That means that no matter why I’m traveling, work or vacation, I am always prepared to get some work done. Here are my top five tips for getting work done while traveling, sometimes more than at my home desk.

1. Get comfortable working in uncomfortable places.

If you need a precise combination of environmental factors to get your work done, working while traveling may be harder, but not impossible. And if you tend to need a specific environment to get work done, like sitting in a specific chair or having the temperature just right, try weaning yourself off of things slowly as you approach your travel date. If you still have trouble concentrating in a foreign environment, give this hack a try and learn to own your productivity anywhere, anytime.

2. Fight the jet lag.

Whether it’s a two or twelve-hour time difference, jet lag may creep up on you at the most inopportune time. To avoid the slump, craft a good sleeping environment in your new destination. For some people, that means napping as soon as you’re at a hotel. Make sure you’re getting enough magnesium, which is both a brain booster and sleep enhancer that can help you relax on the road. If I’m taking a redeye, I normally take 1 capsule of Nootrobox‘s YAWN before the flight so I can actually get some rest while in the air.

3. Designate time blocks to get work done.

This is a biggie. Even if you are traveling solo, it is important to set up specific time blocks to get work done. Traveling usually comes with its own unique sets of distractions, and unless you are consistent about setting aside enough time to get your work done, you’ll be playing catchup once back home.

4. Invest in a mobile hotspot and in-flight wifi.

Whether it’s unlimited data on your phone or a portable wifi hotspot, make sure that you have what you need to stay connected. (It’s not elegant or super sleek looking, but the most reliable hotspot I’ve used is Verizon’s popular device.) I am a big fan of getting work done while traveling, so unless I’m on a redeye flight, I purchase in-flight wifi access, and keep an eye out, because sometimes you can get a discount by snapping it up with your ticket. Before leaving on the trip, double check your VPN or remote log-in before heading out, and make sure you give your IT department a heads up on your travel if you work for a larger company. That way, if you run into technical difficulties, they will already know where you are and how to help.

5. Arm your brain.

I take nootropics at home and at work, and I DEFINITELY take them on the road to help keep my productivity consistent. I’ve written about my favorite travel stack before (check out the full article and stack here), and some of the other BrainWiz reviewers have their own preferences. My stack is focused on keeping me productive and sharp even if there’s no good coffee in sight, something I’ve run into numerous times while staying in hotels for work and pleasure.

6. Make sure work is accessible offline.

Before leaving on your trip, make sure as many of the materials you need to get your work done are available offline. No matter how well-prepared you are with HotSpots or Tethering, it is likely you will encounter at least one instance of no connectivity during your trip. Don’t let that be an excuse for not getting work done by making sure documents, emails, or reports are all available offline.

So if you can’t avoid working on your vacation, or you need to prep for an offsite meeting while en-route to it, take a shot at these tips to ensure productivity. And if you have any other productivity hacks you use while traveling, please send them our way. I’m always looking for ways to optimize my time away from the office.

The post How Entreprenuers Stay Productive While Traveling appeared first on Brain Wiz.

We’re fans of supplements to improve memory recall and learning, but there are many other tips I’ve given to friends to boost their study habits. One of my favorite memory hacks, one I’ve been using since high-school, is listening to music while I study. But not just any music. The Mozart Effect is a term used to describe the positive effect music (specifically Mozart’s) and other classical composers’ can have on learning, reducing stress, and improving sleep patterns.

Listening to music while studying  improves your ability to learn and recall information by improving your mood. Studies show these positive emotions by impact academic performance by changing brain wave states, helping focus concentration, and improving memory. 

While most studies suggest classical music is the best choice for studying, there is some recent evidence suggesting that other types of music, like the score to a favorite movie, can improve mood learning ability to a similar degree.

A simple web search for “study music” will turn up hundreds of results. Start with the tried and true classical route, but feel free to experiment with meditation music, movie scores, ambient music, or even nature sounds. Let us know what works best for you in the comments.

The post Can the Mozart Effect Supercharge Your Learning Through Music? appeared first on Brain Wiz.

How To Do It

The premise is simple. Start by making your To-Do List, and start crossing things off the list using the (10+2)*5 rule.

Wait, what? Allow us to explain

Start with 10 minutes of solid work. Once those 10 minutes are up, take 2 minutes to procrastinate. Visit your favorite site, get some coffee, eat a snack; whatever you do, there is no work allowed. Once those 2 minutes are up, go back to 10 minutes of work. Repeat the cycle for a total of 5 times, and you have exactly an hour of productivity with spaces in between to give your brain a rest.

The Rules

You can get a full description of the rules for this system here, but the most important thing to remember is this: don’t skip any breaks. By taking the time to procrastinate, you force your brain out of inertia and into wanting to get things done.

The End Result

After you’ve put the (10+2)*5 rule to use long enough for your brain to recognize the pattern, you’ll start anticipating both the breaks and the work cycles. And you may (and can) eventually find yourself skipping the break, forging on through your to-do list with increased productivity.

The three numbers can be changed to whatever you like with a bit of experimentation, especially if you want to structure your whole working day around them. The important thing is to maintain the consistency of the break-to-work ratio long enough for your brain to be permanently tricked into wanting to do work.

The post How to Get MORE Done By Procrastinating with the (10+2)*5 Rule appeared first on Brain Wiz.

And for some of the world’s most driven and successful people, one industry-defining company simply isn’t enough. Jack Dorsey famously serves double-duty as CEO of both Twitter and Square. Elon Musk, as close to a maverick, super villain-esque billionaire/philanthropist as we have today, is CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX; both these companies are undoubtedly at the front of their respective industries in innovation, financing, and promise.

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, you may be balancing your fledgling endeavor with a full-time job. Or you may be balancing multiple rolls in the same company, or even heading up a few different businesses at once. Whatever your multitasking needs, try these time-honored (and pro-tested) tips to keep all your responsibilities in line.

1. Compartmentalize Your Time.

Avelist founder Jody Porowski wrote about her experiences balancing a full-time job with a new startup. A big takeaway? “Find your rhythm.” Figuring out the time management strategy that works for you is step number one, but step number two is just as important and sometimes more difficult: sticking to it.

Compartmentalizing the same way every day is a great, effective way to make sure you’re devoting time across the board without feeling overwhelmed all at once. A few hours in the morning for this leaves the afternoon for that, spend a week or two playing around and seeing what feels best productivity-wise, then ruthlessly compartmentalize from there.

And Jack Dorsey has been doing this successfully since 2011, splitting (roughly) equal time in his day for Twitter and Square. He even travels between offices, creating a physical separation as well as mental when completing and delegatings tasks at his two behemoth companies.

2. Perfect a System for Triage.

Elon Musk famously juggles big challenges every day, and between two high-speed tech companies, he’s got a lot of fires to put out.

Practicing triage means prioritizing what needs to get done when it needs to get done. And while separation is key, it doesn’t mean emergencies won’t arise that require to you break down those barriers. Set up boundaries with colleagues or employees ahead of time: What is important or pressing enough to demand my immediate attention, all other factors be damned, and what channel is best for these notifications?

Clear boundaries up front will avoid gray areas that can sap productivity in the middle of a busy day; make sure the emergencies that demand immediate attention are just that.

3. Create Separate To-Do Lists.

Let’s take it back to #1 in this article: compartmentalizing can prevent a sense of being overwhelmed. Similarly, breaking up your to-do lists will help keep that page of tasks from seeming insurmountable. Stepping into your other role, either physically or mentally? Switch pages and see your to-do list with clear, unclouded eyes. It’s a great way to keep focus straight and anxiety low.

4. Find Your Brain Routine.

For some people, it’s coffee at a certain time. For others, it’s a productivity stack. We’re obviously big fans of nootropics, supplements designed to help increase focus, boost mental energy, help memory recall, and provide cognitive endurance, and they’ve made their way into our daily routines in varying amounts. That’s why we’ve reviewed dozens upon dozens of the most popular ones.

Everyone reacts to supplements differently, and it may take some trial to figure out the stack that works best for you. We suggest starting slow and simple and keeping in mind that individual tolerance may vary, and a little bit can go a long way toward helping you power through a mentally challenging day!

5. Network In Your Down Time.

Have a free moment? Think about how you can use it to connect with new contacts or rekindle old relationships. Cab rides or coffee breaks are great for this. And if you need a good rule of thumb for increased, effective networking, just remember to never eat a meal alone (at least, when it can be avoided within reason). Meal time is prime time for catching up and seeing where synergy lies across personal experience and business.

6. Prioritize Sleep.

Seriously, don’t skimp on the sleep. No one wants a sleepy entrepreneur pushing for energy or brainpower they just don’t have. And if a racing mind is still keeping you up at night, consider taking some calming magnesium, it’s worked wonders for a few of our testers.

The post How the World’s Best Entrepreneurs Juggle Multiple Projects appeared first on Brain Wiz.

The result? By stacking Rhodiola Rosea and Smart Caffeine, we’ve been able to power through heftier workloads and stress while mitigating the crash and fatigue that often comes as caffeine wears off.

The first part of the stack is actually two ingredients: the body hacker’s favorite combo of caffeine (stimulant) and L-theanine (calming amino acid). It’s a common combo, and Natural Stacks’ Smart Caffeine blends both for a straightforward ingredient list and 2-to-1 proportion of theanine to caffeine. L-theanine has a calming effect without feeling like a sedative, and when taken with caffeine, it tends to increase perceptions of alertness while reducing the chances of jitters. For us, it’s a “smoother” feeling of energy.

