Mo Salama

“Sleep is the cousin of death.”

“There is no rest for the weary.”

Our workforce and culture today communicate with language like this glorifying sleep deprivation and characterizing it as a symbol of honor.

Many folks think if you aren’t working around the clock, you’re considered a slacker.

I used to work nonstop for years.

I would get 5-6 hours of sleep a night thinking that was normal.

I would pull all-nighters on a regular basis, assuring myself I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

What I didn’t realize was, by not sleeping, I was gradually killing myself.

I would eat healthy, exercise, and do almost everything else right in a continual quest for a better me, but I would sacrifice my sleep to “get more work done.”

But there finally came a point, when I was completely burnt out physically and mentally and I needed to make a change.

I had trouble focusing.

I got sick a lot.

I couldn’t remember even the simplest of things.

I wasn’t entirely sure if lack of sleep was what wore me down but fortunately, in a time of desperation, I stumbled across a few articles on the importance of sleep that swayed me to transform my sleep habits.

One element that caught my eye was a study done at the University of Texas Southwestern medical school.

The research showed that losing the equivalent of one night’s sleep is identical to having a blood alcohol concentration of about 0.1 – placing you in a “too drunk to lawfully drive a vehicle” status.

I’ve always suspected sleep to be a passive process of helping us recuperate our minds and bodies.

But there’s been a flow of research revealing otherwise.

Sleep is indeed an active function, rather than just a resting period.

So if you’re heading to bed to “unwind” from work, you aren’t truly unwinding.

Sleep is itself work.

So if you’re attempting to solve a complex problem, and you decide to set it aside overnight and return to it the following day, that’s not not working on the problem, that is working on the problem.

So the idiom “sleep on it” is truly scientifically-backed advice.

After that realization, I started changing my sleep habits to accomplish more out of my days.

No more sacrificing sleep just to stay up and watch another episode of House of Cards, to accomplish another task on my to-do list, or to hang out with my friends.

There’s plenty of other reasons why we should take sleep seriously.

Let’s take a look.

1. Sleep Helps Your Memory

One of the functions of sleep is helping you consolidate long-term memories.

When you sleep, your brain not only strengthens neural connections that form your useful long-term memories, but it also prunes out the ones it doesn’t consider useful.

Your brain makes new connections at every moment you spend awake, but not all of them prove to be useful.

So when you go to sleep, your brain starts to strengthen the connections it finds useful, and it discards the connections it considers unhelpful.

You might have noticed this effect since you were in school.

You would spend some time studying during the day, but you couldn’t remember all of the things you’ve learned.

But once you’ve slept, you could remember more of what you learned the previous day.

In fact, the sleep’s function in allowing your brain to make new connections was demonstrated through a simple, yet very ingenious experiment.

In the experiment, two groups of people were asked to learn a routine of tapping buttons in a certain order.

One group of people was asked to repeat the task after being awake for 12 hours, while the second group was asked to repeat it after sleeping for 12 hours.

The people in the second group performed much better.

So getting plenty of sleep will allow your brain to strengthen the connections it makes during the day, and it will also allow it to discard the connections it deems unnecessary. (1)

2. Sleep Helps Your Brain Get Rid Of Toxins

Just like every other organ in your body, your brain has to eat.

And when your brain eats, it produces some by-products.

Other by-products are produced from the brain’s activity, and they accumulate in the brain during the day.

But one of the most important discoveries in recent years shows that the brain increases its ability to clean itself when you’re sleeping.

Your brain has its own lymphatic system which removes toxins and makes sure nothing foreign comes in contact with your brain.

When we sleep, the space between our brain cells expands.

This allows our lymphatic system to clean up all the debris through the cerebral fluid.

Perhaps the most important thing about this cleaning process is that it can remove the beta-amyloid proteins that act as a precursor to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Getting enough sleep will help your brain clean itself, lowering the chances of developing Alzheimer’s. (2)

3. Sleep Influences Your Creativity

Our creativity is greatly influenced by sleep.

No, this won’t only affect sculptors and painters.

We use creativity every day.

In fact, most of the times we come up with an ingenious solution to a problem, whether it’s a mathematical one or a physical one, we use the creative parts of our brains.

Divergent thinking is our ability to think outside the box.

When people have to pass a fence, they will look for a gate.

Well, the creative way to solve this problem would be to jump over the fence or cut a hole into it.

Of course, this is an oversimplification of creative thought, but it’s a good visual example.

When we are sleep-deprived, our brain loses the ability to think creatively.

A study showed that people who were awake for 32 hours performed much worse at divergent thinking tests.

Their thoughts lost their flexibility and fluency, and some even lost their originality.

Instead of thinking about a new solution for every problem, they tried using the same solution for all of them.

On the other hand, people who got a good nights’ sleep were more successful at figuring out a hidden pattern than those who were sleep deprived.

So if you want to be creative and come up with innovative solutions more often, make sure you get enough sleep. (3)

4. Sleep Is Important For Cognition

Most of us don’t need flashy scientific studies to learn that the lack of sleep can incapacitate our cognitive abilities and productivity.

We experienced it ourselves.

Sleep deprivation affects all aspects of our cognition, from decision-making to attention.

This is why being sleep-deprived when you’re driving is very dangerous.

Even though for many of us driving is almost a second nature, and we do it with some kind of automatism, it’s still a very complex process.

When we’re driving, our brain has to focus on multiple things at once.

It has to coordinate our hand and feet movements, it has to be aware of everything we see, and it has to be receptive to everything that goes on around us.

This is why people who are sleep-deprived are more likely to be involved in an accident.

Sleep deprivation affects your cognitive function, and your brains aren’t able to register everything that’s going on, or is slow to do so.

Sleep deprivation also has a negative impact on your working memory and attention.

Scientists recommend you sleep at least 7-9 hours a night for optimal recovery.

People who voluntarily slept 2 hours less than their usual schedule performed worse in certain tasks that involved short-term memory and attention than they did when they followed their normal circadian rhythm. (4)

5. Sleep Loss Is Interconnected To Depression

Depression is connected to sleep problems.

People who suffer from depression can either have a hard time sleeping or they might sleep a lot.

But the reverse is also true.

People who are sleep-deprived have a higher chance of developing depression, or they can experience an aggravation of their symptoms if they’re already depressed.

Several studies showed that people who sleep more than 8 hours per night and those who sleep less than 6 hours per night are more likely to be depressed than those who sleep between 6 – 8 hours.

People who suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and insomnia are way more likely to develop mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Part of the reason this happens is that our brains have a circadian rhythm.

The circadian rhythm is our daily sleep-wake cycle.

Most of our body functions depend on the circadian rhythm, so it’s very important to maintain it.

When people are sleep deprived their circadian rhythms are disrupted, and their brain has a hard time coordinating all the body’s function to the new rhythm.

That’s why you might sometimes need a full week to recover after losing a whole night of sleep.

Your brain is trying to coordinate all your body functions to your new schedule, while you’re trying to get back to your old one. (5)

6. Sleep Is Necessary For The Brain’s Development

Having small children can be difficult, but having tired small children can be a daunting challenge.

Sleep deprivation has a lot of short-term effects in children, and it can make them somewhat difficult to handle, but it can actually affect their brain development in the long run.

Getting enough sleep is one of the most important ingredients for the growing brain.

That’s why babies, toddlers, children, and teens sleep more than adults.

Studies have linked sleep loss with higher chances of developing ADHD symptoms in children.

Other studies have shown that for children, every extra minute of sleep counts.

Children who slept just 18 minutes more had a significant increase in their school performance.

Elementary school children who slept more performed better in English and Math tests.

Sleep deprivation can also affect children differently than it does adults.

Children who were sleep-deprived showed brain changes in the rear regions of their brains, while sleep-deprived adults showed changes in their front regions.

It’s still unclear on how these differences can influence the brain’s development, but it’s certainly not good.

Since every extra minute of sleep is important for the growing brain, some schools have changed their school day schedule to better accommodate the brain’s need for sleep. (6)

7. Sleep Is Important For Your Physical Health

Even though the rest of your body doesn’t need sleep as much as your brain does, sleep deprivation can still affect it.

Studies have linked sleep deprivation to higher blood pressures, increases of the heart rate and the heart’s contractility rate, and higher cortisol levels.

Other studies have shown that the lack of sleep can increase the risk of developing diabetes and the inflammation levels which can increase one’s risk of cancer.

Our bodies’ sleep-wake cycle is very important because it influences all our body functions.

The human body evolved to wake up during the day when it’s light outside and to sleep when it’s dark.

Melatonin, a hormone our body produces, is released when the sun goes down and it makes you feel less alert.

Our blood melatonin levels stay elevated for almost 12 hours, and they’re barely detected during the daytime.

So our bodies are designed to sleep at night. (7)

8. Sleep Influences Your Training

Sleeping properly is also one of the first things a personal trainer will recommend you.

Not only will sleeping more help your muscles recover after training, but it will also lower the chances of getting injured.

Having plenty of sleep will also increase your performance, and you will run faster, lift more weights, and exceed your physical performances.

Sports superstars like Lebron James, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, and Venus Williams claim that they sleep more than 10 hours each day.

So how come they are successful at what they do when they’re essentially “wasting” almost half of their days sleeping?

Well, during REM sleep, your brain makes new connections and consolidate the neural pathways it considers useful.

This will help you learn new skills faster.

Whether you’re looking to improve your golf drive or your soccer crosses, getting enough sleep will be beneficial for you.

Sleeping properly will also increase your energy levels.

Rigorous training requires a lot of discipline and mental toughness, and getting a lot of sleep will improve your focus.

Motivation and willpower alone cannot lead to successful results.

You need to help your body if you want to reap the rewards of your training.

One thing that will help your body rest better is avoiding caffeine.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant, and even though you might enjoy having an energy drink or a coffee in the afternoon, you shouldn’t.

You don’t have to avoid caffeine all day long.

You can drink it before your training if you exercise in the morning.

