How To: Combat Your Daily Fatigue, With 1 Simple Tool.

Read time — 9 minutes.

Today, let's begin with a little exercise.

Which person do you relate to the most?

Person A:

• Works 8+ hours a day

• Undertakes repetitive tasks

• Commutes to and from work

• Has fixed salary or hourly wage

• Reports to manager or supervisor

• Eligible for health insurance & retirement plans

Person B:

• Flexible hours

• Takes on multiple roles

• Works from various locations

• Potential for high financial rewards

• Responsible for making key business decisions

• Likely to be intrinsically motivated and self-driven

As you can tell — there is a stark contrast between both types of people. Lucky for me, as of late, I've been exposed to Person B in very close proximities.

I've recently made a move back to the city where my parents reside. As for many who are in my shoes, I can now happily say that I am living in abundance :). But, because my parents are separated and live apart, I had to choose a more permanent work station for me to write these think pieces for all you folks out there. Which eventually led me to living more frequently with person B: my dear father.

Thanks to my father, I've been exposed to the world of business. Seeing him manage numerous people, give talks in front of hundreds, and be responsible for major business and financial decisions has really opened my eyes to this world from a young age.

As you can see, one couldn't be more exposed to the business world at 13 than I was.

Every time I nagged or complained about my feet hurting from all the walking in Peru, I remember my father telling me — "you will thank me one day."

And here we are, a decade later, thanking him publicly in front of my dear readers.

I am very grateful to have gotten to experience the world of negotiation, sales and business at large from an entrepreneur's perspective. But as with everything in life, there are two sides to every coin.

Being in close quarters to a successful businessman meant that I also got to see all the downfalls and stresses that come along with holding such a prestigious role.

Let's explore this further.

The Downfalls of Entrepreneurship

In 2023 alone, data shows —

• A significant 30% of entrepreneurs have admitted to often or constantly experiencing burnout.

• Stress levels for 64% of entrepreneurs have increased compared to 2 years ago.

• Only 33% take proper vacations to alleviate burnout, and an estimated 29% experience long-term negative effects from burnout.

• Entrepreneurs are 2.5 times more likely to develop depression, and 40% claim that starting a business is one of the most stressful experiences.

• Over 60% report mental health challenges, and 67% feel compelled to continue working despite exhaustion.

• Additionally — 63% have experienced sleep disturbances due to running a business.

The conclusion — entrepreneurs are constantly tired, fatigued, and completely out of it.

There is a clear lack of work-life balance. I've seen it with my own eyes. There is no distinction between my father's personal and professional life.

What I've noticed:

• His schedule changes day-to-day, with no set times for tasks like taking calls or meetings.

• When engaging in calls or meetings, they can be taken in non-traditional places, like the gym.

• He needs to always be reachable — his phone being a crucial tool for constant communication.

• He regularly handles uncertainties and makes decisions with potential high-risk outcomes.

• He constantly has to build his team and lead them effectively for the business' success.

• Lots of people's (and their families') livelihoods rely on him and the company's success.

• He is constantly thinking of new solutions and ideas — some of which may come to him at the most unexpected times.

I can tell this isn't easy for him. I see that it takes a toll on his body and his mental health. The sad truth is that he isn't the only one. There are countless others entrepreneurs across the world who are experiencing the same thing.

Whether this may come to you as a surprise or not — a 9-5 employee experiences similar stresses to this type of entrepreneur.

If you related to Person A earlier, then I don't have to remind you of the ever-lasting and never-ending competitive pressures that are felt in today's workforce. You are constantly in a race with colleagues (existing and potential) to get ahead at work, all while attempting to get along at the same time.

One day off work feels like a whole month missed. You can't afford that.

I'd like to paint this idea with a quote from a book I'm currently reading — The Creative Act: A Way Of Being By Rick Rubin.

This is what happens when you don't capitalize on your work. In essence — if you don't get ahead, somebody else will.

And this is why you continue to work.

And work.

And work.

You want to get ahead. But, at the same time — you are at a crossroads as you also need to focus on socializing, getting along, and making time for your own personal hobbies.

The result of all this?

Never-ending fatigue.

Equally alike for both person A and B.

The Rise of Fatigue

As shown above — the tiredness and fatigue felt by both person A and B traps them in a vicious cycle.

The pressuring nature of their jobs forces them into that initial lack of sleep. Due to the endless competitive pressures felt to get ahead, these workers are forced to work more than they should or naturally would.

The result?

The same morning wake-up time. Whether you're the 9-5 employee or the flexible schedule entrepreneur — duty calls. Different duties albeit, but same self responsibility.

This requirement to get up and get to work to continue getting ahead forces you to sleep less than you normally would (taking into account you already went to bed late). On top of that — you probably do not journal, speak to a therapist, or proactively plan your tasks ahead, and thus experience mental clutter when attempting to fall asleep.

This is just one of the many reasons you do not fall asleep at night.

The lack of sleep in turn leads you to feel energetically low. From already not wanting to get out of bed to not going to work, your low energy translates into a reluctance towards hitting the gym or cooking home cooked meals. With barely enough energy to focus on your work and pressing tasks, how can you find the time and drive to do things for yourself?

