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The Biggest Misconception to Master the Business Travel Life

When I first started as a business traveler a long, long time ago, I took my Type A, driven personality to a whole new level.

It was unleashed on the “open road” if you know what I mean.

I dove into this new opportunity that now included traveling the country and eventually certain parts of the world.

And I loved it.

I already went 100 miles an hour at home and now I was given the freedom to do the very same things on my own on the road.

Brilliant!

And I met hundreds and hundreds of business travelers who validated my theory.

Drive.

Drive..

Drive…

Personal Drive which was inner.

Road Drive which was outer.

And I poured myself into my work.

Nobody could and would outwork yours truly on the road.

And if I found out you did, I would sleep less and try to wear you down.

I even coined a phrase I use often called the Travel Triangle:

  • Airport
  • Board Room
  • Hotel Room

Wash – Rinse – Repeat.

And between us girls, I got good and I mean really good at the Travel Triangle.

I prided myself on not being outworked and killing it on the road.

But here is the biggest misconception I thought to master the business travel life.

Are you ready for it?

It’s all about WORK.

Um, excuse me. Aren’t you there to work?

After all, it is called BUSINESS Travel.

Touche.

But not ONLY work.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is not a free pass to slack off.

But let me repeat, the biggest misconception to master the business travel life is it’s not only about work.

I believed this lie for far too long.

I went from a not so suite job to c-suite.

I had the cheap rental cars and lousy hotel rooms and fast food meals to living large and driving cool cars right up to my plush hotel, eating the best of the king’s food and drinking the best of the king’s wine.

But in the end, believing this misconception, business travel is only about work, almost took two very important parts of my life.

Let me tell you how I found out first of all.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve always gone 100 miles an hour in my life and it manifested itself with business travel.

I could get more done in a day than the average guy.

More trips.

More presentations.

More meetings.

More emails.

More calls.

I was up late and up early.

This high-performance car showed no signs of any deterioration.

At least on the outside.

Nothing but praises and raises were given to this high performer.

But then when I turned 40, things internally were going wrong.

I was getting very strange symptoms:

  • Heart racing
  • Flush face
  • Eyes glazed over
  • Migraines
  • Diaherria
  • Inability to absorb content
  • Sleeping and never feeling any effects of the rest
  • I went to the doctor and they told me the good news: we can’t find anything wrong.

Then they told me the bad news: we can’t find anything wrong.

And you know what I did after that?

Absolutely nothing.

I went harder.

And harder.

For years.

Until age 45, my body shut down and shut down hard. A complete and utter engine blowout.

It was like I turn a turn marked 30 and I slowed down from 100 to 70, hit the wall and the race was over.

But wait, there’s more.

During the same time, I was always busy on the road so therefore had little to no time to check-in when friends and family back home.

My friends understood or simply moved on.

The family?

They were feeling Dad’s distance both physically and emotionally.

To be blunt…

It was not good.

My wife and I were fighting over stupid things when I left, stress while I was gone.

It was brutal and hard enough leaving then to end with a massive fight just sucked.

Then the kiddos tension…

Kids cried when I left and upset about what I missed while I was gone.

I checked in at all the wrong times and was always distracted.

I was killing it on the road and getting killed at home.

I was important on the road but invisible at home.

To be honest, I was a hot mess when I got home due to the exhaustion than just so disconnected with home trying to make up for lost time but feeling paralyzed on how to make this mess I created any better.

How’s that for a vulnerability bomb?

What resulted was the foundation of the Three Focus Areas of Elite Road Warrior:

 

Remember, the biggest misconception to master the business travel life was in the 1st focus area: WORK.

Is it important? Absolutely. In fact, it’s Energy Habit #4: PERFORM. It’s why we’re ON the road.

But it’s not everything.

If you lose your health, how much harder is work or how much does work matter?

If you struggle or lose your family, how much is work affected?

When I lost my health, everything in my life was on hold. I couldn’t work.

