Pause to Productivity: The Five Senses Reset for Your Chaotic Friday

0:00Hi, this is Alex Cantrowitz. I'm the host of Big Technology podcast, a long time reporter and an on-air contributor to CNBC. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts. This is your Mindful at Work, Daily Tits for Productivity and Focus Podcast. Hey there friend, welcome back to Mindful at Work. I'm Julia and I'm so glad you've carved out a few minutes for yourself today. You know, it's a Friday morning in early March and I'm guessing your inbox is already looking a little chaotic. Am I right? That moment when you open your laptop and suddenly feel like you're drinking from a fire hose? Yeah, we're going there today. Because here's the

1:00thing about productivity. Sometimes the fastest way forward is actually pausing. So let's settle in together. Find yourself somewhere you can sit comfortably, even if it's just for the next few minutes. Feed on the floor if you can. Shoulders dropping away from your ears. Good. Now take a moment and just notice what's around you right now. What do you hear? What does the air feel like on your skin? We're not trying to change anything yet. Just noticing. Now let's anchor ourselves with breath. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four. And as you do, imagine you're breathing in clarity, focus, all the good stuff your mind needs right now. Hold it for just a beat. Then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. That longer exhale, it activates your calm nervous system. Do this again. Inhale for four. Exhale for six. One more time. Really feeling it. Here's where the magic happens. I want you to try something I call the five senses check.

2:03It takes about two minutes and it's like hitting the reset button on your brain. Name one thing you can see right now. Really look at it. One thing you can hear. One thing you can physically feel touching your body. One thing you can smell. And if nothing comes to mind, that's fine. And one thing you could taste if you wanted to. Moving through your senses like this anchors you completely in the present moment. Your mind can't worry about that email or that meeting when it's busy noticing the texture of your desk or the color of the light coming through the window. Here's the productivity hack nobody talks about. This practice takes less than five minutes, but it buys you back hours of scattered, distracted work. You're training your attention like a muscle. Carry this. Then do you think your mind can death that way? End quote. When you feel that overwhelm creeping in, cause and do your five senses check. You've got this. Thank you so much for joining me. Unmindful at work. Daily tips for productivity and focus. Please subscribe wherever you

3:07listen so you don't miss tomorrow's practice. Take good care of yourself out there. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss out. Thanks for listening. Hi, this is Alex Cantrowitz. I'm the host of Big Technology podcast a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to CNBC. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it. Asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts.