Sheryl Sandberg was recently asked what's the #1 app she has on her phone (other than Facebook). Her answer: Headspace. Today the co-founder and CEO Rich Pierson is taking over the newsletter. 💌
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When Andy and I co-founded Headspace in 2010, we knew we needed to get people to start taking care of their minds the way they take care of their bodies. I’d been working in advertising, and I burned out early on. Too much drinking, too much hard living, and I pretty much had a breakdown at 25. Meditation turned that around for me.
Meditation didn't just calm me down—it improved my relationships, my focus, and my productivity. Today, we help more than 17M people be more productive. When you're trying to help a busy mind stay on task, meditate.
These are my personal tips for maintaining a sense of balance:
1. Headspace: First things first when you’re trying to help a busy mind stay on task: meditate. Thoughts can do a lot of things: they can keep us awake, they can distract us, they can certainly upset us, but only if we let them. Meditation helps us to see thoughts for what they are: just thoughts.
2. Nike Training Club: Exercising may seem a funny way to get organized, but it can help keep endorphins high and frustration low.Â
3. Surfline: I try to surf a couple of times a week and knowing when and where to go is essential.
4. Time blocking: Essentially schedule a meeting… for no meetings. My Tuesday and Thursday mornings are blocked off every week. It’s become a habit now to use that time for creativity and focus.
5. Delete your email app: Bear with me on this one. I deleted email apps from my phone because there was this incessant need to check, and also to reply quickly. Deleting the apps and instead setting aside time to answer those emails thoughtfully was great not only for my relationships, but for my productivity.
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For more productivity tips, read Rich's guest post on the Product Hunt blog. When we spoke, he mentioned that he doesn't use many apps, but would like to see which ones people use to be more productive. We thought you could help. 😸
Which apps do use to be more productive? Add them here.
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