about the role of a cfo, they're supposed to be looking at the resources available and determining whether or not you have what you need to survive first. And then. And then if you can survive, then where do we want to invest in things that will help us grow? So the brain's really operating that way. If you don't have enough for what you need, it's going to shut down those systems that can pursue reward and can pursue growth and transformation and just say, like, you just got to put out fires all day long. Now, the interesting thing about that is that the heart is actually calling the shots when it comes to things like gratitude and appreciation and slow, slowing down. So it turns out that the autonomic nervous system, the communication between the brain and the body, has two different channels. One is the parasympathetic, one's the sympathetic. Most people have heard of this as kind of putting the. The gas pedal down as your go system, your fight or flight, and then putting the brake on kind of slows down and recharges. Well, it's the brain that gives most of that kind of fight or flight pressure of just, we don't have enough. We don't have enough. We gotta go get the heart pumping, get the blood pressure up. But it's the heart that actually, when we connect to what matters most to us, and we do some deep breathing and we do some appreciation exercises, that starts to tell the brain that it's all okay. And so it's just getting those two things, getting the passion and the purpose and what matters most to us to effectively communicate and work with the brain that is really wired more to protect us.

To protect us. I just think it's so fascinating. And then, you know, multitasking, so. And I know studies that say you're actually getting less done. Yes. But I was A single mom for a long time. So it would be, you know, fixing dinner, doing laundry, writing an email. I mean, like, I could do it all at the same time, probably with, you know, while driving my car. No, not that. But can you. Can you just explain that to a habitual multitasker? What is the best way to go about it?

So you did that because you had to.

Right.

And the brain recognizes that you had to. It's kind of survival mode for you as a single mom and having to.

Do all these things.

And I always tell especially women that realize we're a little bit more hardwired to be able to multitask because we have a tendency to be wired to caregive. Whether or not we're taking care of children, we have a little bit more. And you can see this in brain patterns of a tendency to nurture and collaborate, which is a wonderful thing. But it also means that we can be thinking about a million different things at one time, which just. It's almost like taking your energy and instead of it being laser focused, it starts to spread out and it dilutes. Right. So it's okay. But in order to keep that up again, it's triggering a stress response. And that's the part that so chronic and toxic and addictive. So people will say, I know I shouldn't multitask, but you are pulled to it because the brain craves new novel information. So I'm here and I'm with you, and let's say I have a window open which I consider all technology to the world, whether it's my phone, a computer, whatever it might be, there's a window. My brain can't help but wonder what else might be going on over there. And so if I'm having to mentally multitask between you and this, it is killing brain cells because that chronic cortisol level is up.

Right. And you're really not fully focused. It's like when business owners come to me and they say, I'm working on this business and this business and this business, number one. It's confusing for me because I don't really know what they do, but you know, and I've run many companies over the years, but I focus on one at a time because it's just like that you're diluted and nothing really gets your full right.

And you can multi prioritize, right. I mean, you can have different things that you're working on, but they just need clear boundaries as to when your brain needs to be thinking about one versus the other. And that's the part I want people to understand, is that multitasking is addictive. It's natural that you crave it. If you're going to change it, you have to train your brain to operate in a different way. And so how you do that is you start taking shorter periods of time and singly focusing on one thing at a time. And it's difficult. Just like going to the gym and working out. It's hard to do for a while, but the more you do that, the more that feels normal and comfortable, and the multitasking does not.

Yeah. One of the things I love about the gym, and I've been with the Same trainer almost 20 years, Marcus. I was there today, and I don't have my phone when I'm working out. It's kind of hard to. To be running and, you know, lifting weights while you're looking at your phone. And I appreciate just being detached from all technology for that period of time and just really being present.

And I think that brings up a great point, which is you can disconnect when you want to, when it matters. Airplane mode works on the ground. I always tell people, like, switch your phone on airplane mode. And there's something freeing about just knowing the information isn't coming in, because otherwise, again, it's not that you. You're a bad person. It's that your brain craves that information and wants to know what's going on. But by questioning what's going on. Studies have shown we spend about 90% of our time somewhere other than right here. So about 50% we're thinking about what's coming. 40% we're thinking about what's past.

Right.

So only about 10% of the time are we fully engaged.

That's amazing.

And for people who are successful in their multitasking, I just challenge them to try.

It doesn't mean you have to do it forever. Well, I think it is something. And I tell our business owner clients all the time. I know for me, as I've gotten older, to appreciating the moments. And so sometimes I'll just stop and like, okay, I just want to hang on to this moment.

