1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: Hello, how I work, Listener, I have some news. I 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: wrote another book and I'm pretty excited about it. It's 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: called The Health Habit and it's coming out on January nine, 4 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: but you can pre order it now wherever you buy books. 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: In The Health Habit, I explore cutting edge research into 6 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: what we should eat, how to get fit, and how 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: to sleep better. But the book is more than just 8 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: health advice. Often the hardest part of being healthier is 9 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: actually making new health habits stick. And the reason why 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: you have trouble sticking to a new healthy habit is 11 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: probably going to be different to why your partner or 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: your best friend has trouble. So in the book, I 13 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: help you assess what the biggest barrier getting in your 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: way actually is, and from there, I help you design 15 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: your own, personalized and actionable plan to change your habits. 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: So if you are feeling stuck repeating the same habits 17 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 1: and looking for practical solutions that will improve your health 18 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: for good, then I promise you The Health Habit is 19 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: your solution. My name is doctor Amantha Imber. I'm an 20 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: organizational psychologist and the founder of behavior change consultancy Inventium, 21 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: and this is how I work a show about how 22 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: to help you get so much more out of the 23 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: hours in your day. For the next few weeks, I'm 24 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: going to be sharing a few extracts from the Health 25 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: habit on how I Work. Today's extract is all about 26 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: how to get a better night's sleep with the pre 27 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: sleep task dump. It's ten PM and you're trying to 28 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: get to sleep. But does your brain think it's the 29 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: ideal time to remind you to stock up on dishwashing 30 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: liquid to correct the error that you made on the 31 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: sales chart for the presentation you'll be delivering tomorrow and 32 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: use up that broccoli for dinner tomorrow night because it's 33 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: looking so miserable and limp in the back of the fridge. 34 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: You bet it does. Or perhaps your brain thinks that 35 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: two am is the optimal time to be solving the 36 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: world's problems. Mine definitely does. Sadly, I can also confidently 37 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 1: say that the solutions I'm coming up with at two 38 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: am are not going to help with anything except keeping 39 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: me awake. According to the National Sleep Foundation in the 40 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: United States, forty percent of American adults have trouble falling 41 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: asleep at least a few times every month. The most 42 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: common reason why people have trouble drifting off is because 43 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: they're worrying about or ruminating on something. Historically, a lot 44 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: of psychological research into the difficulties people have falling asleep 45 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: has focused on the impact of ruminating on past events, 46 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: events that ironically we have no control over because they 47 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:02,519 Speaker 1: have already happened. However, researchers have also found that people 48 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: have the greatest trouble falling asleep at the beginning of 49 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: the work week because they're worrying about what lies ahead. 50 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: So perhaps it's the future keeping us up, unless so 51 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: our past Associate professor Michael K. Scullen from Baylor University 52 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: was curious as to whether thinking about the future deliberately 53 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: before bed could help people get to sleep more easily, 54 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: so he invited a group of fifty seven people into 55 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: a sleep lab to find out. Before it was time 56 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: for lights out, half the group were asked to spend 57 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: five minutes writing it to do list of tasks they 58 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: needed to complete in the next few days. What is 59 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: known as a future focused list. And here's the instructions 60 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: that they were given. We'd like for you to spend 61 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: the next five minutes writing down everything you have to 62 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: remember to do tomorrow and over the next few days. 63 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: You can write these in paragraph form or in bullet points. 64 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: All five minutes to think and write about tasks you 65 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: have to complete tomorrow and in the near future, even 66 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: if you are coming to you. The other half of 67 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: the group were given similar instructions, except they were asked 68 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: to think about activities that had been completed that day 69 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: and during the previous few days. A small but important 70 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 1: difference is here. A problem with past research that has 71 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: examined strategies to help people fall asleep faster is that 72 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: it has relied on self reporting, whereby participants estimate how 73 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: long it took them to fall asleep. And you can 74 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: probably imagine that this data is full of errors. How 75 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,359 Speaker 1: on earth can you know exactly when you fell asleep? 76 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: It's like trying to pinpoint the exact time you were 77 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: rendered unconscious by a magical spell cast by a wizard 78 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: in training from Hogwarts. Instead of self reporting, Scutland hooked 79 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: people up to a sleep monitor in the lab to 80 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: obtain an overnight polysobnography recording, so researchers had an accurate 81 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: read on how long it actually took people to fall asleep. 