My life revolved around my next medical test. Forced rest. Supplements.

When I had stress back at the Buckley ranch, my mind was elsewhere on the road. I felt the tension and handled it in unhealthy ways.

Not good, road warriors.

The stark reality is the three focus areas are all inter-related.

Eventually, I learned that when I had my health in an optimal place and my relationships back home with those I loved were strong, my work on the road actually improved.

This is key.

I had more energy.

I had less stress.

I had more clarity.

I felt more supported and connected.

Let’s be brutally honest…

The inbox will always receive emails.

There will always be calls to return.

There will always be another proposal to write, presentation to give, deal to close.

But nobody can take care of your health except you.

Will the business world end if you took 20-30 minutes to go for a walk or run or workout in the hotel fitness center or hotel room?

Nope.

Hence energy habit one: MOVE.

I chose to challenge every single morning on the road.

Prioritize the 2nd Focus Area of HEALTH.

And those you love back home.

What if you took just a couple of minutes to stop being the check-in guy or girl and became a connect-in guy or girl who learned to leverage the road to grow that relationship in ways you wouldn’t at home through energy habit six: CONNECT – connect intentionally, thoughtfully, and creatively.

It’s how I created the Not Forgotten Journal you’re now hearing about.

It why I created the Flat Kiddos.

It’s why I send postcards to my older sons.

It’s why I pre-write and pre-record intentional, thoughtful words to those I love back home so they know they’re still a priority to me while I’m not physically there with them.

Here’s the point:

Your business world will change entirely if you stopped believing the biggest misconception to master the business travel life that it only has one focus area: WORK.

Take care of your health because only you can.

Take care of your family intentionally, thoughtfully, and creatively to invest into their lives.

Here’s a hard reality: 

Remember, your family has a choice of whether to connect or reconnect with you if you’ve been physically and emotionally distant.

They don’t have to come back to you so don’t put yourself in that position. Two are involved in this decision.

I’ve had too many conversations that break my heart with especially men of power after a couple of double vodka tonics who admit they’re on their 2nd or 3rd marriage and/or their kids could care less if they’re in their lives or not.

My heart breaks hearing this out of shape, lonely, broken but seemingly highly successful business traveler killing it on the road.

It doesn’t have to be this way, road warriors.

There are three focus areas to becoming and remaining an elite road warrior for a reason:

 

Let’s Land This Plane

The premise of Elite Road Warrior is energy habits. All six of the energy habits are encompassed within the three focus areas:

  1. Work – Energy habit 4: Perform / Energy Habit 5: Develop
  2. Health – Physical Energy Habits – Energy Habit 1: Move / Energy Habit 2: Fuel / Energy Habit 3: Rest
  3. HomeLife – Energy Habit 6: Connect

My hope is this is a challenge, a wake-up call to see how you’re personally doing in the three focus areas.

You may be doing great in one, but what about the other two?

Or maybe good on two but what about the other one?

Remember, you can always find another job but you can’t always get your health back or it’s a long long journey or get your family back.

My hope and prayer are you do whatever it takes to become and remain an elite road warrior and it starts by no longer believing the biggest misconception in business travel and excelling in all three focus areas of Work / Health / Home Life.

You Got This!

Six Simple Ways to Becoming a Stand-Up Guy or Stand-Up Girl on the Road

Jen is a weekly business traveler. She has a territory in the Midwest. She covers Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Jen has a company car and finds herself constantly in a car driving from one state to another, one city to another to the next rep she needs to visit. This is her road life every quarter as she does the same rounds.

Stan is also a weekly business traveler. He has a territory in North America. He lives on a plane and his company car is rented from National Car Rental. In fact, Stan has a bumper sticker that says, “My other car is a rental car.” This is his road life every quarter with a ton of variety.

Jen and Stan don’t have a lot in common except one major thing: lack of movement and specifically sitting almost ALL their travel day. What they get at the end of the day is far from energy but a numb butt and lower back pain.

