Christian Poensgen earned his PhD studying stress and performance. Then he started a company right out of school and came close to burning out anyway. He was working 80-hour weeks and sleeping seven or eight hours a night, and he still woke up exhausted. Every morning, the day already felt lost.
This episode is a little different. It's about your own performance, and it applies to the people you lead too.
Brandon and Christian get into pseudo-productive busyness. That's the pattern of spending all day in meetings, email, and chat while the important work slides to evenings and weekends. Christian explains why the first five to ten minutes of focused work always feel terrible. He covers why a full night of sleep can still be junk sleep, and why checking your sleep score first thing in the morning can make your day worse. He also answers the objection he hears from nine out of ten executives he coaches: I don't control my calendar.
You'll walk away with three small changes to your video calls, drawn from Stanford researcher Jeremy Bailenson's work on Zoom fatigue, that you can try in your next meeting.
About our guest
Dr. Christian Poensgen is a scientist turned entrepreneur, writer, and executive coach. He earned his PhD on the relationship between stress and performance. He has served as senior fellow of the Future of Work think tank in the German federal parliament and as co-founder and director of the European Center for Digital Competitiveness at ESCP Business School. He has also been an agenda contributor at the World Economic Forum. With his co-author, Eric Partaker, he coaches executives on focus, sleep, and stress. Their new book, Ultraproductive: The 90-Minute Method to Optimize Focus, Sleep, and Stress, is out now from Portfolio.
TIMESTAMPS
- 00:00 Intro
- 02:05 What the "ultra" in Ultraproductive means
- 04:50 How a stress researcher came close to burnout
- 06:50 Why every morning felt like the day was already lost
- 09:15 What Christian would tell his younger self
- 10:45 Why a full night of sleep can still be junk sleep
- 13:00 What pseudo-productive busyness looks like at work
- 14:10 Why so many interruptions are self-inflicted
- 16:40 How burnout and a heart attack shaped the book
- 19:55 Why going fast takes great brakes
- 23:20 Why raw sleep data beats your sleep score
- 26:15 Why checking your sleep data first thing can backfire
- 29:05 Why the first ten minutes of focus always feel terrible
- 32:55 What to do when you don't control your calendar
- 35:50 How to plan focus time around your chronotype
- 39:30 How to cut Zoom fatigue, starting with hiding self-view
- 44:10 Where to find Christian and the book
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST
Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR
Host: Brandon Laws
In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders."
About Xenium HR
Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace:
Learn more
Connect with Christian Poensgen: Website LinkedIn
Connect with Brandon Laws: LinkedIn Instagram About
Connect with Xenium HR: Website LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