But consuming caffeine in the evening can affect your sleep patterns, even if you have developed a mild tolerance for it.

To improve your sleep, you can take a calcium and magnesium supplement.

Both of these substances are considered natural sleep aids, and taking them at the same time can make you sleep better. (8)

9. Develop A Sleep Routine

One of the ways to make sure you get proper sleep is to develop a sleep routine.

Having a routine is very important, especially because most people believe that they can catch up on their sleep.

This is far from the truth.

In fact, the greater our sleep debt is, the less capable we are to recognize it.

Once we are sleep deprived, our brain eats itself.

This might sound like something taken out of a horror movie scenario, but unfortunately, it’s true.

When it’s facing chronic sleep deprivation, our brain gets all foggy and confused, and the cells that usually handle the waste disposal in the brain end up eating other brain cells.

This might lead to severe mental health consequences in the long run.

The best way to avoid this situation is to develop and stick to a sleeping routine.

Developing a sleep routine might be difficult at first because you will have to go to sleep and wake up at the same time of day, every day.

Maybe sometimes you won’t feel sleepy, maybe sometimes you will feel sleepy before your scheduled sleep hour.

Well, the truth is anyone who uses a sleep routine struggled a little at first, but once you’re used to it everything gets better.

A lot better.

You won’t feel the brain fogging your thoughts at lunchtime, and you won’t be drowsy in the morning.

Once you’re used to having enough sleep, your body will reward you.

Your brain will perform better, and you will find a new motivation and focus.

You will be in a better mood, and you will be able to handle multiple tasks without tiring. (9)

10. 5 Tips On Developing A Sleep Routine

• Go to bed early – The best approach is to go to bed early and wake up early as well.
• Have a bedtime routine – Creating a bedtime routine will allow your brain to register the fact that you want to sleep. The routine can be simple or complex, it doesn’t really matter as long as it works. You can try flossing and then reading one or two chapters from a book
• Avoid using gadgets – Using gadgets when you’re in bed can trick your brain into believing it’s morning. Nowadays, gadgets produce a powerful light that can deceive your brain.
• Meditate – Meditation can help you sleep better. You can either meditate before going to bed, or you can meditate in bed, prior to falling sleep.
• Wake up to something peaceful – Most people don’t use alarm clocks any longer, they use their phone’s alarm clock feature. Well, make sure the tune you’re waking up to is a peaceful one. You don’t want to wake up with a boost of cortisol because the alarm tone scares you into wakefulness.

Once you manage to sleep well for a few weeks, you’ll ponder why sleep isn’t prescribed.

My to-do list is set.

Desk is organized.

Coffee is prepared.

Computer is on.

Classical music is playing.

“I’m ready to start working,” I tell myself.

“You know what?” contemplating my next move.

Let’s me just check out this new video Gary Vee uploaded today on YouTube to encourage me to get started.

“Ahh man, that video was absolutely incredible,” I mutter to myself.

Alright time to really get started….

After I just watch this quick TED talk on the science of productivity (damn you Youtube and your recommendation algorithms for suggesting this video)

As I am watching that video, I come across an interesting concept that relates Newton’s First Law of motion to the science of motivation in the video.

So I decide to do a quick google search to remind myself of what Newton’s first law is.

This definition populates:

An object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an EXTERNAL FORCE.

As I’m slowly reading & interpreting that statement, still not truly grasping the connection between that and motivation (shame on me), an email notification pops up informing me that I’ve received a message from a coworker.

I type out a reply and while I’m in the inbox I notice an attention-grabbing email from one of my favorite bloggers that I open as well.

45 minutes pass and I still haven’t started work.

You see how easy it is to lose focus?

Concentrating has always been one of my biggest struggles.

Luckily, after diving deep into the research of what makes some of the most successful people in the world productive, I have come across a handful of tips and tricks that they utilize across the board.

While there are numerous ways that I have found to increase productivity, the following 15 tips have been the most effective for me.

• Have A Morning Routine

Your brain feels sluggish upon awakening, and it needs a bit of time to realize that what the hell it’s doing.

You can create certain shortcuts to allow your brain to feel sluggish for a shorter time, and that’s accomplished by having a morning routine.

One of the first things you should do in the morning is ensuring you drink a few glasses of water.

When you sleep, you lose water through sweat and respiration.

Studies have shown that drinking just one glass of water in the morning can increase your productivity by up to 14%. (2)

When it comes to your actual morning routine, It doesn’t truly matter what you do in your mornings, as long as you do it regularly.

Some people will choose to have a healthy breakfast.

Others will start exercising as soon as they’re out of their pj’s.

Some will meditate.

Some will get to work immediately to tackle their most important tasks.

I typically exercise, preferably out in the sun to capture some Vitamin D, then I’ll take a refreshing cold shower before getting to work.

• The 80/20 Principle

Also known as Pareto’s Law, this principle states that 80% of the things we want are accomplished by 20% of the activities we choose to engage in.

In other words, 80% of the things we do can be a huge waste of time.

This is a powerful principle that if used correctly, can help you achieve much more with less.

Answering phone calls, checking emails, & satisfying low-end clients can take up copious amounts of your time & hinder your productivity.

The 80/20 principle helps you identify and prioritize activities that can boost your productivity levels significantly.

If you would like to know more about the 80/20 principle & how to apply it strategically with real-life examples, you can check out my massive guide on this topic here.

 

• Just Start

As easy as this tip sounds, it’s actually fairly difficult.

At least it has always been for me.

You might think you need to feel motivated before you start, but motivation often comes after starting.

Over time, I’ve realized the most important thing is to find a way to get started.

And one way to get started is by applying the 2-minute rule.

There are 2 parts to the 2-minute rule.

First part: If the task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. No excuses.

Second part: If a task is a bit longer, begin with just 2 minutes.

For instance, if you have a programming assignment that needs to be completed, begin with writing just a few lines (2 min) of code. That’s it.

Before you know it, you will slowly gain momentum.

Overcoming that initial bit of inertia is the trickiest part, but once it’s conquered, it’s much easier to stay in motion

• Use a Not-to Do List

To-do lists have played a major role in my personal and business life.

However, not-to-do lists have played even a bigger role.

I can’t highlight how pivotal establishing a not-to-do list has been in my life.

I remember when I was first struggling with overwhelming opportunity.

So many business & life opportunities, that seemed worth it at the time.

So much cool stuff online from social media to reddit piquing my curiosity.

A comical video on Instagram, an attention-grabbing article on Twitter, a new business opportunity in my inbox, you name it…

That’s what a not-to-do list is here for.

A not-to-do list is a compilation of the things that affect your daily productivity.

Maybe you have a weakness for Snapchat?

Maybe you find email sidetracking?

Maybe you have too many tabs open?

Whatever it is, it’s essential to identify your time-consuming habits and include them on a not-to-do list.

StayFocusd is an awesome chrome plugin that I highly recommend if internet surfing is a constant distraction for you, which it has always been for me.

It limits the amount of time you spend on time-wasting websites by completely blocking access to them.

With today’s endless distractions – work, traffic, emails, social media, smartphones, laptops, colleagues, friends- concentrating has become nearly impossible.

In fact, productivity in the U.S. workplace has been steadily decreasing in the last 10 years.

And according to a few studies, it can take an average of 23 minutes to refocus on a task after being interrupted.

When it comes to getting rid of disruptions, it’s important to apply an actionable step with specificity.

Being proactive trumps being reactive in this case.

For instance, if the pinging notifications on your phone are distracting, an actionable step would be to hit the do not disturb button on your phone to avoid any vibration, sounds, or lighting up of your screen.

If people distract you, an actionable step would be to communicate with your colleagues, classmates, friends, or family and let them know what your working hours and to only reach out to you if the matter is urgent.

Having the courage to say no to others is critical to maximizing productivity levels.

If I gave up saying yes to everyone and learned to say no growing up, I would have been less consumed by stress.

The habit of pleasing people can be daunting.

Every time you agree to perform a task you don’t feel like doing, it beats you up mentally.

Because if your plate is too full, there’s no room to take care of yourself.

When you say yes to something, you’re saying no to everything else.

Additionally, if a new and better opportunity emerges out of the blue, you will miss out on that.

Setting boundaries & saying no conveys, you have a vision, plan, and an opinion.

• Take Advantage of Downtime

So you have to commute 40 minutes each day on your way to work?

Perfect.

Those are 40 minutes that can be utilized for self-improvement.

You can use that time to make a mental list of your daily goals, listen to a podcast or an audiobook, or prepare and rehearse for your upcoming presentation.

Waiting at the doctor’s office? Use that time to pound out some emails.

Standing in line at the DMV? Prepare your calendar for the week ahead.

Need to fold some clothes? Brainstorm ideas for your next venture.

By taking advantage of gap times, you will not only feel like you’ve added more hours to your day, but you will also be ahead of the pack.

• Preparing & Prioritizing 

I plan my upcoming work week on Sunday nights.

It can take up to 45 minutes for me to schedule my week ahead, which may seem time-consuming, but the return on investment is worthwhile.

In the past, I’ve tried to rush in my activities and accomplish multiple things at once without planning them properly, but that only increased my stress by positioning me in a reactive state.

Visualizing my entire week ahead of time allows me to batch, prepare, & fork my projects & activities in a way that drastically increases what I accomplish in the week and reduces the chance of late nights and work pile-ups forming.

Prior to falling asleep each night, I plan out my schedule for the following day by writing down 3 important tasks that I would like to accomplish and ordering them by importance.

I normally tackle my most important and unpleasant tasks first to ensure I won’t procrastinate, as I have a terrible habit of putting things off and inventing things to do just to escape the important.

Additionally, I make sure to set specific start and end times for my work to avoid distractions.

Blocking off time for my work has allowed me to focus on one thing at a time and instill discipline in myself.

