Hack Your Productivity

Your diet, lifestyle and mind-body balance are the foundations of your well-being. Ultimately, they affect your motivation and energy levels.

Just like how humans train computers to be smarter, we can ‘program’ ourselves and hack our productivity too!

How can YOU do so, alongside your New Year Resolutions?

New Year. Better You.

Many of you can identify with setting health & fitness-related goals. Weight loss, completing a marathon, becoming a vegan. A healthy body & mind means better mental clarity too.

But, more often than not, life comes in the way…

You get busy — work, family, social commitments. You travel. You miss/skip your gym session for 1 day, which turns into 1 week, 1 month; now it’s tough to jump back on that bandwagon again. Sounds familiar?

We often end up giving to everything else (fundraising, coding, networking…) — but ourselves. This results in burnout and not being present. Yet, investing in ourselves is imperative to sustaining our ambitions.

How can you leverage technology to be part of your healthy lifestyle? So that you can supercharge your mind and maintain your brain function & productivity.

1 step at a time, with the support of tools that have the lowest barriers to entry! On demand. Convenient. On the go.

1) Strong body

SLEEP. The one thing that is seemingly easy to achieve. Yet one which most of the working population do not seem to get enough of. You can track your sleep efficiency, REM sleep, resting heart rate with mobile apps like Sleep Cycle and wearables like Fitbit. The stylish smart ring from Oura is perfect for individuals who do not like to wear items on your wrists. Make smarter decisions based on data to optimise your day.

MOVE. Tired of boring workouts? From immersive virtual reality fitness studios by Les Mills to AI-powered motion tracking fitness app Kaia. Businesses are trying to make workouts more compelling to the everyday consumer.

FREQUENT TRAVELS and always on the go? Select from a variety of audio and video online training programs that usually require just a small subscription fee. Apparel giant Nike also developed a free Nike+ Training app with efficient workouts. Move with Serena Williams to award-winning artist Ellie Goulding, with minimal equipment needed.

Too lazy to step out of your home? Peloton is leading the charge with its web-connected home-fitness equipment and content. Play thousands of live and pre-recorded fitness classes, and take part in virtual spin classes. This company has recently raised $550 million in a funding round in 2018.

2) Strong mind

From meditation apps like Headspace, to tools that help brain training like Lumosity. From apps that track your mood to self-care apps like Shine Text. These platforms share a common goal — to be the solution to the modern day stressed individual.

At times, what we may need is that moment of pause, that alone time with ourselves to reflect and regain clarity.

An easy step to take is to start cultivating a healthy relationship with technology. Or disconnecting from time to time. With Apple embracing the Digital Wellness trend and implementing ‘Screen Time’ on iPhones, you can now record your time spent on social media. This helps build our awareness to be more conscious on what we are spending our time and mental capacity on.

3) Strong connections

“The key to success is keeping company with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

Whether it is a diet change or mini increment to your activity levels, pairing up with a buddy can help you stay committed. Hold each other accountable to showing up at the gym, to reducing sugary foods from your diets. The progress you both make in the long run may surprise you. Notice how your new/old friendship would evolve too!

According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, strong social connections also “influence our long-term health in ways every bit as powerful as adequate sleep, a good diet, and not smoking…that people who have satisfying relationships with family, friends, and their community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer.”

What is a little micro-step you can take TODAY to better your well-being in the long run?

Jaslyn Koh is the Founder of BrocnBells.com — a social platform to meet like-minded people over health & fitness. Discover individuals who fit in your lifestyle — even while travelling.

Jas is inspired by growth, strength and experiences. She is also a lululemon ambassador. Before her entrepreneurial journey, Jas was in Investment Banking.

Hack Your Productivity was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.