That's a shift. That's a brain shift. Just by doing that. It's not. Because I see people sometimes go, oh, yeah, they're doing that San Diego thing again about Kumbaya and all this yoga stuff.

It's like.

But it's not. Yes, it's that, and it's wonderful. But you're also nudging your brain in a More optimal state. Why wouldn't we take a minute to just stop and reflect and appreciate what's happening right now? Because not only do we get to experience that, but the brain now is saying, oh, we're good, we're not. We're not stressed. We have what we need right now. And so now we can go towards reward again. I want to say your brain has to feel safe before it can pursue reward.

Right?

And so it's so important we keep.

Nudging ourselves back, feel that safety, and we're so goal oriented as entrepreneurs. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. But the truth is, really, this is our life. It's the journey. And I've talked to so many entrepreneurs after they've sold their business and they've been working so many years to get to that place where they sell their business for a lot of money, and they really miss the journey. And one thing that you said in your book, that. Which was a very interesting factoid, the highest spikes in death rate occur within the first six months of retirement.

So funny, because I was just gonna say that. So I'm glad you prompted me to say that. It's radical if you think about how hard we're working to get to the point where we can relax. And then we get to that point, and now what happens is the brain doesn't like all or nothing. We do like, we get addicted to it, but the brain's looking for these patterns. So we push and we push and we push and we get addicted to the stress of all of it. And then all of a sudden, it's gone. And what happens now is we lose a sense of purpose, like we need stress. Let me reiterate this. Stress is not bad. Stress is just stimulus for change. It's how we respond that makes it good or bad. So if we believe we have the resources we need to handle the stress, we grow from that. Going to the gym, getting a flu shot, practicing patience.

We.

We have to be challenged. It's when we don't feel like we have enough, we didn't get enough sleep, we're sitting too long, we're not eating well, that the brain freaks out and says, okay, now we need to protect ourselves with this chronic inflammation. So I say that because we don't want to lose stress. In fact, that would actually kill us. If we had no stress, we'd have no reason to generate energy or participate in life.

Right. It does motivate us.

It motivates us to stay in the game. And so it's not that retirement is bad. It's just we have to redefine it for ourselves and stay engaged. So one of the things that happens is a lot of people isolate after they go through retirement. They lose their sense of community. And feeling isolated has been shown to be as damaging to the brain and body as smoking cigarettes. Wow. Amazing. Because our brain needs to feel connected and like it's contributing somehow.

Yeah, I know. I lost my dad a couple years ago, and, you know, he ran 50 clothing stores. He was such a people person all the time. And towards the end of his life, I think that was probably the toughest thing for him, is to have not have that feeling of sense of community. So I think those are things we need to think about earlier on, of how can we put ourselves in a situation.

We need to appreciate these people later on in life that have this wisdom to share with the world. Unfortunately, the way we treat people a lot of times. Times is they're done with the making of the money, and so somehow they're done contributing. And there's so many ways. Volunteering, mentoring, There's a million.

So much wisdom.

We need to kind of invite those people back into our organizations as well.

Oh, I agree. I agree. In fact, I saw a video on Facebook recently where they had a retirement home, and it was also a nursery school.

Oh.

I think I saw, like, integrated. And I thought, how bright is that for both, really? Now, your book, the Sharp Solution, you talk about five phases for health of the brain.

Yes, I do.

Yeah. And let me think. What were those five phases?

What are those?

What were some of the techniques to rewire that operating system?

Yeah. And I do actually remember I am taking my book.

People ask me. I'm like, did I write that? I can't remember, but that sounded really good. You said that you did. Oh, okay.

No, I've just done. I've gotten on a bit of a kick. Talk about an addiction. So I've done two other books since this, but this still is really the foundation for understanding the brain. And the steps I talk about really start from kind of the bottom up. Like, you're building the foundation. And the by far the most important thing is balancing brain chemistry. So if you think about taking care of your brain, that really means getting it to a safe place and using those little nudges to just convince your brain that you're safe. So making sure you're getting enough sleep, you know, making sure you're taking breaks. And ideally, taking breaks every hour would be great. So like, a 50 minute power sprint, where you're getting a lot of things done and then you take about five to 10 minutes to just recharge yourself. That's really important. And then I talk about building brain health through the strategies like what you eat and how you eat, how important it is to eat about every three to four hours to get nutrients that are going to help to build those neural connections.