How can they possibly change anything with their environment lending to sitting?

 

 

According to Tom Rath’s research in Eat Move Sleep, on average, we now spend more time sitting (9.3 hours) than sleeping on a given day.

CONSIDER A PERSON’S AVERAGE DAY

  • Sit for breakfast
  • Sit commuting to work (national average, one-way daily commute is 25.5 minutes)
  • Sit a majority of the workday at their desk or in a meeting (minus a bathroom break)
  • Sit commuting back from work
  • Sit at dinner

IF YOU’RE ON THE ROAD, YOUR STORY MAY LOOK LIKE THIS:

  • Sit watching TV in the evening
  • Sit for the drive to the airport
  • Sit at the gate waiting for a flight
  • Sit on the plane the entire flight
  • Sit in a rental car or rideshare to your first meeting
  • Sit at lunch
  • Sit for your afternoon meetings
  • Sit at dinner with your laptop open, alone or eating with clients
  • Sit at the hotel or nearby bar until bed

Do you see a theme?

The point is we sit most of the time and far more than we even realize, which makes movement a rare event. So, how do you compare? Do you sit with the average or move more than the average?

I CHALLENGE YOU TO CONSIDER BECOMING A STAND-UP GUY OR A STAND-UP GIRL!

 

SIX WAYS TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST SITTING DURING TRAVEL

I obviously don’t know your location and your travel arrangement— if it’s short or long, by car or plane. I do know it’s possible to take a stand against sitting if you’re willing to be creative and look for options to increase standing, the first of Increase M4X.

As you read through these suggestions, I encourage you to think about how you can adapt them to your travel situation.

1. STAND AT THE AIRPORT GATE

I see people standing as an absolute last resort because they don’t want to sit in between someone at the gate. This is a perfect opportunity to stand before getting on the plane. Why? Because you’re going to be sitting for the next couple hours or far more, depending on the distance of your flight.

This is a massive change of behavior for frequent flyers. They’re so ingrained to see a seat and sit in it, especially when you get to your gate. It’s a sense of relief. “Ah, I made it, and now I can relax until I need to board.”

I challenge you to gain some energy before you even get on your flight. This small habit change will become a catalyst for the remaining ways to take a stand against sitting during travel.

2. STAND DURING THE FLIGHT

Do you ever notice that one guy who stands a lot during the flight? How annoying, right?

Yup, I’m that guy. I’ll stand during a flight. I’m happy to make you feel awkward and uncomfortable. I want to increase blood flow through my body to increase my energy, which is the whole point! Now I can hear the pushback:

The seatbelt light is almost always on.

What if we hit turbulence while I’m standing?

Here are my responses:

  • I don’t want to bother those around me.
  • The seatbelt light is on often but more at selected times – pay attention and you’ll be surprised.
  • You’ll know about the turbulence long before it forces you into the arms of another woman.
  • Do you really care THAT much what someone thinks whom you will never see again?

PRO TIP:

I don’t rely on my memory to remind me to stand, especially if I’m in a time-block session (you’ll learn more about time blocks in the Perform Habit under Block & Tackle).

But I do rely on an alert. I first started with a timer. I would set it for a certain amount of time, and when the alarm would go off, I would stand. Currently, my Apple watch lets me know an hour into sitting without standing. I love the alert, especially if I’m locked into work, writing, reading, etc. I need that trigger to get me off my can and onto my feet.

3.  STOP AT A REST AREA OR GAS STATION TO STAND

Some road warriors rarely, if ever, step foot in an airport or a plane. They’re literal road warriors, driving from place to place. Other road warriors may fly to one central location, and then drive around from that spot, often for hours.

If this is the case, leverage the potential stops to get some standing in and move! This may take the form of a rest area off the interstate. It may be a fuel stop at a gas station or a bathroom break.