The second second half of this potent stack is Rhodiola Rosea, an “adaptogen” famed for its ability to fight mental tiredness, the symptoms of stress, and even physical fatigue. Derived from an herb used in several traditional medicine practices, Rhodiola is often paired with caffeine in some high-profile nootropic supplements, and we often take it with our morning coffee. (In fact, a few supplements like Neurofuse combine rhodiola with caffeine and l-theanine.) It can be powerful on its own, and in this stack, it’s a tool we’ve used to combat the stress of deadline situations. It also doesn’t take much, and most effective doses are between 100 and 600 mg of the extract (which normally has between 1 and 3% rosavins and 1 and 2% salidrosides). More then 600 mg might actually be less effective for some users.

So there you have it: Smart Caffeine and Rhodiola Rosea are one of our favorite combos for working under a deadline. It doesn’t take much, and we recommend staying within the manufacturer’s recommended dosages, or even on the lower end when stacking (just one pill each of Smart Caffeine and Solaray’s Rhodiola was plenty for our testers; we don’t like overdoing it on caffeine in any stack!).

The post Working on a Deadline? Try This Potent Brain Stack appeared first on Brain Wiz.

truBrain’s innovative, portable shot makes it an easy addition to my travel or toiletry bag (it’s also under 3 ounces, so it’s carry-on friendly). I enjoy the taste, it can be taken without water, and it includes caffeine and oxiracetam in its powerful, research-backed blend of nootropic ingredients. It’s not the fastest-acting nootropic I’ve tried, but as I mentioned in our review, it tends to increase my focus gradually throughout the day. For back-to-back-to-back meetings, it’s proven a valuable tool.

Rhodiola is a BrainWiz favorite, and when traveling for work I’ll either take this with coffee (instead of truBrain, which I take by itself) or in the afternoons if a stressful presentation or meeting is about to hit. It keeps me calm and boosts my mental energy for long days at away offices!

Honorable mention goes to Unfair Advantage, the Bulletproof stack of PQQ and CoQ10. A few ampules per day, again, and easy, travel-friendly delivery system!, gives me a combination mental and physical boost. My energy feels cleaner and slightly longer-lasting, just the sort of edge I want on the road (or running between airport terminals, etc.). I’ll normally toss a handful of the Unfair Advantage ampules in my bag before heading out the door, though this is also a supplement I often take daily in my normal life.

The post My Go-To Travel Stack: truBrain, Rhodiola, and One Surprise appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Alpha Brain is one of my favorite nootropics, and Onnit’s blend of earth-grown ingredients is one of my favorite supplements for staying calm, staying focus, and staying on top of my game. I go on a lot of 3 to 4 day business trips (some during weekends, some during the week), and I always appreciate having something consistent and tested in my corner to stay sharp. Alpha Brain does the trick for me, and I normally take it first thing in the morning with breakfast or coffee. I also notice I tend to sleep pretty well when I take Alpha Brain, and that’s always appreciated when bouncing around from conferences to hotels and back.

The other half of my nootropic travel kit is Smart Caffeine by Natural Stacks. This is an incredibly simple, straightforward combo of caffeine plus theanine; think of it as a better way of delivering caffeine, as the l-theanine smooths out the popular stimulant (in fact, Alpha Brain also contains l-theanine). I don’t necessarily take this every morning when traveling, but if I’m in a place where I can’t find good coffee (okay, I’m a bit of a coffee snob) or I find myself fighting a post-lunch crash, a single pill of Smart Caffeine can give me a convenient boost. I caution caffeine aficionados to not overdo it on Smart Caffeine, as I don’t think it’s smart to get carried away and taking a bunch of it. In place of coffee, and when coffee isn’t convenient or easily available, one pill works very well for me. There are a few other companies that make a similar combo, but Smart Caffeine hits well with quality and a very reasonable price point, making it my favorite of these.

Tune back in soon to find out what other BrainWiz testers like to travel with to stay on top of their games!

The post My Go-To Travel Stack: Alpha Brain and Smart Caffeine appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Ultimately, they also get us in the most trouble in our professional lives, as demanding clients, bosses, or partners wonder why Document X isn’t complete yet, and that’s not even taking the editing process into consideration. In my experience, longer or more in-depth writing tasks cause about 75% of my work-related stress. If I’m working on a side project or starting a new venture, they’re the major roadblock that keeps initiatives grounded for longer than they need to be.

Let’s be frank: It’s not the actual duration of the assignment that causes anxiety (which builds and builds in vicious spiral of “let’s put this off again”). It’s the prospect of FORCED CREATIVITY that really holds back completion. These are tasks you can’t (or at least imagine you can’t) complete on autopilot, and it’s really the prospect of starting hard work that prevents work from getting done in the first place.

