This week’s Hardcore MBA guest focuses on something that seems so simple, but which so many of us get wrong – breathing. Breathing isn’t just something we need to do to stay alive – it can also calm us down and regulate our stress, which is vital to an entrepreneur in the modern world. That’s why Michael invented the Breathe Sync app, which helps users adjust their breathing to the rhythm of their heartbeat, helping them to feel relaxed, focused, and balanced.
In the podcast, Michael and I discuss:
- The tragedies that led Michael to yoga and wellbeing practices.
- Why our idea of rest in the modern world is all messed up.
- How Breathe Sync could eventually help us crowd source data about wellbeing from around the world.
- Michael’s new book Do Breathe, which focuses on the importance of getting started on the things you find important.
- The Five Ways To Wellbeing project from the New Economics Foundation, and what people really need in order to be happy.
- And the need for more companies to think about employing a Chief Wellbeing Officer.
Michael is a guy with an inspiring story – and like I always encourage people to do, he has dedicated his life to improving the health and wellbeing of others, rather than only focusing on what’s in it for him. If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, why not try out the Breathe Sync app for yourself? And if you still want more, try Michael’s Stillworks site for more information on his projects.
Do you have other suggestions for managing stress while working? Have you tried Breathe Sync for yourself? Let us know in the comments!
Shownotes
- At around 1.30 he says that we breathe all the time, so if you’re doing it wrong, you’re doing it wrong thousands of times a day.
- At around 5.50 he says that to be successful you need to control your mind, which means controlling your energy, which means controlling your breathing.
- At around 13.15 he says that people don’t understand what rest really is in the modern world – his clients are usually either stressed, drunk, or asleep, and they never give their body and mind the time it really needs to recover.
- At around 34.40 he implores companies that if they say they care about staff wellbeing, they should hire a Chief Wellbeing Officer.
- At around 46.00 he says that following your heart is when you don’t take a rational, logical decision – it’s when you decide to do something because it just feels right.