By allocating your work & time across each day of the week and scheduling your most important activities when you reach your productivity peak, you are setting yourself up for success. (6)

• Single Task

A large to do list leads to anxiety;

Anxiety leads to a lack of concentration;

Lack of concentration leads to multitasking;

Multitasking leads to decreased productivity;

Decreased productivity leads to failure;

Not only can multitasking make you less efficient, it can increase your likelihood of committing errors.

One study showed that people who are constantly bombarded with information overload struggled to pay attention, or recall information, as well as those who completed one task at a time. (1)

Switching between tasks has been shown to deplete someone’s productivity as much as 40%.

The importance of focusing on one thing at a time is becoming more necessary than ever before.

Sure, your plumbing needs fixing, and you have to pick up the kids from school, but that’s not really relevant to the presentation speech you’re writing right now, is it?

Being overwhelmed is the same as doing nothing and far more draining.

• Efficiency

It is easy to get into the habit of wanting to do everything.

But the problem is there are only so many hours in a day and no matter how good we are it’s inefficient to do everything ourselves.

Time is not on our side.

That’s why it’s crucial to automate, delegate, & batch as much as possible.

By outsourcing or automating things, you can free up your time and focus on the important things that matter.

If you have the ability to automate repetitive tasks with software, tools, or systems, then do so.

If not, then aim to delegate or outsource, so you can concentrate on the tasks that yield the best return on time.

I typically batch similar tasks like emails, social media, or errands, into single batches.

For instance, I spend 2-3 hours planning my meals for the entire week every Sunday.

Not only does it save me loads of time and energy.

But I know exactly what you will be having for lunch and dinner every night.

And I won’t spend time rationalizing about my next meal or cooking from scratch.

I also like to work in increments for optimal productivity.

Marathon work sessions have become a thing of the past for me.

According to one study, the highest-performing 10 percent of employees tended to work for 52 consecutive minutes followed by a 17-minute break.

That’s because overworking often leads to less productivity.

The brain is a muscle that tires from repeated stress.

Like a runner slowing down after a few miles, our brain’s ability to perform tasks has diminishing returns over time.

That’s why it’s crucial to take breaks between work sessions.

Take a walk. Grab a snack. Hydrate. Take a cold shower. Take a nap. Meditate.

By taking a break and refreshing your attention span, you allow your brain to reboot by removing your thoughts from work.

• Take Power Naps

Mental performance generally peaks during the morning & gradually declines as the day progresses.

One of the best all-natural ways to maintain high energy, focus, & productivity levels is by taking power naps.

A study done at the University of California – Berkeley showed that napping even for just 20 minutes can boost cognitive function by eliminating the brain’s temporary storage space to create room for new information.

The study began with participants being asked to complete a demanding task in the early afternoon which required them to absorb a great deal of information.

At 2 pm, half of the volunteers took a nap while the other volunteers remained awake.

Then at 6 pm, the volunteers were given a new challenging task to complete.

The results showed that the nap group not only performed better than the no-nap group, but they also performed better than they had upon awakening in the morning.

Power naps might not seem like a great idea for an office worker, but they really work.

Other studies have also reinforced the link between napping and productivity.

A 10-20 minute nap is the ideal amount of time that has been found to increase your vigor & decrease your fatigue levels. (8)

• Environment

You could know all the productivity tips in the world but if your working environment is uncomfortable then you’re never going to get much done.

Creating a working space that puts you in the right frame of mind can make a huge difference in your productivity levels.

75-79 degrees has been shown to be the ideal temperature range that will make you most productive.

Too cold and you will be using a great deal of energy trying to stay warm instead of staying focused.

Too hot and you will be sweating, icky, and flat out uncomfortable.

You also need to give yourself adequate lighting to be able to see and work in comfort.

This doesn’t involve just desk or room lighting either.

The optimal working spaces involve lots of natural light.

In fact, research has shown, individuals who sat near a window with access to sunlight have been shown to be more alert and perform better on exams, than individuals using artificial light.

• Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting is a conscious decision to skip certain meals.

Imagine yourself as a lion.

When you are in a fasted state, you are quick & alert; you are naturally out to hunt.

However, once you’ve hunted your prey and consumed your meal, you become satisfied & sluggish, therefore losing alertness & motivation.

Fasting not only can increase your productivity, but it can also provide you with various health benefits.

Fasting can help you lose weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases, and if done correctly, can also lead to better sleep and lots of energy.

In one study, which was embarked on both humans and animals, scientists found that fasting stimulates the growth of neurons and aids in reversing neurodegeneration.

Intermittent fasting also saves you time.

The less time you spend trying to prepare food or plan out your next meal, the more time you have to be productive and efficient.

• Nutrition

People often consider food as fuel, but that analogy is far from the truth.

Whenever you refuel your car, it typically doesn’t matter what brand of fuel you select as long as the tank holds enough to transport you to your destination.

Food is however much different due to its direct impact on cognitive performance.

Reverting to the same analogy, you would definitely select a particular fuel brand if you knew it would increase your car’s performance and take you to the destination in less time, right?

Well, this is how food can affect your brain.

Most of the meals you consume are eventually converted into glucose considering that’s the brain’s nutrient of choice.

However, when your glucose levels are low, your mind starts to wander and your attention drifts.

Now, all the foods you eat are different so your body will process them at different rates.

Foods like pasta, cereal, and soda cause a spike in glucose levels and energy followed by a drop in blood sugar that leads to a slump.

Others, like burgers and pizza, provide a more reliable source of sustained energy but they are more difficult to break down, so eventually, your brain will experience a reduction in its oxygen levels, making you groggy.

Consuming a good mix of healthy fats, protein, veggies, and fruit will provide your brain the necessary glucose while still allowing your body to process the food in an efficient way.

What you eat dictates how your day will go.

For instance, kale, often used in salads, is one of the veggies recommended by most fitness coaches for detoxing diets.

Kale has high concentrations of vitamins K, A, and C, and it protects your brain against oxidative stress. (10.A)

Blueberries, contain a high concentration of manganese and vitamins C and K.

They’re often considered the brain’s “superfood”, and they will play a role in seeking out and neutralizing the free radicals in your body. (10.B)

Walnuts are some of the best nutrients you can consume for your brain’s health.

They contain polyphenolic compounds that can help reduce your brain’s inflammation and oxidation.

These compounds also play an important part in improving the strength of the signals transmitted by neurons, so they will increase your focus. (10.C)

Green, black, and white tea contain large amounts of L-theanine and caffeine.

L-theanine is effective in reducing stress and improving attention.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can promote cognition and attention.

The combined effect of these substances will take your edge off, and will allow you to focus better on the task at hand. (10.D)

Fish, especially oily fish such as trout, herring, and wild-caught salmon contain essential fatty acids.

These acids cannot be produced by your body, so you have to consume them through proper nutrition.

They are critical in helping protect your brain from degenerative diseases. (10.E)

Another good idea would be to have some healthy snacks between your main meals, in order to keep your brain’s glucose levels steady throughout the day.

Eating fruit and protein bars as snacks can improve your productivity and enhance your mood. (9)

Staying hydrated is another key ingredient of staying productive & boosting mental output.

Even a 2% loss of body water can impact your focus and cause fatigue and brain fog.

Our brains are 80% water so it requires plenty of water to keep functioning at its best.

• Nootropic Supplements

Mindset, nutrition, sleep, environment, & exercise are not the only ways to boost productivity.

Supplements are another powerful way to hack your productivity.

Nootropics are brain-boosting supplements that can support concentration, memory, energy, focus, relaxation, anxiety, motivation, stress, sleep, & more.

Even though most people consider supplementation a relatively new concept, they have been used for thousands of years.

There are numerous nootropic supplements out there ranging from huperzine A and gingko biloba to choline and fish oil.

They can be found either online or at your local grocery store

One of the most widely-consumed nootropics in the world is coffee.

Coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant of the nervous system.

Caffeine blocks adenosine, a substance which makes your brain feel sleepy.

You don’t necessarily have to take supplements or consume caffeine to boost your motivation and productivity, but it can give you an edge.

Before selecting a nootropic stack to fuel your productivity levels, make sure you already maintain an active lifestyle and eat a healthy diet.

Nootropic supplements work best in conjunction with a hale and hearty lifestyle.

Additionally, when selecting a nootropic supplement, it’s best to read the labels to ensure you purchase an all-natural brain-boosting stack that carries no animal products, soy, gluten, nuts, wheat, dairy, preservatives, or artificial colors.

• Exercise

People often tend to focus on the physical benefits exercising can produce.

Sure, having a low blood pressure, a healthier and more attractive physique can surely help with your confidence, but that’s not the only thing exercise can help you with.

Multiple studies have shown that regular exercise can affect your performance at work.

Physical training offers various cognitive benefits, including prolonged mental stamina, sharper memory, lower stress levels, faster learning, improved concentration and motivation, and enhanced creativity.

Exercise can also improve your mood, which might also be beneficial for your productivity.

And the best part is, these benefits are almost immediate. (11)

• Get Enough Sleep

Unfortunately, sleep is one of the first things people sacrifice when they become too busy.

Instead of making sure they have a good night’s sleep, they overwork and plan well into the night, waking up fatigued the next day.

Losing sleep is one of the worst things you can do if you want to increase your productivity.

Being productive is closely related to having good time-management skills.

If you couldn’t manage all the tasks you prepared for the day during your work hours, you should change your schedule instead of losing sleep over them.

Push to complete the most difficult tasks you when you’re most productive.

Make a list of all the tasks you need to accomplish, and set deadlines for each of them.

Minimize your distractions, but never lose sleep.

Sleep deprivation can not only reduce your productivity levels, but it can also have serious repercussions on your health.

When your brain is sleep deprived, it lacks the ability to make proper neural connections and jump to conclusions as fast as it would when rested.

In some cases, your judgment might be impaired by the accumulated fatigue.

Some estimates consider that insomnia is responsible for losses in productivity of up to $63 billion per year in the US alone. (12)

You turn on the TV. You hear about a deadly shooting, an act of terrorism, or a terrifying epidemic.

