What’s Actually Going On in Your Body When You ‘Lose Focus’? with Oren Shai — Part 1
Time Billionaires: Mindset and Time Management for Work & LifeShow Notes
In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Oren Shai, an organizational psychologist, neuroscience-based executive coach, and Co-Founder of Feeling School. Oren teaches his signature methodology to high-achieving leaders, integrating cutting-edge neuroscience with depth and humanity to help them step into their most connected, alive expression of leadership at work and in life.
The conversation explores why we fight our natural energy fluctuations instead of working with them. Oren introduces his concept of the "human wave", the natural cycles of energy that everyone experiences throughout the day, week, and seasons. He explains how fighting these cycles creates tension and shame spirals, while recognizing and supporting ourselves through them leads to better performance and well-being. Oren also shares practical somatic tools for resetting during busy workdays, including visual system resets, pattern interrupting techniques, and the importance of giving our nervous systems intentional breaks from the constant vigilance required in urban environments.
Timestamps:
Introduction to the "human wave" concept and energy cycles – 0:41 Why we shame ourselves for natural energy fluctuations – 1:45 Understanding that everyone operates in natural cycles – 3:35 The importance of intention when using grounding tools – 4:30 Pattern interrupting vs. forcing focus – 5:23 Creating somatic-friendly office cultures – 6:45 Simple tools for 3-minute breaks and visual system resets – 10:03 Deep belly breathing and parasympathetic activation – 13:45
If you'd like to connect with Oren, you can find Oren on LinkedIn and learn more about Feeling School here.
For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and the Time Billionaires Podcast on LinkedIn!
And if you love the show, subscribe to follow it.
Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.
More from Time Billionaires: Mindset and Time Management for Work & Life
What if a two-minute doodle could help you reduce stress, improve focus, and overcome perfectionism—without adding another task to your to-do list? In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Jono Hey, creator of Sketchplanations, author of Big Ideas Little Pictures, and a UC Berkeley PhD. Jono has spent years turning complex ideas from psychology, science, and business into simple visual explanations followed by thousands of readers. Together, they explore how doodling, drawing, and small creative experiments can sharpen focus, spark creativity, reduce anxiety, and help you make progress when perfectionism gets in the way. Jono explains why treating each sketch as a low-pressure experiment, rather than a finished product, makes it easier to learn, build confidence, and develop a sustainable creative habit. He also shares practical techniques for using mind maps to organize your thoughts, manage mental overload, and make better use of short breaks between meetings. If you've ever struggled with perfectionism, creative blocks, mental overload, or finding time for meaningful activities between back-to-back meetings, this conversation offers practical strategies you can put into action in just a few minutes. What You'll Learn
What if it just took six deep breaths to reset your focus and lower your stress? In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Kevin Connelly, a former human trafficking interventionist, who now helps athletes, therapists, first responders, and addiction professionals reduce anxiety and improve performance using intentional breathing. He calls breathwork a high-performance skill, and overcame his own severe depression and insomnia in just ten days using breathwork. Together, they unpack how breathwork can be used for a competitive edge by people in demanding or high-stress jobs, why it’s a little-known high-performance focus skill, and how short breathing resets throughout your day impact your physiology for a stronger sense of control over your time, confidence, and wellbeing. Kevin explains that “coherent breathing,” which involves equal-length inhales and exhales through the nose, uses the same small-stress principle, known as hormesis, that elite athletes rely on to strengthen the body's stress response. If you've ever struggled with overwhelm, burnout, or trouble making decisions under pressure, this conversation offers practical breathing exercises and mindset shifts to help you regain control and boost productivity. What You'll Learn:
What if you could lower stress, sharpen focus, and reset your nervous system in less time than it takes to brew a cup of coffee?
In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca draws on her background in performance psychology and leadership development to share how a simple shift in assumption can transform both the challenges you face and the way you connect with others. Rebecca explores how our assumptions shape resilience and interpersonal connection, and why shifting to assume that solutions, and support, are already within reach reframes every problem. This isn't about blind optimism, she explains, but a practical mindset framework that lowers stress and opens the door to creativity. If you've ever struggled with chronic overwhelm, self-doubt before presentations, or draining conflict in relationships, this episode offers actionable strategies for instant clarity and calm. Rebecca also covers:
How can you create more space in your calendar, protect your energy, and stay productive without burning out? In Part 2 of Rebecca Shaddix’s conversation with Fran Hauser, they explore practical time-management strategies for setting boundaries, avoiding overscheduling, and planning work around your natural energy levels. Fran is the author of the bestselling book “The Myth of the Nice Girl" and the new book “Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour.” She is also a former Fortune 500 President, startup investor and advisor, and owner of Bedford Books. Fran explains how each day moves through three energy rhythms: peak performance, creativity, and restorative time. She shares how to match important tasks to each rhythm instead of forcing yourself to do demanding work when your energy is low. Rebecca and Fran also discuss why hour-by-hour default time blocking can create pressure and contribute to burnout. Fran explains how 10-minute buffers between meetings can reduce anxiety, improve focus, and give you time to reset. She also shares how a “to-don’t” list can help you stop people-pleasing and protect your priorities. If back-to-back meetings leave you drained, you struggle to say no, or your focus disappears in the afternoon, this episode offers a more sustainable way to plan your day. You will learn how to work with your chronotype, remove low-value commitments, and make more intentional choices about your time. What You’ll Learn: