Observe your mental and physical energy peaks daily, especially between waking and noon, and again between noon and 6-7 p.m., to identify optimal learning times. This helps you align with your body’s natural Ultradian cycles and glucocorticoid fluctuations for enhanced focus.
Once you identify your peak alertness (e.g., 9:30-10 a.m. for the morning, and mid-to-late afternoon for the second), start a 90-minute Ultradian learning cycle around that time. Aim for one or two such blocks per day, as these periods align with optimal neuroplasticity.
During your 90-minute focus blocks, turn off Wi-Fi connections and put your phone in another room or turn it off. This helps you break into and maintain a deep trench of focus, as distractions can easily pull you out.
Plan your 90-minute Ultradian work blocks assuming that the first 10-15 minutes are for mental warm-up, and you will get about one hour of intense, deep focus within that period. This sets realistic expectations for maximizing learning.
Engage in focused learning bouts every day, including weekends, even if it’s less cognitively demanding like reading a book. Regularly accessing focus circuits keeps them ‘warm’ and makes focusing easier over time due to neuroplasticity.
Get sunlight in your eyes as close to waking as possible to enhance or increase the peak level of cortisol experienced early in the day. This sets in motion a number of Ultradian cycles, improving alertness and ability to focus.
Incorporate deep sleep and Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) into your routine. The actual rewiring of neurons and learning consolidation occurs during these rest states, which can accelerate learning.
To capture an additional early morning Ultradian work block (e.g., 6-7:30 a.m.), wake up earlier (e.g., 5:30 a.m.), use stimulants like caffeine and hydration, and engage in brief high-intensity exercise (10-15 minutes). This can shift the cortisol pulse earlier, creating an extra productive focus period.
If you consistently force yourself to wake up earlier to gain an extra focus block, ensure you also try to get to sleep earlier. This is crucial because both the quality and duration of sleep are vital for learning and neuroplasticity.
Utilize these 90-minute Ultradian work blocks for physical skill learning, such as dance or athletic moves, that require significant focus and alignment of muscular movement. These periods are ideal for triggering neuroplasticity in the motor skill-based domain.