Are there certain foods that are really good for the brain?

There are, and studies are pretty clear that a Mediterranean type diet is most effective for brain health and longevity. It's been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Now, I always remind people that a Mediterranean diet is one inspired by the Mediterranean. Not necessarily the things that we tend to think of like pizza and wine and cheese and pasta, but really a lot of nuts and seeds and fresh fruits and vegetables. And I always encourage people to think about it twofold. Number one is decrease what's not good. You know, get rid of the processed foods and the extra stimulants and things and then just enhance those things like the healthy fats that are going to really nourish the brain.

Right.

You can really boost your brain power. So it goes from balancing brain chemistry and kind of setting that even playing field where the brain says, I'm seeing, and now I can do what I need to do, building brain health with the right types of nutrients and even aerobic exercise and then boosting brain power, you can strategically train the brain to work more effectively for you. And I try to make it really simple by encouraging people to think about it just like physical fitness. So strength training, flexibility training and endurance training, if you want to be more focused in the moment, practice that. You know, there's tasks. And even on my website, I've got a brain gym where people can practice free games where they can go on and practice focusing exercises or flexibility exercises, which really have to do with positivity and gratitude and appreciation.

Just stop and give it some awareness right in the moment. And then of course, there, there are exercises that are on your website. What is your website?

So my website is heidihanna.com.

Okay.

And there's a couple of different things. One is that brain gym where you can in and actually do some of the online games for free that you can try out. I also have another book that I did more recently called Recharge, which goes through five critical energy shifts that you can make during the day. And I know we're going to make that available to you.

Yeah. So you're going to give that as a Gift to you all and recharge. I'm going to read it myself. I read this one, so that's her newest one. And we'll have the link for you so you can just download that.

It just kind of takes you through your day and allows you to be more aware about where you're losing the opportunity to recharge your brain. And I just want to kind of give that framework for everybody again of make sure that your brain feels safe, understand that you're addicted to stress and stimulation and give those little gentle nudges that we all know we should be doing that are going to really help optimize that.

Right. Well, this is. I loved it and I loved reading the book because it gave me an opportunity to just stop and be aware, look at my own patterns. And just as much as I want to grow in business, I really want to keep that high performance and stay healthy and present in the moment so I can enjoy it.

Yeah, I think it's a win win because it should make you better at your business when your brain is working better for you.

Yeah, well, that would make sense and.

It helps to keep you healthier and happier over time.

So good. Well, thanks, Heidi. This was fun. Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate all your knowledge and years of wisdom here. So thank you for being with us on Ally and you'd. Until next time, step up, step out, step out. Elevate yourself because you deserve it. Bye, everybody. Hi, it's Alison Maslin. And if you, you are at the stage of your business where you're the high six figures into the seven figures, you're really scared. And this is time for you to have a higher level conversation. Higher level training. Well, I am so excited to announce the CEO Success Network Retreat. Imagine being on the beach this summer in beautiful San Diego, surrounded by the most dynamic business owners and getting the new strategy, the new direction that you need, the new game plan to take your business where you are right now to a whole new level. I am so excited to support you in this new level of your business. Apply today and we'll see you this summer in San Diego.

And we do some appreciation exercises that starts to tell the brain that it's all okay. And so it's just getting those two things, getting the passion and the purpose and what matters most to us to effectively communicate and work with the brain that is really wired more to protect us.

To protect us. I just think it's so fascinating and then, you know, multitasking, so. And I know studies that say you're actually getting less done. But I was a single mom for a long time, so it would be, you know, fixing dinner, doing laundry, writing an email. I mean, like, I could do it all at the same time, probably with, you know, while driving my car. No, not that. But can you. Can you just explain that to a habitual multitasker? What is the best way to go about it?

So you did that because you had to.

Right.

And the brain recognizes that you had to. It's kind of survival mode for you as a single mom and having to.

Do all these things.

And I always tell especially women that realize we're a little bit more hardwired to be able to multitask because we have a tendency to be wired to caregive. Whether or not we're taking care of children, we have a little bit more. And you can see this in brain patterns of a tendency to nurture and collaborate, which is a wonderful thing. But it also means that we can be thinking about a million different things at one time, which just. It's almost like taking your energy, and instead of it being laser focused, it starts to spread out and it dilutes. Right. So it's okay. But in order to keep that up again, it's triggering a stress response. And that's the part that's so chronic and toxic and addictive. So people with.