The result of this?

An unhealthy lifestyle.

You don't make the time to go to the gym. And you don't make the time to cook your own home cooked meals. Not because you don’t know how to — but because you simply cannot afford to spend the time dong those things. Remember — you need to get ahead and make sure you don't slack behind.

While you may be working overtime instead of going to the gym, your work is also suffering. As it stands — you already don't have the sufficient energy and mental clarity to work with the right amount of focus that is required to produce high quality work. So you result in engaging in unproductive work. This is one of the reasons for why your workload accumulates and why you have to work overtime in the first place.

And the result of working overtime?

Just like last night, going to bed later than expected.

1) Because you didn't plan accordingly the night before. And 2) because you didn’t go to bed on time in the first place.

This is how "The Never-Ending Fatigue Cycle" begins. And ceases to end.

And now my friends, this is where music comes in.

Using Music To Combat Fatigue

Without music — there is a loss beyond enjoyment.

Music is a medium or a tool — and may I add, the only medium — to serve as a window to something else. The only medium to be able to take you through time and space all in one 3 minute song. It can take you to places you've never known or even been to.

You're absolutely right. They certainly can. So let me rephrase — music is the fastest medium to be able to take you through time and space.

In other words — music can shape your emotions and feelings in ways that other mediums cannot (as quickly).

As the mighty Naval so elegantly put it — music breaks through our subconscious barrier. It has profound power. The problem is that many do not know how to use it properly nor to their advantage.

And for those who do use music — they don't know which genres or types of music are most adequate for a specific context or task they may be working on.

This is why you, and everybody else, needs music curators in their lives.

For two main reasons:

1. Music that isn't properly and attentively curated can affect one's mood, radically changing what they working on.

2. The music has to be selected with an eye toward reinforcing where one is trying to go with the task at hand.

Music is your solution for breaking out of that cycle.

Learn to use it.

And use it wisely.

Tying It Back To You

Indirectly — the "right" music can help you get to bed earlier.

So tonight:

Before going to bed, try journaling or writing down a task list of everything that you'd like to do tomorrow. Whether it's running errands, getting a haircut, or just getting work stuff done, write it down. Spend actual time before sleeping to write this list.

By doing this, you:

1. Separate all the tasks from your mind onto physical paper.

2. You end up creating a metaphorical distance between your mind and the tasks.

3. You don't need to remember them anymore, freeing up mental space for other things.

For many — this type of late night routine is either daunting, or simply unattractive. Trust me, I was right there with you. But then, I found joy in doing it with the aid of music (and seeing that I was able to finally fall asleep).

For me — I discovered that non-lyrical music was the most ideal at getting me to perform this task every single night. It added a layer of enjoyment to it.

Instrumental music like:

• Lo-Fi

• Orchestral — (join 5,472 people in listening to this one)

• Instrumental Jazz

• Jazzy lounge/house

Whichever genre calls your name more — put it on tonight.

And don’t only try it while you do your to-do list for tomorrow, but try it while you iron or cook. As we saw in "The Never-Ending Fatigue Cycle" earlier — one of the reasons you don’t sleep well at night is because you don’t have the time to make healthy home-cooked meals. For some — it goes beyond an inability to make time but a lack of willingness to do so as well. Perhaps having music (and a properly curated playlist) while you do it, will encourage you engage in cooking more often.

Likewise — use the instrumental music above to help you enhance focus and minimize distractions. This will help you produce more accurate and productive work from the get-go, without needing to work overtime. For many — Lo-Fi music works best for deep work and study. But, one size doesn't fit all. So experiment and find which one works best for YOU on the specific task you are trying to complete.

The same logic applies to going to the gym. Use high BPM (beats per minute) music (house, EDM, techno) to motivate you and get your energy levels up. Costas Karageorghis, professor of sport and exercise psychology at Brunel University London claims that "music helps counter physical and mental fatigue".

Actionable step for the next time you feel fatigued & with low energy:

1. Download a BPM Tracker app for your phone

2. Play 3-4 tracks of low BPM (~60-70) to guide you towards a more alert state.

3. Transition to tracks with higher BPM of ~100-110, giving you more energy beat by beat.

4. Start running/working out with tunes at ~120+ BPM, fully energizing and motivating you.

Remember — don't run before you've even started walking.

You don't want to go straight to 120 BPM. You want to let it build. The same way you don't go straight to love-making. You start with some slow & sexy role-play. Then it slowly builds into higher tensions and increased heart rates (100-110 BPM), which then transitions into more intense kissing.

Then eventually you reach the 120 BPM. Now that's when the clothes start to come off.

Think of BPM as your heart rate. Let it gradually build. Don't go from 0 to 100 in one second. Take your time. Be gentle.

Both your heart and partner will thank you later.

This is how music can indirectly provide you that ROI (return on investment). By you investing your time in finding the right music or getting a professional curator to do that for you — you now have the firepower to help you undertake those mundane tasks you do not do in the first place, all leading you to a healthier lifestyle that will aid your sleep.

Remember — healthy body, healthy mind.

Healthy mind, healthy sleep.

Thank you for reading.

Much love,

Julian

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