You’re worried. You feel uneasy & frightened.

Your breathing is rapid and shallow.  Your mind is running all over the place.

You can’t get yourself to calm down.

Have you ever experienced a situation like that before?

I know I have.

Anxiety affects roughly 40 million adults in the United States, or 20% of the population every year.

It is commonly thought that 94 percent of all illness is triggered by anxiety.

Feeling like you’re trapped in a cyclone of negative thoughts can severely impact your personal and professional life.

The human brain tends to absorb alarming messages one by one, over and over, regardless of whether a threat is truly forthcoming.

Also known as the “what if” disease, this disease is not a joke — it can ruin lives.

And with the internet, social media, & our strongly connected culture today, managing fear and anxiety can seem almost impossible.

Sadly, when most people begin developing feelings of anxiety, they resort to prescription drugs to treat their condition.

However, anxiety medication isn’t always the safest option as it can have awful side effects.

There are many safer all-natural remedies for anxiety, from supplements to soothing teas to mind-body techniques.

And surprisingly, some of these remedies actually work better than prescription medication.

Whatever your circumstances, science can help you beat anxiety for good.

Here are 30 effective ways to relieves anxiety starting today.

 

1. Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is now used as a mainstream therapy for anxiety.

Meditation allows you to experience each moment as it really is, without being anxious about what might come.

Even though meditation might seem like a difficult path to walk alone, you can start by paying attention to what’s happening around you.

Don’t think about what you’re going to do in a couple of hours or the next day.

Pay attention to each moment as it arises, and make an effort to consider the moment without judging it beforehand.

Every moment is different, and you should treat it as such.

Another good way to stay mindful is to practice breathing exercises.

One of the best ways to start practicing breathing exercises is to sit in a comfortable place and ask yourself silent questions while you focus on your breath.

The questions should be simple.

Ask yourself how your breath feels as it leaves your body, and how the air feels when you take a deep breath and it fills your lungs.

These simple questions will make you more mindful of your breath over time.

Spending just 30 minutes of zen relaxation a day can lower your anxiety levels by up to 38%. (1)

 

2. Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly is one of the best ways to lower your anxiety levels.

Exercising can be very useful for people who suffer from anxiety because it can help you in different ways.

First of all, exercising regularly will make you feel healthier.

Worrying about illness and health is one of the major causes of anxiety, so you will feel less anxious if you’re exercising.

Second, exercising will improve your physical aspect which will, in turn, increase your self-esteem.

People who have a higher self-esteem tend to feel less anxious than those who have a low self-esteem.

Regular exercise will also determine your brain to release more endorphins or the feel-good hormones your body produces.

The higher level of endorphins in your bloodstream will increase your mood and your positivity while lowering your anxiety levels.

And the best part is, you don’t even have to exercise for a long time.

Spending 20 – 30 minutes doing an activity that elevates your heart rate will lower your anxiety levels and your negativity.

So whether you enjoy running, skating, cycling, or just walking at a brisk pace, do it for 20 – 30 minutes several times per week to lower your anxiety levels. (2)

 

3. Lavender

The smell of lavender naturally reduces your anxiety levels.

Smelling lavender oil when you’re anxious is a good way to calm down.

In fact, studies have shown that smelling lavender can have similar effects to taking Valium for some people. (3)

 

4. Passion Flower

Passionflower has been used as a sedative for a long time, but studies show that it can have a beneficial effect on anxiety levels as well.

However, passion flower can cause sleepiness and drowsiness, and you should avoid it if you’re taking prescriptions sedatives or other sedative herbs. (4)

 

5. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm has been used as a cure for stress and anxiety since the Middle Ages.

Lemon balm tea can also improve your sleep, and it’s recommended for people who suffer from insomnia.

However, you should not take too much lemon balm, as a large dose can actually make you feel anxious. (5)

 

6. Hops

Yes, hops is the main ingredient in beer, but unfortunately, you can’t benefit from its tranquilizing effects if you drink it.

Hops’ sedative compound is a volatile oil, so you can either get it from extracts or from tinctures. (6)

 

7. Chamomile

Chamomile tea has been used as a treatment for anxious people for hundreds of years.

Nowadays, you can consume chamomile in teas, or you can find it in supplements.

Sometimes, chamomile supplements contain more other anxiolytic or sedative substances as well. (7)

 

8. Valerian

Valerian is a plant that’s usually used as a sedative.

This herbal supplement is usually recommended for people who suffer from insomnia, but it also has anxiolytic effects.

Valerian is usually consumed as a capsule or tincture instead of a tea herb because it doesn’t taste good.

You can often find supplements that combine valerian with other sedative herbs such as lemon balm, chamomile, or hops. (8)

 

9. Green or White Tea

Green and white tea contain an amino acid called L-theanine.

L-theanine is a compound that produces several beneficial effects in the human body, including reducing your blood pressure, decreasing your heart rate, and lowering your anxiety levels.

If you’re not a big fan of green tea, you can find L-theanine supplements (9)

 

10. Yoga Breathing

Some yoga breathing techniques can help you lower your anxiety levels.

One of the most popular yoga breathing techniques is the 4-7-8 breath.

Here’s how it goes.

First, you have to exhale all the air in your lungs through your mouth.

Then, inhale through your nose continuously for 4 seconds.

Hold your breath for seven seconds, and let the air slowly out through your mouth for eight seconds.

You’ll get the best results if you practice this technique for at least twice every day. (10)

 

11. Make Sure You’re Not Hungry

It doesn’t matter how fit or how unfit you are, everyone gets anxious when they’re hungry.

But that doesn’t mean you should grab a large meal every time you feel anxious.

The best approach would be to eat some healthy snacks like walnuts or veggies and drink some water or tea to make sure you’re not feeling anxious because you’re hungry. (11)

 

12. Eat A Clean Diet

A good long-term approach to reduce your anxiety would be to have a clean diet.

You should avoid sugary and processed foods, limit your caffeine intake, and eat whole-foods.

Switching on a diet based on high-quality meat and seafood with plenty of leafy veggies such as kale can provide a lot of nutrients that will help reduce anxiety. (12)

 

13. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) implies the development of a strategy that will solve your problems and change your unhelpful behaviors, emotions, and cognitive patterns.

CBT is usually done in the same room with specialized therapists, but you can also perform it online with the help of a therapist or without it.

Some people prefer not involving a therapist in their CBT, so they can try self-guided internet-based CBT techniques.

Self-guided CBT was shown to produce a reduction in social anxiety, general anxiety, depression, and fear of public speaking levels in a number of studies.

However, doing self-guided CBT is not effective for everyone, so instead of giving up on CBT when the results you’re getting are not up to your standards, you should try going to a therapist. (13)

 

14. Consume Omega-3

Omega-3 is found in fish oil, mussels, sardines, and anchovies.

Eating Omega-3 will not only protect against depression, but it will also be good for your heart rate and lower your anxiety levels. (14)

 

15. Enjoy the Warmth

If you’ve ever spent some time in a sauna or a steam room, you know how relaxed you can feel afterward.

In fact, people feel more relaxed and comfortable when their bodies are warmer.

This might be an explanation why we like to curl up near a fire or enjoy a warm cup of tea.

When you’re warm, your neural circuits are altered, and you feel more relaxed.

So, whether you’re enjoying your time on the beach, sit in a hot bath, or drink a warm cup of tea in the evening, make sure you keep your body warm. (15)

 

16. Go Hiking

Hiking through the woods can have a really relaxing effect on your mind.

Every time you take a forest bath, you’re surrounded by nature.

Your brain is overwhelmed with natural sounds and smells, and it feels more at peace.

Hiking through a forest can lower your anxiety levels dramatically. (16)

 

17. Consume Arctic Root

Arctic root, also known as Rhodiola Rosea, is usually used in Chinese traditional medicine.

This root has many beneficial effects, and it can strengthen both your physical and your emotional health. (17)

 

18. Consume Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha or Withania somnifera is a herb that’s usually used in Hindu traditional medicine.

This herb is said to have a scent similar to that of a horse, and it has a significant effect on your cortisol levels.

Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone, and taking Ashwagandha supplements can lower your cortisol levels by up to 25%. (18)

 

19. Consume Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years, and it’s probably the most widely used herbal remedy.

Ginkgo is usually used as a brain boost and memory enhancer, but it can also reduce your cortisol levels, which will make you feel less anxious.

Ginkgo supplements can also increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin produced by your body which will improve your mood. (19)

 

20. Consume Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa monnieri, also called brahmi is a herb used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Bacopa has been used for a long time as a brain stimulant, and it’s supposed to increase your motivation and productivity.

This herb reduces your anxiety levels while improving your memory and attention, so it can be really beneficial for students.

However, you should take Bacopa supplements for a long time to experience all the benefits this herb brings to the table (20)

 

21. Consume Ginseng

Ginseng is one of the most popular herbs on the planet, and it’s also one of the most studied ones.

This herb was used in Chinese traditional medicine, and it was believed to promote strength and improve physical performance.

Nowadays, ginseng is used in fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression.

People who consume ginseng regularly report that they sleep better, have more energy, and experience a better overall well-being. (21)

 

22. Consume Kava

Kava is a medicinal plant that grows in the South Pacific, and it’s one of the best natural remedies for anxiety.

Kava works by increasing the GABA levels in your brain.

GABA or gamma-aminobutyric acid is a neurotransmitter that can calm the mind.

Low GABA levels are associated with physical and mental disorders, including panic attacks, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and anxiety disorders.

Because kava is a very potent plant, you should not take it with other drugs and medicinal plants.

You should avoid taking kava at the same time with valerian or other plants that can induce drowsiness. (22)

 

23. Take Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D is created by your body when your skin is exposed to sunshine.

However, we don’t spend the same amount of time in the sunshine like our ancestors used to, and most of the time we wear sunscreen if we’re facing the sun.

This is why vitamin D deficiency affects roughly 75% of the people living in the US.

