How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times

stress is something that can build up inside of us over time. When we don’t relieve the pressure that this stress creates and relieve it frequently, it only builds further.

One recent study found that loneliness is as damaging to our overall health as smoking fifteen cigarettes every day.

In this way, objects of attention lower down on this chart don’t just lead to productivity and meaning—they help us feel happy and calm. They’re also more active and less passive.

Generally speaking, if you’re feeling exhausted, focus on your workload. If you’re disengaged, invest in social relationships, and find ways of connecting more deeply with your coworkers if you can. If you’re cynical, identify whether you have the resources you need to do your job, and again whether you can double down on relationships at work.

Luckily for us, we can connect with how our brain and body are wired, while at the same time relieving stress and finding calm. A few of the primary ways we can do so are through people, movement, meditation, and good nutrition. These areas of our life all balance our mind, leading us to calm.

The main neurochemicals that are associated with this calm network are serotonin (which makes us feel happy), oxytocin (which makes us feel connected), and endorphins (which make us feel a sense of euphoria).

the digital world is valuable only so far as it supports us in what we intend to accomplish. Remember: at its best, productivity is about intention.

Remember: when given a choice, we’ll more often than not gravitate to what maximizes the release of dopamine.

Factors that put an unnecessary cap on how much you’re able to accomplish include many ideas from this book, including: