Better Than Caffeine
What could possibly be better than caffeine for productivity?
Whether it is in your favorite style of coffee, diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, or an energy drink, it wakes you up, makes you more alert, gets you moving faster. All factors for greater productivity.
Of course, if you drink too much, you can’t sleep, and that leads to dragging the next day. But there are also drawbacks that are not immediately apparent.
Caffeine Backlash
Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors in your brain. Adenosine is a signalling molecule in the brain that makes you sleepy. So when caffeine blocks it, your brain does not recognize how tired it is and it seems like you have more energy, but you are wearing down your brain even more.
As a stimulant, caffeine depletes your own brain chemicals which act as natural “uppers,” making you more dependent on caffeine. Studies show that individuals who drink the most coffee often suffer chronic depression.
In addition, caffeine stimulates a frenzy of neural activity in the brain. The result is that all that activity triggers the adrenal glands to release the fight-or-flight chemical adrenaline. This has detrimental long-term effects. Eventually you remain in that stress state of heightened vigilance and readiness for action. You stay stressed and cannot relax, digest and repair.
What Instead?
And what could possibly take its place? What could possibly do the same thing, but better?
Like caffeine, meditation energizes and makes you more productive. Unlike caffeine, it does so without the adrenaline overdrive. It brings you energy by giving you deep rest, draining the nervous system of over-excitement. Therefore, effort is not needed to accomplish things. Your brain functions like a smooth-running machine.
According to meditation teacher Emily Fletcher, meditation provides your body with rest that is at least two times deeper than sleep.
Meditating for 20 minutes can be equated to taking an hour-and-a-half nap, but you won’t have that “sleep hangover” afterward.
Instead, you’ll feel awake and refreshed, and as she says, “more conscious.”
No time to meditate?
If meditation is such a powerful productivity tool, when do we find time to do it? It feels like there is no time for it, there is so much to do.
Contrary to that feeling, the fact is that taking the time to meditate can actually help you gain more time through increased productivity.
You end up freeing up more time than what you spent meditating!
“[People say] I’d love to meditate, I know that I need it but I’m so busy right now, my life is just too crazy to meditate. And what they don’t understand is that once you start practicing you actually end up having more time. It’s this weird paradox that happens.
Even though you’re making a pretty significant time contribution to your day to meditation, because it in turn makes your brain function so much better, that you end up accomplishing your tasks much faster and so you end up with more time in your day and your sleep becomes more efficient because you’re using your sleep as a time for sleep because you use the meditation as a time for stress relief.”
What about the stress accumulating while you are working?
It’s great to drain the nervous system of stress while you have you eyes closed and are meditating. That makes the time afterwards more productive, as you function so much smoother and better. Hooray!
Isn’t there any way to prevent the build-up of stress again?
Yes. The Ishayas teach meditation techniques that can be used with the eyes open as well as closed-eyed. That means that while you are working or doing anything, you can use the techniques and be alert but also relaxed so as not to take in much more stress.
Dr. Cheryl has been practicing The Ishayas’ Ascension techniques since 2002, and she highly recommends them. In fact, she has been teaching them since 2005.
There are forms of mindfulness meditation that are done with eyes open. The purpose is to live life stress-free. Dr. Cheryl’s experience is that they do not take you the same place as the Ishayas’ meditation techniques do with your eyes open.
Ready to be more productive without caffeine?
If you crave more productivity with side benefits of happiness and well-being, check out a listing of classes to learn The Ishayas’ Ascension. Dr. Cheryl holds classes locally in response to interest in this area. The techniques are also taught all over the world.
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“Naturopathic Physician Dr. Cheryl Kasdorf is a doctor who listens and has answers with a natural approach that works. She is known as the go-to person to get back your get-up-and-go when it is gone, gone, gone. Get your FREE gift “Dr. Kasdorf’s Health Secrets for Feeling & Looking Great” at drcherylkasdorf.com