Take these times, whether planned or necessary, to take a stand. You’ll be surprised how much more movement you can get in when you look for these natural stops while driving.

4. STAND DURING MEETINGS

Oh, the joy of meetings on the road. They definitely cannot be avoided because chances are, that’s exactly why you’re on business travel most of the time in the first place!

Meetings are a perfect opportunity to stand, even just for a few minutes. Here’s a slick way of pulling it off: I stand to stretch then just remain standing for a minute or two. Often, nobody cares, and I stand for as long as I can get away with it. Each meeting is different, so you need to feel that one out.

I’m now known as a stand-up guy, especially if I come back to the same location with the same people and they just know I’m “that guy.” Simply embrace it. If you’re getting into the habit of standing during meetings, then the fifth way is a natural transition…

5. CREATE A STAND-UP DESK

Create a stand-up desk any time you can. It’s possible on business travel, but it may take some creativity. When you’re on a mission to have a stand-up desk, you’ll make it work.

If I’m in a meeting, I’ll look around and find a way to move my laptop or even a notebook to accommodate standing and create a makeshift stand-up desk. It may be a ledge or bar-height table.

PRO TIP:

I often stay and even stop at a Courtyard Marriott or Embassy Suites just to work for an hour or so between meetings, etc. Starbucks is another option if you don’t mind the transient environment, which can be highly stimulating.

The overall point of stand more is learning to make it a priority and looking for opportunities to add more standing within a business travel day. If you truly made a concerted effort on the six suggested ways, you’ll be amazed at the difference you’ll feel in your body and in your energy.

6. STRETCH WHILE YOU STAND

You’re up, man, so why not stretch out that tight and inflexible body? I’m serious. Most road warriors are VERY inflexible (in more ways than one).

This is such a freebie that when you stand you stretch your legs, your back, your neck. In mere seconds, that tight body of yours gets a free stretch that comes with simply taking a stand. A beautiful thing, Road Warriors!

BONUS TIP:

Another way to increase standing time is to not sit while you’re waiting for the rental car bus or Ride Share on one of those very convenient (and very uncomfortable) benches.

Take a stand! You’ve been on a flight, so stretch your legs and get some blood flowing to regain some energy. If you’re on the rental car bus, stand there as well. You’ll be the gentleman giving up your seat for a lady. See how standing can make you a hero as well? All the perks!

If I’m really honest, I don’t want to be the person seated at the back of the bus having to wait on EVERYONE to get his or her bag off the bus. I like to keep my carry-on and computer bag assembled, to get a few more minutes of stand time on, and be the first off the bus.

Land This Plane…

I realize the road fights you on this one, with a comfortable chair and the pressure to sit since “everyone else is.” This can be a tough play but not impossible.

So, choose one of the ways to stand more that will be the easiest for you to integrate into your day on the road. Does it need to be one you’ll remember the easiest? Or one that is the least obvious?

For me, it was standing at the gate at the airport. Once I started this standing location, I found myself more conscious of other standing opportunities within my day.

So, become a stand-up guy or stand-up girl on the road today!

Four Foods That Will Ruin Your Business Trip

Most of what we hear these days are what we have heard and been taught most of our lives, (with a few people who claim THEY HAVE that NEW, ONE answer for EVERYTHING,) but it seems like for some reason we FORGET about one particular topic quickly – eating healthy. And that’s before we even get on the road.

Unless we are very ill or extremely disciplined, we start our day with good intentions, something happens to throw us off, then… down the drain we go, grabbing whatever seems easy and quick.

Ten minutes after eating that packaged corn dog from the vending machine, we are slowed down to that carb coma, asking ourselves, WHY DID I JUST DO THAT?

And that is the beginning of feeling sluggish for the rest of the business trip.

 

 

I am probably not going to be giving you earth-shattering news about what four things will ruin your business trip, BUT if you take in just these few things and begin to implement them into your life, maybe you can have the energy you want to be the BETTER you!