Low vitamin D levels are partly responsible for the anxiety and depression some people experience when the seasons change.

If you notice your anxiety levels increase during the cold months of the year, you might be suffering from a vitamin D deficiency. (23)

 

24. Supplement Your Magnesium

It’s currently estimated that roughly 75% of the people living in the US don’t get enough magnesium from their diet.

And the worst part is, the magnesium deficiency can be a major contributor to anxiety disorders.

Not only does the magnesium act as a filter to stop the stress hormones from reaching your brain, but it will also dial them down to normal levels. (24)

 

25. Take Tryptophan Supplements

Tryptophan is an amino acid that’s necessary for your serotonin production.

This compound is usually found in protein-rich foods, but very little of the tryptophan you eat actually reaches your brain.

Tryptophan supplementation can increase your serotonin production, which will increase your mood and lower your anxiety levels. (25)

 

26. Supplement Your B Complex Vitamins 

The B complex vitamins are often called anti-stress vitamins because they increase your tolerance to stress.

When you’re experiencing vitamin B deficiency, you have a hard time concentrating and you experience anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

B vitamins can increase the levels of GABA, dopamine, and serotonin in your body, so they will lower your anxiety levels while making you happier. (26)

 

27. Take Taurine Supplements

You might be familiar with taurine since it’s an ingredient that’s included in most energy drinks.

Taurine is an amino acid that’s found in the brain.

This amino acid acts as a neurotransmitter, and it stimulates the formation and release of GABA.

When your body has a low GABA concentration, you feel anxious, you have a hard time sleeping, and your mind feels overstimulated.

Taking taurine supplements is a reliable way to make sure your body produces enough GABA. (27)

 

28. Drink Gotu Kola Tea

Gotu Kola tea is a natural remedy used in Asian traditional medicine for dealing with mental fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and memory loss.

This tea is a natural relaxant, and it increases your calm and your alertness at the same time.

Regular consumption of Gotu Kola tea can lower your anxiety and stress levels. (28)

 

29. Use Essential Oils

Aromatherapy or the use of essential oils in therapy has been used for thousands of years.

Both the ancient civilizations of Egypt and the Roman Empire used essential oils in their healing processes.

While using oils extracted from roots, leaves, seeds, or flowers might not seem the best approach when dealing with anxiety, the scent receptors in our noses can affect the way your brain perceives and deals with emotions.

Besides the lavender oil we already discussed, you can also use bergamot and rose oils for your anti-anxiety aromatherapy. (29)

 

30. Listen To Relaxing Music

Listening to relaxing music before a stressful task can lower your stress and anxiety levels.

However, you shouldn’t start listening to classical music just because other people find it relaxing.

If you think you’re more relaxed while listening to punk rock, go for that.

Every one of us has a different personality, so you should listen to whatever kind of music makes you feel more relaxed. (30)

You might be wondering what biohacking is.

The term “hacking” typically has a negative connotation especially in the world of computer hacking.

But when it comes to biohacking, that is not the case.

It has many definitions, but the one I like most is the one I find to be closest to the truth.

Biohacking is the art and science of optimizing your body, mind, and performance with biology, systems thinking, & technology.

But biohacking is not just a thing you can check off your list and carry on with your life as you usually do.

It is an endless process of mental & physical tuning.

It applies to everything we do – what we eat, how we exercise, what we think.

Whether it was starting a new business, writing more, or creating more profound relationships with others, I owe it all to biohacking.

Biohacking has brought me energy, focus and removed many of my chronic issues (brain fog, fatigue, digestion issues).

It has transformed my life in a drastic way.

In the following article, we take a look at how to maximize your performance using 13 simple all-natural biohacking tips.

Before we go ahead and get started, I wanted to let you know I researched and assembled 47 scientifically-backed ways to achieve laser-like focus, accelerate learning, sharpen memory, & boost mental energy.

Want to check out these tips? Download my free guide “Boost Your Brain Power” here.

1. Change Your Diet

Throughout our lives, we’ve heard the saying “We are what we eat” multiple times, but did we really think it through?

Our body uses food as fuel, so the things we eat end up to power our cells, repair our tissues and help our brain to coordinate our being.

Having a healthy nutrition is very important, but we often don’t think about it.

So we can agree that we really are what we eat. So why would we eat junk?

No, by junk I don’t just mean junk food.

Our diets are full of foods that are hard to break down, so our bodies sometimes use a lot of energy to do so.

Some people might actually have food allergies without knowing, and they spend their lives experiencing skin issues or being constantly fatigued.

To find out what types of food are actually good for you, you should try an elimination diet.

Even though it might sound fancy, the elimination diet is rather easy to understand.

You have to eliminate the foods that have known allergens from your diet.

Dairy, gluten, shellfish, soy, corn, and peanuts are some of the foods most people eliminate at first.

Eat only non-allergenic foods for 3 – 4 weeks to give your body enough time to fight any existing inflammation.

After waiting for 3 – 4 weeks, start reintroducing the eliminated foods one at a time.

If you notice you’re not feeling as good after introducing a certain food, eliminate it from your diet once again.

You would be surprised to find out how many people realized they had an allergic reaction to a food they’ve been eating their whole lives without knowing it.

2. Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is growing in popularity, and that shouldn’t surprise you.

This way of eating stimulates weight loss and normalizes insulin sensitivity, which can help with preventing diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can also regulate the amount of ghrelin produced by your body.

Ghrelin is the hormone that lets your body know when you’re hungry, so by regulating your ghrelin levels, intermittent fasting will make you feel less hungry throughout the day.

There are several approaches you can try when you decide to give intermittent fasting a go.

You can choose the time-restricted approach, where you have to eat during a certain period of the day.

The simplest way to stick with this approach is to have an early dinner and a late breakfast.

You fast between dinner and breakfast, and Voila, you’re healthier.

You can choose the alternate-day approach.

This approach might be more difficult for beginners because in fasting days you have to avoid eating more than 25 percent of your regular intake.

Then, in non-fasting days, you can eat your usual amount of calories.

Sticking to a diet can be easier if you use technology.

Instead of counting your calories and keeping track of what you ate, you can use wearable gadgets such as Apple Watch and FitBit to do it for you.

Intermittent fasting can seem difficult at first, but it’s a very effective biohacking option. (2)

3. Give Up Sugar

This subtitle really gave you pause, didn’t it?

Well, I have to admit, giving up sugar is much easier said than done.

But after you manage it, you will feel like a brand new person, not to mention it’s one of the best things you can for your future self.

Now, you won’t have to give up naturally occurring sugars such as those you find in dairy (unless you’re allergic) or fruit.

You will only have to eliminate the foods that contain added sugar from your diet.

The first ones to go should be the soft drinks, energy drinks, cookies, cakes, and the processed foods.

They’re the most dangerous.

You should also keep an eye out when you’re buying ketchup, mustard, flavored yogurts, and even some spices and condiments.

You might be wondering why giving up sugar would classify as a biohack tip.

Well, first of all, sugar increases the inflammation in your body.

Second, it lowers your energy levels.

Third, it can lead to mood swings.

Fourth, it can lead to a fatty liver.

Did I mention it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease?

That’s why.

Giving up sugar is more difficult than it seems.

You will have to spend some time in the supermarket reading labels to make sure the foods you buy don’t have any added sugars.

You might have to give up some of your favorite foods.

But eventually, giving up sugar will make you a healthier and better person.

And that’s what biohacking is all about. (3)

4. Try The Keto Diet

If you’ve been trying to lose weight in the last 10 – 15 years, you must have heard of the keto diet by now.

The keto or ketogenic diet is designed to get your body in a state of ketosis.

This metabolic state allows your body to use ketones instead of carbohydrates for energy.

So your body will actually burn fat instead of sugar as fuel.

This might sound like a dream come true for some people, but it can only happen if your body’s well supplemented with fats and not with carbs.

The keto diet restricts your carbs and sugars intake, but it allows you to eat plenty of healthy fats, veggies, and meat.

This might not sound like a user-friendly diet, but you’ll be surprised to learn that some people have been on keto diets for years and they developed many tasty recipes.

The keto diet is very good for those who are interested in fat loss, especially those who are very overweight.

This diet could also reduce brain seizures and lower cholesterol. (4)

5. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is, unfortunately, one of the first things people sacrifice when they want to get more things done, and that’s a major mistake.

Not having enough sleep (keep in mind that for most people enough is 7 – 9 hours) can lead to a lot of consequences.

These consequences include, but are not limited to a higher risk of developing chronic diseases, irritability, depression, a weakened immune system, an increased appetite, hormonal imbalances, trouble concentrating, and a lower productivity.

One of the first things you should try to improve your sleep is not using your gadgets while you’re in bed. Yes, that also includes your phone.

The bright light emitted by your gadgets trick your brain into waking up instead of getting to sleep, even though it’s tired.

You can also try to maintain a sleep schedule, even if that means you won’t get to pull all-nighters on weekends.  (5)

6. Meditate

We might change our diets to improve our bodies, but meditation is the go-to habit if you want to improve your mind.

Meditation offers an endless list of benefits.

It can lower your stress and anxiety levels, it can boost your productivity, it reduces pain and lowers inflammation, and it can also improve your sleep.

Mindfulness meditation can help you find or regain your focus and motivation, it can boost your energy levels, and it can stimulate your immune system.

A daily meditation practice will improve both your mental and physical health.

And the best thing is, you can now use technology to help you meditate.

You can watch Youtube tutorials and use smartphone apps to make sure you maintain the right posture throughout the meditation.

7. Spend Time In Nature

Up until one century ago, most of our ancestors lived in small communities that were deeply rooted in nature.

They knew and worked the land, and they benefited from all that nature has to offer.

Today, we live in concrete jungles and some of us make a choice of spending as much time away from the sun as possible.

Well, it seems like that is a major mistake.

Humans belong in nature.

That doesn’t mean that you have to live like a caveman, trying to make fire with rocks.