82 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: Scullin found that people who wrote there to do list, 83 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: as opposed to a to done list focusing on the past, 84 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: fell asleep significantly faster, and in addition, those who included 85 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: more specific details in their to do list fell asleep 86 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: more quickly. The reason the intervention was so effective is 87 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: that our minds are filled with countless thoughts that, if 88 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: left unchecked, conspiral, out of control, and wreak havoc on 89 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: a good night's sleep. It's akin to unleashing a pack 90 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: of excitable Jack Russell puppies at the dog park, each 91 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: with liver treats tangling from their tails. The result a 92 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: frenzy of adorable chaos, although in the case of your thoughts, 93 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: not so adorable. When I spoke to Scullen about his research, 94 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: he explained to me, there are so many people who 95 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: tell me that they can can feel really sleepy during 96 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: the day, but the moment their head hits the pillow 97 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: when they want to go to sleep, that's when they 98 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: feel more alert than ever. One of the key reasons 99 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,679 Speaker 1: this happens is because after finally switching off the lights, 100 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: for many of us, it's the only time that we 101 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: are without distractions, especially those of the digital variety and 102 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: those distractions. Yes, you smartphone, highly effective at keeping all 103 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: our worries, ruminative thoughts, and the unfinished list of things 104 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: we still need to do at bay. When you remove 105 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: all those distractions, guess what you're left with? A tsunami 106 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: of stress. If you don't do anything to combat it, 107 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: then your mind's just going to cycle through it skull 108 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: and points out and at first glance, it seems like 109 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: our brain is doing something bad to us. If you 110 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: have an unfinished task, it stays at this heightened level 111 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: of arousal. But really our brain is doing us a 112 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: favor because it's like you did not finish this. We 113 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: don't want you to forget it, so your very kind 114 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: brain keeps you awake by continuing to remind you what 115 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: you still need to sort out. As our brains have 116 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: evolved over hundreds and thousands of years, they unfortunately didn't 117 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: anticipate the twenty first centuries demands where we could be 118 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: working at any time of day. For a lot of us, 119 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: we never truly switch off. I know while I was 120 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: working on this book, even when I wasn't typing at 121 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: my computer or conducting an interview or reading research papers. 122 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: It was constantly in the back of my mind and 123 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: would frequently pop into the front of my mind, almost 124 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: always at opportune times, such as when I wanted to sleep. 125 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: The trick to circumventing this problem is simple, write it 126 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: all down. Scullen says that when we write something down, 127 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: we signal to our brains it's okay, stop reminding me 128 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: because it's been offloaded. And as an added benefit, when 129 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: we write things down, we often move from rumination into 130 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: solution mode. And the more specificity we can apply when 131 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: adding down unfinished tasks or thoughts, the more at peace 132 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: our brain will feel, and thus the more likely it 133 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: is we will fall peacefully and easily to sleep with 134 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: not a single Jack Russell puppy in sight. Put this 135 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: into action. Step one, thirty minutes to one hour before bed, 136 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: grab a pen and paper. Please don't grab your phone, 137 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: as it's too tempting to open up digital distractions that 138 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: will suppress what's on your mind, thereby defeating the purpose 139 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: of this strategy. Step two, write down all the things 140 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:33,719 Speaker 1: you didn't finish today and the tasks you need to 141 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: complete tomorrow or in the next few days. And remember 142 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: the more specific the better. For example, instead of noting 143 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: down create presentation for meeting, you could instead write one 144 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: collect data from report X, Y, and Z. Two, present 145 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: the data in graphs or charts. Three, insert the graph's 146 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: charts into a PowerPoint presentation for write commentary on the data. 147 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: Step three. If some of your unfinished tasks involve thinking 148 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: about solutions, feel free to write those down two. Step four. 149 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: While Scullen's experiment ask people to spend five minutes on 150 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: this task, don't worry too much about how long it 151 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: takes you. If you're done within two minutes, great, and 152 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: if it takes you twenty minutes, that's fine too. Step 153 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: five repeat nightly. If you found today's episode useful, then 154 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: I guarantee you will love my new book, The Health Habit. 155 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: Search for The Health Habit wherever you get your books, 156 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: and pre order your coffee today. Thank you for sharing 157 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: part of your day with me by listening to How 158 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: I Work. If you're keen for more tips on how 159 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: to work better, connect with me via LinkedIn or Instagram. 160 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: I'm very easy to find. Just search for Amantha Imba. 161 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: How I Work was recorded on the traditional land of 162 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: the Warrangery People, part of the cool and Nation. I 163 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: am so grateful for being able to work and live 164 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: on this beautiful land and I want to pay my 165 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: respects to elders, past, present and emerging. How I Work 166 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: is produced by Inventium with action support from Dead Set Studios, 167 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: and thank you to Martin Nimba who did the audio 168 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: mix and makes everything sound better than it would have 169 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: otherwise