Four Foods That Will Ruin Your Business Trip

 

  1. SUGAR

No brainer? You are right. But why is it that we are still talking about it and struggling with it in our own world?

Because we can’t seem to get this issue licked yet! This would be the number one food that will ruin your trip.

If you want to start your day with sugar, you will find yourself more hungry throughout the day, a roller coaster of emotions and energy, and ultimately be finding yourself falling flat sometime throughout the day.

Two Tips…

  • Instead of saying you will NOT eat sugar, start with a protein and veggie breakfast to help combat those cravings and help with that spur of the moment issue later on in the day.
  • Drink lots of purified water throughout the day.

Sugar is in almost everything. It’s hard enough to monitor it at home but on the road? So do your best to minimize but preferably eliminate what you KNOW has sugar in. Give your road day a chance!

 

2. PROCESSED FOODS

Another energy suck throughout the day is processed foods. They are high in sugar, virtually no nutrients, no fiber, usually high calorie, and act like a pure sugar giving us that need for the next high.

On the road, it’s so easy to just reach for something processed. It’s all around us, especially at the airport and gas station.

Two Tips…

  • Take your time to pick out something that resembles fresh food at the airport, grocery store, or restaurant.  It may take time to feel better if you are used to eating processed foods, but watch your natural energy return as you eat REAL food.
  • You can still get packaged food with a minimal amount of processing.  Which may mean to load up on nuts, seeds, fruit, protein bars, and the like BEFORE you travel.

 

3. HIGH AMOUNTS OF CAFFEINE

Caffeine is not the enemy that some will tell you.

BUT, the average person consumes more than double the recommended amounts of caffeine that we should consume especially, coffee, and that is during the mornings alone!

Most caffeine can give you the same ups and downs that sugar does throughout the day.

And road warriors consume caffeine all day and evening. It’s our “go-to” for the afternoon meeting and often “just a splash” in our mixed drink later.

Sooo, what you say?  You are sending your energy production, blood sugar, and cortisol up and down,

Which in turn contributes to BELLY FAT over time.

Two Tips…

  • My favorite pick-me-up-go-to is MATCHA TEA!  You can find this at almost any of the big coffee chains nowadays and in any store in powder packets ready to hot or cold water.  This will not give you as much of a crash and has a TON of antioxidant support.
  • If you are going to have coffee have half decaf and go without all the extra sugar.  Try a little stevia for some sweetness.

 

4. TOO MANY CARBS IN THE MORNING

I know this sounds redundant because again, you have heard it before, BUT when you start your day with a carb-heavy meal, even healthy ones, you will NOT feel your best the rest of the day.

Our bodies really need more protein in the AM and carbs in the later afternoon when our bodies are calling for more energy.

Two Tips…

  • Start paying attention to what you’re putting in your system for food in the morning. Change starts with awareness.
  • Whether you are intermittent fasting, keto, paleo, or fast food dieting (LOL), start your day off with MORE protein and fats and a very slim amount of carbs.

One Example

Eggs with turkey bacon, half of the avocado, with two tomato slices.  Total time is about 10 min of prep.  EASY! AND, this is always available on the road.

I always say, when you don’t have your health, you have NOTHING.  These four suggestions are small changes that can make a big difference in the physiology of your energy, health, AND focus on your business travel.

Travel is stressful on our bodies.  Even though our bodies are resilient, that excuse only stretches so far until the stresses of your world start to eat away at living your potential.  Start small.  It will help you make permanent changes.

 

About the Article Author…

Treva Thompson is a holistic health practitioner and a Functional diagnostic nutrition specialist working primarily with people who struggle with energy depletion, GI struggles, and autoimmune diseases through functional lab tests, food as medicine, targeted supplements, and lifestyle management.

This is a mouthful to say that she loves to help people get back to when they felt their BEST! She is passionate about watching people thrive in their lives!

She lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her new husband of six months (but high school and college sweetheart,) where they share seven children, two dogs, and a VERY crazy but fun life!

If you would like more information on how to start feeling better, reach out and we can have a complimentary consultation on how to get your energy back. I use a comprehensive approach through functional lab testing, nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle management.  treva@livingtree.co

Mastering Posture For More Energy And Better Health on the Road

When we think about posture, most people think about sitting or standing up straight.  They do it for about 10 seconds then that thought of good posture leaves as quickly as it comes when someone else mentions posture.

Unless you were in the military, competed in dance or had a strict mom growing up, correct posture is never taught. It is just not natural for people to do it on their own because we live in a flexion dominant society, meaning everything we do is in front of us. There is very little that we do that is behind us.  We are flexed forward all day, every day.

Poor posture is an epidemic that no one is talking about but chiropractors.  Chiropractors are the only healing profession that place a tremendous amount of importance on posture, because we understand its intimate connection with the spine, brain and the body‘s overall health.

My intention for this article is to give you the big picture of posture and understand the details of it.

I would strongly recommend seeing a chiropractor firstbefore you start to do anything I recommend in this article on your own.  You want to make sure it is safe for you and that you don’t have anything serious going on in your spine that would contradict a posture program.  Plus, if you haven’t been adjusted recently or never, these exercises can be uncomfortable or even painful.  You may need a combination of adjustments and the chiropractor can show you these exercises.

Let’s get started.

If we were to strip away all the flesh, connective tissue and muscles of our body, the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and occiput would be perfectly level as we stand.  But the connective tissue and muscles have the ability to contract. Contraction causes postural distortions and lead to health challenges if not corrected. When it comes to posture, think about balancing your muscle in length and strength not only from side to side but also front to back.  This is the key to correcting posture.

I want to break posture into two halves.  An upper cross syndrome involves the head, neck, shoulders, chest and mid back.  The lower cross syndrome involves the core, low back, pelvis and legs.  Being flexion dominant, there are certain muscles that become tight and others that become weak or inhibited.

To correct this, we have to stretch (lengthen) the tight muscles and strengthen the weak or inhibited ones.  To correct one’s posture, there has to be a balance between stretching AND strengthening.  Some people will only stretch and their muscles don’t have the strength to hold the corrected posture.  Likewise, some people will only strengthen and have little flexibility.  This is why there has to be a balance and focus on doing both.

Upper cross syndrome involves forward head posture (FHP) and rounded shoulders.  Research shows that FHP can lead to up to 30 pounds of abnormal leverage on the spine1, reducing lung capacity by as much as 30% (1), increase heart and blood vascular disease1, can affect blood pressure & heart rate (2), increases airway resistance that can negatively effect asthma (3), increases fatigue and decreases mental state (4) and height loss increases risk of heart attacks (5).  Rounded shoulders in combination with FHP leads to a hyperkyphotic thoracic spine or an increase forward curve.  Hyperkyphosis can be a predictor of early mortality in older men and women (6).

To correct FHP, stretch the muscles in your neck and strengthen your deep neck flexors and the muscles on the sides of your cervical spine.  To correct the rounded shoulders, stretch your chest, upper traps and strengthen the middle-lower traps and serratus anterior muscles (scapula stabilizers).

Here are some interesting facts about low back pain:

●  Worldwide, back pain is the single leading cause of disability, preventing many people from engaging in work as well as other everyday activities. (7)

●  Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. (8)

●  Back pain accounts for more than 264 million lost work days in one year—that’s two work days for every full-time worker in the country. (9)

●  Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives. (10)

●  Back pain is the third most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, behind skin disorders and osteoarthritis/joint disorders. (11)

●  Most people with low back pain recover, however reoccurrence is common and for small percentage of people the condition will become chronic and disabling. (12)

●  Worldwide, years lived with disability caused by low back pain have increased by 54% between 1990 and 2015. (12)

A majority of lower back pain can be resolved with chiropractic care and prevented by correcting the lower cross syndrome. The lower cross syndrome involves a weak core and glutes, tight quadriceps, hamstrings, external hip rotators and hip flexors.