But it means you should spend some time in the sunlight, breathe fresh air, and drink unprocessed water.

Sure, most of us don’t have the possibility to spend as much time in nature as we would like, but you should try to.

Instead of rushing to get home after work, take a quick detour in the nearby park.

Dip your fingers in a stream and feel the water flow.

Take your shoes off and walk on sand or grass.

These might seem like small and insignificant things.

But you inherit some of the things your grandparents inherited from their grandparents, and so on.

That part of your brain will thank you, and you will feel that gratitude increasing your mood and lowering your stress levels.

8. Exercise

 Exercising is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

Not only will exercise stimulate weight loss and improve your physical aspect, but exercising can also have beneficial effects on your mentality.

People who exercise often are more motivated.

They have a better focus, and they are better at handling stressful situations.

Exercising stimulates your blood circulation.

Thanks to the increased blood flow, your brain will receive more oxygen and nutrients, so it will be more productive. (8)

9. Take Cold Showers

Using water for various treatments might be as old as mankind.

Cold therapy is a form of natural medicine that can have a lot of benefits.

But how could taking a cold shower be considered biohacking?

Well, studies have shown that cold showers can increase your noradrenaline and dopamine concentrations.

And while the increase in noradrenaline might only increase your alertness, dopamine has another role to play.

Dopamine is often considered the happiness hormone.

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter involved in the reward-motivated behavior.

Dopamine affects your decision-making and problem-solving functions, and not having enough dopamine can lead to anxiety, sadness, depression, and other emotional and neurological problems.

Taking a cold shower is inexpensive but very efficient.

This is the epitome of a biohacking tip. (9)

10. Take Nootropic Supplements

Nootropic supplements can sometimes be frowned upon, especially if they are synthetically-made.

You don’t necessarily have to take supplements to boost your motivation and productivity, but they can give you an edge.

There are numerous brain-boosting supplements out there from huperzine A and gingko biloba to choline and fish oil.

Supplementing regularly with nootropics can heighten your energy levels and lower your stress levels.

One of the most widely-consumed nootropics in the world is coffee.

Coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant of the nervous system.

When you drink coffee, caffeine blocks adenosine, a substance which makes your brain feel sleepy.

Drinking caffeine will increase your alertness.

Blueberries are often considered a superfood for the brain.

They have a high concentration of manganese, vitamin K, and vitamin C, and can remove free radicals from your brain.

Green, black, and white tea contain both caffeine and L-theanine.

L-theanine reduces your stress levels and stimulates your attention and cognition. (10)

11. Use Power Poses

We always believed that our bodies do what our minds tell them to.

But it seems like this is a bidirectional relationship.

Our minds will also listen to our bodies.

So if you want to increase your mood, boost your productivity and increase your motivation, you will have to let your mind know.

You might be wondering how you could do that.

Well, it’s simpler than you would think.

You just have to use power poses.

When we’re stressed or insecure, our bodies ten to stay in a low power position.

You wrap your arms around yourself, you shrug your shoulders, and you bend over yourself.

You can change your mindset just by changing your posture.

Probably the most renowned power pose is the “Superman” pose.

Keep your back straight, square your shoulders, and put your hands on your hips while slightly pushing your chest and chin forward.

Maintain the pose for two minutes for optimal results. (11)

12. Laugh At Your Problems

You can use laughter as a form of meditation.

Studies have shown that laughter reduces stress hormones and it can boost your immune system.

Last but not least, laughter makes you happy.

To use laughter as a form of meditation, you should think about a stressful matter.

Maybe you have a pressing deadline, or maybe you’re second-guessing a previous conversation.

It doesn’t matter what the problem is, as long as you can visualize it.

Now that you visualize the problem, point at it and start laughing.

Even if the laugh seems fake at first, keep at it.

Laugh out loud.

Your physical response will alter your emotional one, and soon your mood will get better. (12)

13. Read

 Reading is one of the most important things you can do to improve yourself.

Just think about it

Each book you read is a sum of someone’s experiences, ideas, and their creativity.

Books represent years of knowledge, ideas, and life lessons that pass from the author directly to you, without using any other filter than your brain

People who read expand their minds and their mentalities.

You might never experience life as a general in the 13^th century, but you can read about it and soak up the information.

Everything you read gives you more power over your mind, over your thoughts, and over your goals.

Holy shit, that’s cold.

Hyperventilating from the bodily shock of the freezing-cold shower, I can’t stop cursing and roaming around the tub in circles.

It’s only a 3-minute timer, I tell myself.

Counting down the minutes, I desperately look for ways to distract myself from my painful sensations.

As the timer finally goes off and my breathing returns to normal, I turn the shower faucet off quickly & instantly feel a soothing & fuzzy sensation radiating through my body.

Shaking off the grogginess of the previous night’s sleep, the rush of blood through my body leaves me feeling energized and ready to seize the day.

Ahhh…my daily love-hate relationship with cold showers.

I’m always on the hunt for brain-boosting hacks, so I was fascinated when I heard about the potential benefits of taking cold showers.

I have always acknowledged the power of an ice pack and/or ice bath to help in speeding up muscle recovery and reducing inflammation.

However, I was unaware of the cognitive & other health benefits that cold showers can have.

Cold therapy is a tool that can massively transform your life, albeit with some discomfort at first.

 

There are immense benefits cold showers can bring to the table, and the best part is, you can start using this technique in the comfort of your own home.

Before we go ahead and get started, I wanted to let you know I researched and assembled 47 scientifically-backed ways to achieve laser-like focus, accelerate learning, sharpen memory, & boost mental energy.

Want to check out these tips? Download my free guide “Boost Your Brain Power” here.

1. Cold Exposure Lowers Inflammation

This might sound like a scientific title, but if you think about it, you knew this since you were a child.

Every time you tripped and fell, some grownup or another would bring an ice pack and tell you to keep it close to your sore limb or forehead.

Well, that’s cold therapy in action.

There are several scientific explanations for this, as well.

When your body is exposed to cold temperatures, the adiponectin levels in your blood increase.

Adiponectin is a protein that helps with preventing inflammation.

A study has shown that exercising at low temperatures can reduce the inflammatory response you would normally get when exercising in a temperate environment.

However, it seems like you should be careful when exercising in the cold.

The same study has shown that if you exercise in the cold for too long, you will actually determine an inflammatory response in your body. (1)

2. Cold Exposure Can Speed Your Recovery

Cold therapy can reduce your swelling and inflammation.

This is very important for people who are recovering from an injury, as the cold therapy will speed up their recovery.

A study has even proposed that using cold therapy after a soft-tissue surgery may increase your body’s healing speeds.

This could be very beneficial for people who have a high injury risk, such as athletes or stuntmen.

Ice baths can have a positive effect on the enzymes linked to muscle damage, such as lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase.

By stimulating the production of these enzymes, the cold therapy could lower the muscle inflammation, and speed up the healing process involved in muscle recovery.

In a study that involved 360 people, those who submerged themselves in cold water experienced less muscle soreness than those who rested after an exercise. (2)

3. Cold Therapy Can Reduce Pain

Not only did the ice packs you received when you injured yourself as a child lower the local inflammation, but it seems they were actually reducing the pain as well.

After all, it’s well-known that you should place use some ice if something hurts, isn’t it?

We know it numbs the pain.

But I was surprised to find out that this method is better at relieving pain than other popular alternative interventions, such as electronic cryotherapy pads.

So instead of using hi-tech devices, sometimes hospitals would do better with some ice packs. (3)

4. Cold Therapy Can Treat Migraines

Even though most people treat migraines with a handful of pills at a time, that might not be the best way to deal with it.

The most efficient way to get rid of a migraine is to find what’s causing it and eliminate it.

Most migraines are not determined by stress, but by muscle tension.

Yes, your head might hurt because your muscles are tense.

Your head is covered with muscles, just like any other part of your body.

But some migraines can even be caused by the tension in your neck or shoulder muscles.

One way to get rid of that tension is to apply cold pads on the tense muscles.

This will make your muscles relax and it will treat the cause instead of dealing with the symptom.

In a study, 9 percent of the patients claimed that their migraines were completely removed by wrapping a cold pad around their head, 26.5 percent claimed that the method was moderately effective, and 29 percent thought it was mildly effective.

Even though this method will not be effective for some people, it still beats swallowing pills by a large margin. (4)

5. Cold Exposure Can Increase Bone Health

Some studies suggest that the age-related decline of the bone system is linked with the decline in brown fat mass.

Unlike the regular white fat that stores energy and covers most of our bodies, brown fat tissue has a role in burning calories and using energy.

Brown fat can essentially make heat out of the calories it takes from food.

Studies show that, as we grow older, the brown fat starts to disappear and the bone loss becomes apparent as our bodies’ thermoregulation function is altered.

So it seems like as long as we maintain our bodies’ stores of brown fat, we can maintain our bone density from declining at the same time. (5)

6. Cold Exposure Can Aid With Fat Loss

We already talked about how brown fat can produce heat out of the calories we eat.

Well, it seems like we could use this process to get rid of the excess fat that’s bothering us come beach season.

Studies show that cold therapy can increase the activity of your brown fat which leads to an increase in calorie consumption.

In fact, some researchers believe that frequent cold exposures might be one of the best solutions to dealing with the obesity epidemic.

Taking cold showers is not expensive, and most people have access to a source of cold water, so this might be an economical solution to a global problem.

Other studies have linked low brown fat levels with obesity, so maintaining a good level of brown fat might be essential to having a good metabolism and stimulating weight loss.

And the good thing is, you can increase your brown fat levels by consuming capsinoids, chemicals found in chili peppers.

 

You can also consume bitter melon extract supplements to help your body create more brown fat

 

Cold exposure stimulates thermogenesis or your body’s mechanism to warm itself, by making you shiver at times.

 

Shivering increases your calorie consumption.

 

A very interesting study exposed a group of mice to cold temperatures for four hours each day while the other mice lived at normal temperatures.

