Time is finite. Energy is cyclical. And yet most professionals try to “do more” by pushing harder, longer, and faster—until they burn out or underdeliver.

But what if the key to high performance wasn’t in grinding harder, but in thinking smarter—in sync with how your brain naturally works? Drawing from neuroscience, peak performance psychology, and decades of productivity coaching, here are seven brain-based strategies to help you get more done with less stress.

Your brain runs on 90–120 minute cycles of peak focus followed by dips in energy called ultradian rhythms. Pioneering research from sleep scientist Nathaniel Kleitman finds that, like sleep, our waking hours follow a rhythm of alertness and fatigue.

Ignoring these cycles leads to mental fatigue, diminished focus, and decision fatigue. But when you align your workflow with your brain’s natural rhythm, you can maximize productivity while reducing stress.

What to do:

Your prefrontal cortex—the brain’s executive center—is sharpest in the first few........

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