Resources: Intralox Healthy@Home Programme

Session One: Building Healthy Workday Micro-Habits

Slide Deck:


Intralox Session 1 Healthy Habits by Lucy Griffith

Articles:

Psychology of Habit: New Yorker Article by Jerome Groopman Can Brain Science Help us Break Bad Habits?

How to Build Healthy Habits: New York Times Article by Tara Parker-Pope

 

Books:

Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Podcasts:

The Secret Formula For Making Habits Stick – Broken Brain Podcast with Dhru Purohit (Short version)

The Secret Formula to Creating New Habits That Stick – Broken Brain Podcast with Dhru Purohit (Full-length version)

Websites:

Simple habit change techniques: BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits 

Accountability for Change: Stickk.com website (commitment contract)

 

Healthy Movement Habits Videos:

Centering

Posture Rhyme

Focusing

 

Fitness Apps:

Downdog (Fitness & Yoga apps offering short, customisable workouts)

 

Session Two: Boost your Workday Energy

Slide Deck:

 


Intralox Session 2 Boost Your Workday Energy by Lucy Griffith

Video:

How to do the Brügger Break (Posture Microbreaks)

Stretch to help neck pain

Wall Angel (for tight shoulders)

Podcasts

How Movement Radically Transforms the Brain – Broken Brain Podcast by Dhru Purohit

Books:

Physical Intelligence by Claire Dale and Patricia Peyton

 

Articles:

Benefits of Walking Meetings: Inc. Article on how walking meetings can promote creative thinking

Sitting and Exercise: New York Times Article on how sitting for too long sabotages exercise benefits

Moving to Reduce Health Risks: New York Times Article on how short and low intensity activity can help improve health

Exercise & the brain: Guardian Article on how exercise improves cognitive functioning

Health Risks Associated with Prolonged Sitting: NHS Article – Why We Should Sit Less

 

Ideas for moving more when you’re working from home:

Injecting Movement into your Workday

Energising movement break (5 minutes away from your desk):

 

Scientific Research:

How walking can improve creative thinking: 2014 Study – American Psychological Association

Power Posing Effects: 2018 Study – Association for Psychological Science

Research linking slumped postures to negative perception – University of Hildesheim/Ruhr University Bochum Germany

Seated posture and Confidence: 2009 Study by Ohio State University

 

Movement-Based Exercises:

Centering

Circulation Booster #1: Shake Out

Circulation Booster #2: Twisting Stretch

Circulation Booster #3: Standing Stretch

Circulation Booster #4: Swing Sequence

Circulation Booster #5: Power up your legs

Session Three: Maintaining your Focus in a World Calling for your Attention

Slide Deck:


Intralox Session 3 Maintaining your Focus by Lucy Griffith

 

Articles:

Boredom tolerance: Guardian Article on how people prefer electric shocks to being alone with their thoughts

Exercise & the brain: Guardian Article on how exercise increases focus and attention span

Procrastination: BBC WorkLife Article on the emotional roots of procrastination

Procrastination: BBC WorkLife Article The Smart Guide to Procrastination

Self-control: BBC WorkLife Article on mental hacks that aid self-control at work

The cost of task-switching: Fast Company Article on the impact of interruption

Dealing with overwhelm: Harvard Business Review Article

How Busyness Leads to Bad Decisions: Article from BBC Worklife

Impact of multi-tasking: Psychology Today Article – The True Cost of Multi-Tasking

Notifications from Phones: Guardian Article – One Ping After Another

Tech Distraction: Harvard Business Review Article: Stop Letting Push Notifications Ruin Your Productivity

Attention Management: New York Times Article: Productivity isn’t about time management

 

Books:

Distraction – Indistractable by Nir Eyal

 

Scientific Studies:

The Cost of Interrupted Work – University of California Study – link to distraction and stress

Physical activity improving attention span – Journal of Science, Medicine & Sport

 

Videos:

How to Distraction-Proof Your Mind – BBC Ideas Video – with Nir Eyal

The Science of Multi-Tasking – BBC Ideas Video – Is it possible to multi-task effectively?

How Screen-use Effects our Lives – TED.com Talk – by Psychologist Adam Alter

How to Train Your Monkey Mind – Huffington Post Video – Interview with Mingyur Rinpoche (Tibetan Buddhist Master)

 

Activities:

Hacking your phone to avoid distraction: PDF Worksheet

Life balance – wheel exercise: Video and (Optional) PDF Worksheet

 

Apps:

Meditation training – Headspace

Distraction avoidance timer – Forest

 

Movement Exercises for Better Focus:

Centering

Observing the Breath

Seated Stretch

Session Four: Harness Positive Stress, Control Negative Stress

Slide Deck:


Intralox Session 4 Harness Positive Stress, Control Negative Stress by Lucy Griffith

 

Books:

Breath‘ by James Nestor – how the way we breathe impacts our health and stress levels

Video:

Brain Behaviour –  Professor Robert Sopalsky explains how the three parts of our brain interact to produce and reduce a stress response