The mice that were exposed to the cold ate far more than the others, but they ended up weighing less.

Not only that, but exposure to cold temperatures lead to an increase of adiponectin, which besides lowering inflammation also plays a role in fat burning.

In another study, the subjects who were exposed to cold temperatures experienced an 80% increase in their metabolism over the control group. (6)

To summarize, cold exposure can aid with fat loss by increasing your metabolism and calorie consumption, and by increasing the activity of your brown fat reserves.

7. Cold Showers Can Make You More Alert And Improve Your Mood

Everybody who experienced an unexpected cold shower can confirm that they can promote wakefulness and make you more alert.

This is why you shouldn’t have a cold shower before you go to sleep, but it’s perfectly alright to have one before going to work.

Also, if you ever experienced a cold shower, you can probably attest that having one can increase your self-awareness.

As soon as the cold water touches your body, you are completely aware of body parts you didn’t even know existed, nevermind be aware of them.

Your whole body experiences a lot of different sensations, and the result might even be comparable to something one can feel after a meditation session.

An interesting study conducted by Finnish researchers (they can handle the cold, so they study it) showed that winter swimmers experienced less fatigue and tension, and had a better mood and an improved memory when compared with a control group.

One of the reasons that might lead to these effects is the fact that cold exposure increases your dopamine levels.

An increase in dopamine can trigger a pleasure response in your brain, improving your mood.

Dopamine is also involved in the reward-motivation mechanism, which might also improve your memory.

When you turn on the cold water in the shower, you can’t run and you can’t hide.

Even though you might not enjoy it at first, you have to keep going at it and persevere.

You find that you have the willpower to push through and succeed.

And that’s exactly what cold showers can teach us.

Resilience and perseverance. (7)

8. Cold Showers Can Increase Your Lifespan

A number of studies on insects have found a link between low temperatures and lifespan.

One study revealed that worms that lived in an environment that had a temperature lower by 5 degrees C than the control group lived 75% more.

Another study has shown that flies doubled their lifespan when they lived at temperatures of 21 degrees C instead of 26 degrees C.

Even fish live longer in colder temperatures.

A temperature drop of 6 degrees C increased the lifespan of fish by up to 75%.

Another study tested how mammals handle temperature drops.

A group of rats that spent four hours per day immersed in shallow water ate 50% more than the control group but weighted less.

The rats that spend their times in cold water lived for 10% more than their counterparts.

In a study made on mice, a temperature drop of 0.34 degrees C lead to an average increase of lifespan of 20%.

Researchers believe that the lower temperatures promote longevity by lowering various metabolic processes.

Thanks to the lowered metabolic processes, fewer by-products are produced, so your body has to deal with less oxidative stress. (8)

9. Cold Showers Can Stimulate Your Immune System And Blood Circulation.

Your immune system is working non-stop to keep you healthy.

Even when you sleep, the immune system is busy blocking viruses from entering your body and getting rid of dangerous bacteria.

So it stands to reason that stimulating your immune system is a good thing, right?

Well, a cold shower manages to stimulate your immune system by increasing your metabolism.

When you take a cold shower, your heart starts pumping blood at a faster rate to push it through your bloodlines to every part of your body.

The increased blood flow brings more white cells to your lymph nodes and spleen, which act like filters and pluck out the things that shouldn’t be in your blood.

This is how your body gets rid of all the bacteria, viruses, and abnormal cells that end up in your bloodstream.

When you take a cold shower and accelerate your heart rate, you also lower the chances of developing hypertension and atherosclerosis.

Cold water raises your blood pressure by triggering your autonomic nervous system.

The more you shower in cold water, the stronger the response gets.

By using cold water for your showers with regularity, you may be stabilizing your circulatory system for a very long time. (9)

10. Cold Showers Make Your Skin And Hair Look Better

Cold showers are a natural way of maintaining the appearance of your hair and skin.

Hot water tends to dry out our skin, so if you want to have a healthy looking appearance, you should use only cold water when washing your face.

Hot water strips the skin’s natural oils too quickly, so it will make it look frail and unhealthy.

Using hot water to wash your face can also open your pores, increasing the chances of them getting clogged.

On the other hand, using cold water will tighten your pores and cuticles, preventing them from getting clogged.

Cold showers will maintain the healthy aspect of your hair.

Unlike hot water, cold water won’t remove the natural oils that cover your hair, so it will have a shinier and stronger look.

When it’s applied on your scalp, cold water can seal the pores against dirt and debris getting in, and it will also improve the way the hair follicles grip the scalp.

11. Cold Showers Can Regulate Your Blood Sugar

We already discussed that cold exposure can increase the adiponectin levels in your body by up to 70%.

Well, this protein is involved in the regulation of the blood glucose as well.

Studies have shown that adiponectin can increase the glucose uptake in the peripheral tissues by enhancing the oxidation of glucose through insulin-independent pathways.

This can be a major advantage for people who are fasting, because they can develop peripheral insuling resistance during a fast.

Cold showers can also boost your testosterone levels, which can also lead to a decrease in your blood glucose levels.

A cold shower can also enhance your body’s response to insulin because it will increase your metabolism and stimulate your blood circulation.

This will stimulate your body to clear the glucose in your blood quicker, which in turn will lower your blood glucose and increase your insulin sensitivity. (11)

12. Cold Showers Can Improve Your Nervous System

The fat burning processes and the metabolic increase are coordinated by your sympathetic nervous system.

Every time you take a cold shower, your nervous system is activated to increase your metabolic processes and to stimulate your brown fat to burn calories to generate heat.

Taking cold showers is like exercising your nervous system.

The more you do it, the better your nervous system becomes at it, so it will develop a better reaction time. (12)

13. Cold Showers Will Increase Your Discipline

Cold showers have a way to increase your discipline.

Just the fact that you’re willing to try a cold shower therapy will increase your mood and self-confidence.

When you first start to take cold showers, you hate them with a passion.

Nobody likes it at first.

It’s something impossible to like

But if you really focus on what you want, you build up a tolerance in time.

You won’t even feel the cold by the end of the shower.

That doesn’t mean that the water will seem warmer in time.

It won’t.

It only means that you will develop the mental toughness you need to ignore the cold and focus on your goals.

This state of mind is similar to what you might experience after a meditation session.

You have a clear view on what you want, and you realize that if you have the mentality and motivation to handle cold showers with regularity, you can achieve anything you want.

Not only will the cold showers convince your brain you’re no longer asleep and increase your alertness, but they will boost your energy, improve your mood, and increase your productivity.

Since your body will stimulate your dopamine production, cold showers and ice baths can lower your stress and anxiety levels, and they can even be used as a treatment for depression.

Testosterone is the thing that separates the men from the boys.

No, it’s not the swagger, not the attitude, and definitely not the fact that you can grow a beard.

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a key role in the development of the male’s sexual organs, and it also promotes secondary sexual characteristics such as the growth of body hair, deepening of the voice, and the increase of muscle mass.

But testosterone is not only important during adolescence.

This hormone is also helpful for adult males as it can influence your sex drive, your physical prowess, and your cardiovascular health.

Having low testosterone levels can be problematic for your health, but thankfully, there are 39 ways to boost your testosterone levels. (a)

Before we go ahead and get started, I wanted to let you know I researched and assembled 47 scientifically-backed ways to achieve laser-like focus, accelerate learning, sharpen memory, & boost mental energy.

Want to check out these tips? Download my free guide “Boost Your Brain Power” here.

1. Weightlifting

Do you even lift bro?

Well, maybe you should.

Lifting weights can lead to an increase in your testosterone levels.

In fact, including compound exercises in your training will produce a natural boost of testosterone.

Doing 4 – 8 reps should be enough to stimulate your testosterone production (and enhance your physiqe in the process). (1)

2. Eating Garlic

Your date might not like it, but your body surely will.

Garlic is a powerful testosterone booster.

Eating garlic (or taking garlic supplements, they exist) increases your testicular testosterone production.

And it will also keep vampires at bay. Win – win, right? (2)

3. Taking Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D supplementation can boost your testosterone production.

Vitamin D supplements are not expensive, but if you want to save money, you can still increase your Vitamin D levels by spending more time in the sun.

This will boost your Vit D production, which, in turn, will boost your testosterone production. (3)

4. Sleeping Enough

You should sleep at least 7 hours each night.

Men who don’t get enough sleep experience a decrease in their testosterone production.

So, instead of watching House of Cards, get to bed.

Not only will you have more energy the following day, but you will also boost your testosterone levels and increase your productivity. (4)

5. Lose Weight

Increased weight can lead to an increase in estrogen levels, which is bad for your testosterone levels.

So, stop eating pie and start working out. Losing weight will increase your testosterone levels. (5)

6. Do Squats

Yes, I know I already said you should lift weights.

But squats are so efficient at raising your testosterone levels that they deserve their own category.

Squatting is probably the most beneficial exercise you can do to boost your testosterone levels.

Not only will the squats work many muscles at once, but the determination to finish a set of weighted squats will further increase the testosterone release.

7. Eat Broccoli

Remember when your mother made you eat broccoli as a child?

Well, as it turns out, your mother was right. Broccoli is good for you.

Broccoli contains indoles, a compound that curbs your body’s estrogen production which leads to a growth of your testosterone production.

So hats off to our moms.

They were right, once again. (7)

8. Eat Protein

Proper nutrition is very important for your testosterone production.

Protein consumption can help you maintain healthy testosterone levels, and it can also aid in fat loss, which can further help with increasing your testosterone levels.

This is a good reason to eat more steak.

You should try to go for the grass-fed variety over the grain-fed one, as the first variety contains a healthier fat profile and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which will help optimize your hormonal levels. (8)

9. Lower Your Stress Levels

Stress increases your cortisol levels.

Increased cortisol levels lower your testosterone levels.

If you want to have a good testosterone production, you should lower your stress levels.

That might be easier said than done, but you should find something that relaxes you.

