In this episode, Dr. Eckel and Dr. Thielen discuss how our the modern era digital lifestyles attack our dopamine centers which leads to decreased focus, attention, and sense of peace. How does this impact our ability to remain anxiety free and clear on our life purpose? There are so many people are living with stress and anxiety; most of us are overwhelmed. If we don’t know what tomorrow brings, we resort to living with fear and worry. The more clear we are, the less stress we incur over the span of a day, week, month, and year. Dr. Thielen explains how this can often be due to a lack of purpose in life. By scripting your life and agenda, you can start to become in control. We began to have a sense of calm and excitedness about what tomorrow brings. People are exposed to at least 14,000 digital messages every day. How are we supposed to gain clarity and purpose in life when we are being bombarded? It is often not our fault for feeling lost, anxious, or worried. Our dopamine centers are being overloaded by digital media, caffeine, drinks, and sugar; all of which contribute to brain fog, leaving us unable to focus. The human attention span has decreased to an average of 6 seconds (which is now less than a goldfish: 8 second span). So, how do we find clarity and a life full of purpose? It all starts with limiting our dopamine exposure (aka create a positive working/living environment). Whether you work at home or in the office, you must create your own positive environment. There are plenty of techniques for how to optimize focus when you are working. Dr. Thielen recommends the Pomodoro technique. This includes setting a timer for 25 minutes, leaving your phone in another room and working with the upmost focus and attention. Once the timer is up, you can then take a 5 minute productive break (including stretching, a quick stand, or walk to the kitchen for some water). Think of your phone as for you and not for other people to bother you (especially when you are in your working environment). Dr. Thielen describes how everyone’s life is a mix between mental and physical excursion. When we look at athletes or musicians, their profession is 90% mental and 10% physical. When they have a bad game, they are unable to get “in the zone” because of their lack of focus. It comes down to slivers of a second for them. When they are “in the zone”, nothing can distract them; this happens for most people when they create a positive working environment. Dr. Thielen created a nootropic that balances humans 5 intelligence hormones. By balancing these hormones, we are able to increase our focus (within 30 minutes), create new brain cell connections, and clear brain fog/offer clarity to life. Starting your path to purpose and life clarity begins with limiting our dopamine and balancing our 5 intelligence hormones.