Breathing and Health: Ted Talk by Joe DiStefano

Breathing and Stress: Ted Talk by Psychologist Dr. Belisa Vranich

The role of the Vagus Nerve in Calming the Stress Response: New York Article by Edith Zimmerman

Negativity Bias – Ted Talk by Social Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood

Positive Aspect of Stress – Ted Talk by Health Psychologist Kelly McGonigal

Eustress / ‘Finding the Flow’ – Ted Talk by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 

 

Physical Exercises

Diaphragmatic breathing & the vagus nerve

Self-Massage Techniques for Tension Relief

Balancing Breath Technique (Nadi Shodana)

Seated Stretch Sequence

Centering Sequence

Rising to Stand Sequence

Standing Stretch Sequence

 

Articles:

Understanding the Stress Response – Harvard Medical School Article

Stress Control using Breathing Techniques – Harvard Medical School Article

Exercise and Stress: Mayoclinic Article on how exercise can reduce negative stress

‘Positive’ and ‘Negative’ Stress  – What is Eustress? Article from positivepsychology.com

Scheduling ‘Worry Time’ – PGSG Article on Releasing Anxiety and Worry

How the brain responds to pressure – Headspace Blog Article on Reacting Better Under Stress

Harnessing the Upsides of Stress – Article from Harvard Medical School

Physical impact of Chronic Stress – Article from American Psychological Association

Stress and Control – Article from medicalnewstoday.com

Wim Hof Method – Cold Shower technique as method of stress management training

Fight, Flight or Flow? Choose Wisely – Article by Stuart Constable

 

Scientific Study

How Perception Affects Our Risk From Stress – 2011 University of Wisconsin Study

 

Apps:

Meditation & Mindfulness training – Headspace

Meditation & Mindfulness training – Buddhify

Meditation & Mindfulness training – Smiling Mind

Wim Hof Method App – Breath Control, Ice Showers and More!

Session 5: Rest and Recharge for Optimum Health & Performance

Slides

Intralox Session 5 Rest and Recharge by Lucy Griffith

Video:

Why Boredom is Important: BBC Reel short video

Time Confetti – The One Thing Ruining Your Free Time: BBC Reel short video

How to improve your sleep: Sleep Tips video by Sleep Scientist Matthew Walker

How to tell if you’re sleep Deprived: Tech Insider Video

Sleep is your superpower: TED talk by Sleep Scientist Matthew Walker

Books:

How the way we breathe impacts our health and energy – Breath by James Nestor

Sleep – Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Physical Intelligence by Claire Dale and Patricia Peyton

Articles:

How Busyness Leads to Bad Decisions: Article from BBC Worklife

How to Deal with Feeling Constantly Overwhelmed: Article from Harvard Business Review

Learning to Say No More Often: Article from New York Times

Do people choose pain over boredom? Article from BBC News

The impact of Cognitive Fatigue – Article from Metro

How Burnout Makes us Less Creative – TED video with Rahaf Harfoush

Creating the Habit of Not Being Busy – Article from Thrive Global

A case for doing nothing: The Dutch concept of ‘Niksen’ – Article from New York Times

Is Self-Care Self-Indulgence? – Article from New York Times

What to do with a day off – Article from New York Times

How to calm a racing mind and finally go to sleep – Article from Thrive Global

Downloads:

Energy depletion exercise: Reflection exercise

Free Sleep Booklet to download: Your Guide to Healthy Sleep

Apps:

Meditation and Relaxation training: Headspace

Physical Exercises:

Centering

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Self-Massage Techniques for Tension Relief

Energising Power Postures

Beginner’s Body Scan Meditation: from Mindful

Session 6: Workday Nutrition to Fuel Your Brain and Body

Slides:

Intralox Session 6 Workday Nutrition by Lucy Griffith

Resources:

Nutrition fact-checking: examine.com – Science-based nutrition and supplement information

Scientific Studies:

Effect of Trans Fat on Cognitive Health: PLOS One 2015 Study

Articles:

Mindful Eating: Harvard Education article

Nutrition myths:  examine.com article – The Top 20 Nutrition Myths of 2020

Brain Food: welldoing.org article – Eating for a Healthy Mind-Gut Relationship

Gut Health: Guardian.com article – Magical Microbes – How to Feed your Gut

Health benefits of eggs: healthline article

Books:

Work Fuel – The Productivity Ninja Guide to Nutrition by Graham Allcott and Colette Heneghan

Gut Health – Gut by Giulia Enders

Video:

Caffeine – Ted-Ed Video – How does caffeine keep you awake?

How food powers your brain – Ted-Ed Video 

How the food you eat affects your gut – Ted-Ed Video

A Brain Food Prescription from the Farmacy – TEDx Talk by Drew Ramsay

Benefits of Sourdough bread – Authority Nutrition Video

10 Sources of Healthy Fats – ActiveBeat Video

Physical Exercise

Five Finger Breathing – Reboot your brain, calm down and be in the moment – demonstrated by Dr. Jud Brewer (use before eating)

Session 7: Workday Nutrition to Fuel Your Brain & Body (Part Two)