These muscular imbalances tilt the pelvis anteriorly and puts more strain on your low back muscles.  A weak core and glutes and relying only on your low back muscles is how people “throw” their low back out.  Lower cross syndrome can lead to low back pain (13) and chronic low back pain can decrease gray matter in your brain (14).

The key to keeping the low back loose is by stretching your legs.  The muscles you want to stretch are quadriceps, hamstrings, hip rotators, hip flexors, groin and calves.  The muscles you want to strengthen are your core and glutes.

To put this all together, looking at someone from the side with correct posture, a straight line should pass through your ear, tip of your shoulder, hip and ankle.  The pelvis should be tilted under so it is level, abdominals tight, shoulders pulled back and down with the head retracted over the shoulders.  Again, this can be painful for people to get into this position, go see a chiropractor first.

Creating the habit of good posture takes a lot of mental awareness and repetition to re-wire your muscle memory in the brain neurologically. Give yourself 3-6 months of really working on it.  The more you work on your posture consciously, eventually the more unconscious and easier it becomes once you have re-wired your muscles and brain. Then you will naturally be in the right position without having to think about it.

How correct posture can give you more energy. 

Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Roger Sperry says that the spine is the motor that drives the brain. According to his research “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine.” Only 10% of our brain’s energy goes into thinking, metabolism, immunity, and healing. Sperry demonstrated that 90% of brain energy goes into processing and maintaining the body’s relationship with gravity.

Re-read that last sentence again and think about it.

The human body was designed flawlessly and built for high performance.  The habit of poor posture burns more energy and fatigues your muscles faster which can make you more tired, physically and mentally.  If you have a desk job and sit at the computer all day, which most of us do in the 21stcentury, you can utilize great posture to your advantage for better energy and mental alertness.

A common remark I hear from my patients when they start getting adjusted regularly is that other people comment to them about how good their posture is.  My patients who have desk jobs as their posture improves, they have more energy at the end of the day.

The take home message here is that someone with poor posture will have poor health.  There is an intimate connection between the spine and brain that cannot be denied. The spine is the gateway that can make or break your overall health.  We are taught from birth about flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day and is good oral hygiene to practice.  You wouldn’t go a week or a month without brushing your teeth, would you?  What about spinal hygiene?

Some people still have never been to a chiropractor or been adjusted.  A healthy habit that healthy people have includes great posture and getting adjusted.  Great posture and getting adjusted regularly will support your body well in doing what it was designed to do = express health.  And if our spine was on our face, we would take better care of it. Now it is the beginning for you to take this information and implement it.  The ball is in your court.

 

About the Article Author…

Dr. Keith Giaquinto has an abundance of knowledge about the human body, stress, digestion and specializes in enzyme nutrition and chronic unresolved health challenges.

Dr. Keith is a graduate from National University of Health Sciences with a Doctorate of Chiropractic and an Internal Health Specialist Certification from Logan University.

He is a published author, writing articles for national chiropractic and local health magazines. He has helped thousands of people all over North America go from a chronic condition to a near normal or perfect health in a matter of weeks to months.

He loves to connect with business travelers to help them understand how their body works and what they can do to heal themselves.

 

References:
1.   Cailliet R & Gross L, (1987) Rejuvenation Strategy. New York, Doubleday Co.
2.   Deuchars, J., Edwards, I. (2007). Bad posture could raise your blood pressure.
Journal of Neuroscience 0638-07.
3.   Lopes, E. et al. (2006) Assessment of muscle shortening and static posture in
children with persistent asthma. European Journal of Pediatrics, 166(7) 715-
721.
4.   Goldstein, L & Makofsky H. (2005) TMD/Facial Pain and Forward Head Posture.
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How to Create Your Own Afternoon 5 Hour Energy Hack

Afternoons can be the drudgery of any person who controls their day. It’s like the right of passage from a productive morning to getting to our evening. We have to go through it but most of the time it’s simply a means to an end.

For many, the attack of a lousy choice of lunch haunts us and others combat the afternoon with caffeine, sugar, or a 5 Hour Energy drink. This is NOT the answer and will only delay and compound the energy problem later.

In fact, energy is the LAST thing it gives us. We need it just to stay neutral and not crash.

Not exactly an energy boost. Is neutral really the best case scenario?

But what if we looked at the afternoon differently and chose to create our own hack that is healthier and actually more effective?

I’m overly productive in the morning so many times my afternoon pays the price. But I’ve learned to ask three quick questions when my energy begins to drop in the afternoon:

 

Ask Three Quick Questions:

Q1  Why is my energy low right now?

Often it may be as simple is it’s 2pm and you’ve not stopped for lunch. Or what you ate for lunch is sitting in your gut like a 20 lb. dumbbell because it was a poor choice. Or you realized the only movement you’ve had in numerous hours were your fingers on the keyboard and multiple yawn reps. C’mon man.

But sometimes it’s bigger like running on little or low-quality sleep. This cannot be solved in the moment but can be in a few hours by getting to bed on time or even earlier to bank energy for tomorrow afternoon. Finding the why of your energy drop is key to solving the problem and not repeating it day after day. STOP the bleeding.

 

Q2  Is there anything I can do to change my energy level?

Once you know why your energy level is low, you can actually do something about it. Go eat something healthy. Stand up and stretch. Take a break and go for a quick walk to move the body and rest the mind. You’ll be surprised at just doing something different that puts positive fuel in your body or even gets you moving, will do for low energy.

And every once in awhile I’ve just stopped and taken a nap. I know, right?! I’m not talking 2-3 hours but 20-30 minutes. But instead of pushing through with little to no results, I actually accomplished more in that last two hours than most afternoons. Find what you can do to change your energy level immediately. Stand. Stretch. Walk. Just move, man.

 

Q3  How can I match my tasks with my energy?

Sometimes a small tweak is just not going to change your energy level. So, I pick a low energy task that requires more time and dedicate the time to that task. I have a list of low energy tasks that I can turn to at any given moment that need forward motion. These are the no-brainer, little to no thinking tasks that need attention but definitely NOT during high energy moments.

Often, just working on a few of these tasks for 15 or 30 minutes is all I need to snap me out of the low energy funk.

Other times, I’m going to ride the low energy tasks out for the remainder of my day because it’s just one of those days. Not a big deal mid to late afternoon. Major concern if it’s 1:05pm. Learn to match energy with task.

 

Three Changes That Can Give Me a Natural Energy Boost:

1. Change of Position

Stretch / stand / walk / push-ups (seriously, try it!), just move. Our bodies aren’t designed to sit in one place for long periods of time and ironically zap energy out of us even though all we’re doing is sitting.

 

2. Change of Location

What if I worked in a different location? It may mean moving to a different room or possibly a different location with a completely new environment to make the most of the afternoon.

 

3. Change of Activity

Learning to have a pulse on my energy is huge for productivity. It’s SO easy to try and force something when the reality is your energy is just not there. Don’t force it. Adjust and evaluate. Sometimes the worst thing is to force something that ends up taking twice as long and half as good. Holy bad math, Batman.

 

Let’s Wrap This Up…

You have more control of your afternoon crash and need for an energy boost than you realize.  We respond in one of two ways:

  • Reach for a quick unnatural fix in caffeine or sugar
  • Just try to push through it with limited results

I challenge you to ask the three questions to find out what’s going on before you reach for a sub par solution.

Change your position, location, or activity then measure the results. Create your own afternoon 5 hour energy hack and your afternoons will never be the same!