Managing time is important, but managing energy is the multiplier. In this episode, Alex explains why your physiology drives your psychology, and how energy fundamentals like sleep, diet, and movement are the foundation for focus. He also breaks down the recovery protocols that sustain performance inside a 5-Hour Workday.

This isn’t just theory, it’s a playbook for becoming a cognitive athlete. You’ll learn how to generate, protect, and recover your energy so you can deliver eight hours of output in just five.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why energy management > time management in a shorter workday.
• The big three energy fundamentals — sleep, diet, and exercise — and how to personalize them.
• How movement fuels creativity and why sitting all day + one gym session mimics the worst of spaceflight (NASA research).
• The role of ultradian rhythms and why breaks must be restorative, not just time away.
• Why nature is the ultimate recovery tool (Marc Berman’s research).
• The role of the Default Mode Network in creativity and problem-solving.
• How Alex “trains for recovery” the same way he trains for Spartan races.

Today’s Experiments

Choose one experiment this week (or both, if you’re ambitious):

1. The Wind-Down Alarm (Sleep)

• Set an alarm one hour before bed.
• Use it as your cue to start winding down: dim lights, shut screens, stretch, or read.
• Track your next-day focus and energy. Bonus: use a sleep tracker.

2. The Nature Break (Recovery)

• After a 90-minute work block, take a 20-minute walk in nature.
• No phone. No talking. Just notice your surroundings.
• Rate your focus before and after.

Key Takeaway

Time management matters. But energy is the multiplier.
Your physiology drives your psychology — and how you manage your energy determines your mood, creativity, decision-making, and ultimately the quality of your work.

Pick one fundamental — sleep, diet, exercise, or recovery — and start experimenting. That’s how you train like a cognitive athlete and get more done in less time.

References & Resources

• Matthew Walker — Why We Sleep
• Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz — The Power of Full Engagement
• John Ratey — Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
• Marc Berman — Nature and the Mind (attention restoration research)
• Alex Pang — Rest and Shorter
• Joan Vernikos — Sitting Kills, Moving Heals
• Tom Rath — Eat Move Sleep

Connect with Alex

• LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/Alex-Gafford
• Website: 5-HourFormula.com
• Podcast: The 5-Hour Formula (Apple, Spotify, etc.)

Coming Next Week

In the next episode, we’ll zoom out from energy and recovery and look at your ideal day and how to track it. This session will pull together everything we’ve covered so far: time, goals, routines, habits, prioritization, productivity and energy. Think of it as the blueprint for bringing all the fundamentals into daily life.