There’s no magic formula for overcoming this in one fell swoop (though there are certainly dietary changes and supplements that can help boost creativity). However, by attacking these FORCED CREATIVITY tasks at one particular time of day, they’re much easier to overcome and much easier to prioritize over the minute distractions and smaller items on your checklist that can almost certainly wait until after your next water break. And that one particular time of day just so happens to be the period when you’re LEAST likely to even THINK about hitting the very top of your agenda.

It’s after breakfast, coffee, and supplements, but before you even think about doing anything else; it’s basically first thing in the morning, and it’s the ONLY real time you’ll have for distraction-free creativity. Your mind is free of accumulated stress because you haven’t had a chance to fixate on the day’s challenges. There’s no room for mental gymnastics to prioritize a smaller task over the important one in front of you. Your goal is clear, straightforward, and singular: It’s time to write.

Some of the world’s most successful writers and researchers (notably Food Politics mastermind Marion Nestle) use this strategy to pump out insanely original, informative content, and the same principle is mastered by titans of business who tackle tough tasks first thing and then watch as their competitors play catchup throughout the day.

Sleep well, wake up, fuel your brain, and then WRITE. Everything else can wait until you hit “Save.”

The post The Absolute Best Time To Write (And Stop Procrastination In Its Tracks) appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Below are five reasons entrepreneurs are supplementing to work a little bit smarter every day.

1. They’re easy to take and help prepare your brain for stressful work and tasks.

Images of mad scientists or drug-crazed hippies don’t describe these supplements. Many are lab-tested and sourced from natural ingredients. Completely legal and made under stringent manufacturing standards, these are hardly black-market mystery pills. And quick-metabolizing ingredients mean they give you a clarity boost from day one.

2. Ingredients like Cognizine promote neuron health and neurotransmitter function.

The brain is one of the least-understood organs, though more and more research is giving us clarity on how our neurons fire and work together. Cognizine is one ingredient that’s been shown to protect and promote neuron function, and expect more research to come soon on this popular ingredient.

3. Natural herbs like Huperzine A boost brain function and performance.

Actual lab science exists to back the effectiveness of ingredients found in many popular nootropics. And several trials show a boost in users who use smart supplements as compared to control groups. These are supplements we wish we’d had for our SATs.

4. They’re proven to increase alertness and mental clarity.

Controlled trials on users taking popular nootropics suggest increased alertness and feelings of clarity. Stress won’t ever be fun, but a focused head can help entrepreneurs tackle even the most abstract problem, including supply chain issues or hiring big teams effectively.

5. Completely legal with value trial periods.

Are smart supplements right for everyone? Probably not. Fortunately, many manufacturers offer heavily discounted trials so you can try them out for yourself. It helps users shop around and compare from a growing variety of available supplements with increasingly researched ingredients.

The post Why More Entrepreneurs Are Turning To Science Backed Brain Supplements appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Below are five key brain hacks that help business owners keep their heads straight when the path to success is anything but.

1. Write It Down (By Hand)

It might remind you of elementary school, but writing down a to-do list and taking copious notes (on everything) is a proven way to retain more information, even if you never look at those notes again. Keeping a notebook happy is also insurance against losing a fleeting thought that could turn into your next great idea. Some entrepreneurs we talk to even keep a journal or small notebook next to their bed so they can record thoughts and ideas from dreams as soon as they wake up, while abstract thinking is still fresh.

2. Up Your Fitness

The brain is very much a part of your body, and ignoring one will wreak havoc on the other. Exercise, both cardiovascular conditioning and weight training, has been shown to increase productivity and the brain’s ability to store and categorize new information (in addition, it’s good for overall mental health and function). Billionaire and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson has claimed he gets an additional four hours of work done each day because he takes the time to exercise, which ups your mental and physical fitness at once.

3. Supercharge Your Brain

It’s no secret we’re fans of gaining a mental edge. Brain-boosting supplements, also called nootropics, are an increasingly popular way to boost productivity and sharpen focus among business owners. There are several science-backed supplements in this category, including some from herbal, natural, and even organic sources. Our reviewers have cut through the hype and separated fact from fiction in outlining which work for certain lifestyles, professions, or preferences.

4. Work Standing Up

Want to up your work output by 10%? Try standing while working. Whether it’s at a custom standing desk or one you fashion by putting your laptop on top of old phone books, a standing workstation benefits posture and productivity while fighting fatigue and reducing procrastination. In our experience, it takes a few days of adapting, but there’s a pronounced uptick in work energy less than a week in.

5. Set Smaller Goals

Starting a company is daunting; making it success is an even scarier prospect. Start small and subdivide to-do lists in order to bite work off into manageable chunks. Make incremental progress, a goal to accomplish within a day, afternoon, or hour, without procrastination, and the big picture starts to come into focus much clearer.

The post Five Brain Hacks That Help Entrepreneurs Succeed appeared first on Brain Wiz.