Whether it’s physical exercise, yoga, meditation, or knitting cat mittens, it doesn’t really matter as long as you do it with regularity. (9)

10. Lower Your Sugar Consumption

Researchers estimate that the average American consumes up to 12 tablespoons of sugar each day.

High sugar consumption can lead to the development of type II diabetes.

Men who suffer from diabetes are not able to produce enough testosterone, so it would be better to avoid this problem altogether. (10)

11. Eat Oysters

Oysters have been used as aphrodisiacs since ancient times.

Not only will oysters set you in a mood for a fun night, but they will also boost your testosterone levels.

The testosterone boost is also the one responsible for your confidence boost after you eat the oysters. (11)

12. Consume ZMA Supplements

ZMA is a very good supplement if you want to increase your testosterone production.

This supplement contains zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

Zinc supplementation can lead to an increase in your testosterone levels.

And it gets even better.

Zinc also increases your sperm’s quality and quantity.

If you’re looking for a supplement that can improve your sex life, zinc should be your go-to product.

Magnesium has a positive influence on your anabolic hormonal status.

Or, in simpler terms, magnesium can stimulate your testosterone production. (12)

13. Eat Raisins

Raisins contain a lot of boron.

Boron is a micronutrient that increases your free testosterone levels by up to 28%.

Free testosterone is the one responsible for your sex drives and long-lasting erections, so you’d better include raising on your list of favorite desserts from now on. (13)

14. Lower Your Exposure To Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine disruptors are synthetic or natural substances that can alter the endocrine system and cause reproductive or developmental disorders.

These substances are used in plastics, personal care items, and preservatives.

We admit it’s very difficult if not impossible to avoid all of them, but you can limit your exposure by avoiding to use plastic containers, using natural personal care items, and eating less fast food and canned food.

15. Eat Spinach

You do remember Popeye, right?

And since we’re on that topic, you remember Olive always preferred Popeye over Bluto, right?

Well, new studies indicate that Popeye might have had an ace up his sleeve all along.

Popeye loved spinach and he consumed it as often as he could.

Spinach lowers the levels of SHBG, a globulin that binds to most of the free testosterone in your body, making it useless.

By lowering the SHBG levels, spinach allows more testosterone to circulate freely. So it seems like the old sailor knew something all along.

16. Improve Your Posture

Your posture and body language can impact your stress and steroid hormones levels.

Holding high-power poses such as standing tall, taking up more space, or placing your hands on your hips for two minutes can increase your testosterone levels by up to 20%.

On the other hand, low-power poses such as taking less space, closed limbs, or a contractive behavior can lower your testosterone levels and increase your cortisol.

17. Win At Something

Studies have shown that men experience a testosterone boost after winning a competition, no matter how small.

So, in order to increase your testosterone levels, make sure you win frequently.

Race the old women next to you to see who reaches the bus first.

She doesn’t have to know you’re racing her, but your brain does.

Create small competitions in your day-to-day life, and make sure you win them all.

This will increase your motivation and focus, and eventually, it will increase your testosterone as well.

It doesn’t matter if the competitions are rigged. Just win them. (17)

18. Have Sex 

Testosterone is the hormone responsible for your sex drive.

But your testosterone levels can also be increased by having sex frequently.

A study has shown that men who engaged in sexual activity more frequently experienced an increase in their testosterone levels after having sex.

The researchers also found a positive correlation between the extent of the sexual stimulation and the testosterone levels, so having sex for a long time will increase your testosterone levels more.(18)

19. Eat Parsley

Parsley can be used with almost every dish.

This herb has a specific taste, and it might even enhance the taste of your dishes.

Parsley can lower your cholesterol levels and increase your testosterone production.

So next time you cook, make sure you put some parsley on your food. (19)

20. Listen To Music You Like

Listening to music confers plasticity to your brain, so researchers wanted to examine music’s ability to affect the steroid hormones in your body.

To do that, they had a study where people had to listen to music they liked, and music they didn’t like.

People who listened to the music they liked relaxed and experienced a drop in their cortisol levels.

This decrease in cortisol can lead to an increase in your testosterone levels. So keep listening to music you actually enjoy. (20)

21. Consume Olive Oil

Olive oil is healthy and delicious.

Olive oil is full of nutrients that are beneficial for your whole body, but not in the least your testosterone production.

Men who consume olive oil regularly produce more testosterone than those who don’t. (21)

22. Meditate

Most men think meditation is a waste of time, but studies contradict them.

Meditation is an efficient way to relax and lower your cortisol production.

Lowering your cortisol production will allow your testosterone production to increase. (22)

23. Eat Blueberries

Blueberries are considered a superfood due to their multiple health benefits.

One of those benefits is a boost in your testosterone levels.

Blueberries actually don’t influence the testosterone production directly, but they will curb the body’s estrogen production, which will determine an increase in your testosterone levels. (23)

24. Eat Pomegranates

Another type of superfood, pomegranates are full of antioxidants.

But kick-starting your immune system won’t help much with your testosterone production, will it?

Thankfully, pomegranates are also full of anti-estrogenic compounds, so they will reduce the amount of estrogen your body produces.

This will reduce the oxidative stress your testes are experiencing, and it will increase the quality of your sperm.

According to a study, men who drank pomegranate juice with regularity experienced an increase of free testosterone levels by up to 24%. (24)

25. Eat Carbs

Men who want to work out are advised to eat protein.

Lots and lots of protein.

Well, according to a study, you should eat a lot of carbs as well.

Carbs are quickly transformed into glucose when they enter your body.

And according to this study, carbs are essential for optimizing your testosterone levels when you’re frequently engaging in resistance training. (25)

26. Do Yoga

Let’s face it.

Men are not built for yoga.

Stretching is just not our thing.

Sure, we can lift weights.

We can run for long distances.

Heck, we can swim, dive, and pedal as long as we want.

But stretching.. well, let’s just say that we’re not designed to do that.

However, doing yoga offers a lot of benefits, and increasing your testosterone levels is one of them.

Doing yoga has a massive influence on your mind, and that alone can positively influence your testosterone levels because you’ll feel more relaxed and your cortisol levels will drop.

But yoga can increase your cortisol levels through physical exercise as well, similar to how compound exercises work. (26)

27. Eat Avocados

Avocados are very popular nowadays.

Every fitness enthusiast and health-conscious person knows that avocados are good for you, and they are recommended by everyone, from Hollywood celebrities to unknown fitness guru wannabees.

Avocados are full of essential vitamins and minerals, and many of them play an active role in your testosterone production.

Avocados contain magnesium, zinc, copper, and a lot of vitamins.

Besides these compounds, avocados also contain oleuropein, a chemical that will block part of the estrogen your body produces.

Consuming oleuropein with regularity can lead to a 250% testosterone boost. (27)

28. Take Vitamin C

Vitamin C supplementation can do wonders in your body.

This vitamin can stave off colds, it can harden the membrane of your blood vessels, and it can remove toxins from your body.

But that’s not all.

Vitamin C can also increase your testosterone levels. (28)

29. Consume Bee Pollen Honey

Bee pollen honey is not something people would consume without having to.

Well, if you want to increase your testosterone production, you might want to consider eating it.

Bee pollen honey can have a beneficial effect on your prostate.

Having a healthy prostate is a really necessary if you want to have a good testosterone production.

Thanks to its high content of antioxidants and zinc, bee pollen honey can help with increasing your sperm count, as well. (29)

30. Eat raw Cacao

Raw cacao products are excellent testosterone boosters.

Raw cacao is great for lowering your cortisol levels, which will allow your testosterone levels to increase.

31. Consume Argan Oil

Argan oil is somewhat unknown, and it may be difficult to come by.

However, this oil is full of testosterone boosting elements.

The monosaturated fats in this oil’s composition can increase your testosterone production by up to 20%. (31)

32. Eat Nuts

Nuts contain a lot of healthy compounds, and they’re full of good monosaturated fats.

Not only will these fats protect your cardiovascular system against oxidative damage, but they will also increase your testosterone production.

The best nuts to stimulate your testosterone production are almonds, Tiger nuts, Macademia nuts, and Brazil nuts. (32)

33. Consume Ginger

Ginger is a root that is well-renown for its strong antioxidant properties that protect your gut.

But ginger root can also increase your testosterone production, especially when it’s paired with zinc.

This root will not only increase your testosterone production, but it will also stimulate your sperm production.

34. Consume Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another healthy fat.

The great thing about coconut oil is that it contains most of the medium-chain triglycerides that are easily metabolized by your liver.

When you consume coconut oil your metabolic rate increases.

That will lead to a faster fat burning process and an increased sex drive.

35. Quit Smoking

You should quit smoking if you want to increase your testosterone levels, whether you prefer smoking tobacco or cannabis.

Tobacco contains nicotine that is actually effective at increasing your testosterone levels, but there are too many health risks associated with tobacco smoking, so the slight increase in your testosterone levels is not worth the trouble.

On the other hand, marijuana has an active ingredient that can inhibit the testicular enzymes your body needs to produce testosterone, lowering your testosterone levels.

The effects of cannabis on your testosterone levels are reversible, so everything will go back to normal if you quit smoking.

36. Consume Probiotics

Not only will probiotics help with removing toxins and heavy metals from your body, but they will also lower the amount of estrogen your gut will reabsorb

37. Stop Eating Soy

Soy is a good animal protein substitute, but unfortunately, it contains a lot of phytoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens are absorbed by your body and have the same effect as human-produced estrogen.

Consuming phytoestrogens can lower your testosterone levels. (37)

38. Take A Vitamin B Complex Supplement

The vitamin B complex contributes to many metabolic processes, and not having enough vitamin B in your body can lead to a lack of energy, bad mood, lack of strength, and a loss of concentration.

Besides these effects, not having enough B vitamins in your body can also lead to lower testosterone levels.

39. Sprint

Unlike endurance running, sprinting can increase your power, build muscles in your legs, and stimulate your body’s fat burning process.

Sprinting can also improve conditioning and stimulate your testosterone levels.