Space-Time Smackdown is an upcoming expansion for Pokmon TCG Pocket. This update will add new cards, alongside seemingly new types of cards, and finally introduces the long-awaited trading feature.Space-Time Smackdown focuses on the Gen 4 Pokmonfrom the Sinnoh region and will feature two booster packs based on the legendary PokmonDialga and Palkia. You can look forward to collecting cards for Pokmonlike Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup. Theres also an awesome full art card featuring the fighting-typeLucario and even a souped-up Parchirisu ex.Heres when the Pokmon TCG Pocket Space-Time Smackdown expansion releases in your time zone, plus details about what to expect.PokmonTCG Pocket Space-Time Smackdownexpansion release time estimatePokmon TCG Pocket Space-Time Smackdown releases on Thursday, Jan. 30. As of this writing, developers Creatures Inc. and DeNa have not confirmed an exact release time.That said, the last update for Pokmon TCG Pocket, Mythical Island, was released at 1:00 a.m. EST. This is the same time the game updates each day. Events like a recent pyschic-type Pokmon Mass Outbreak event also tend to roll out at that hour, so the expansion will likely be released around the same time.Given we dont have an official confirmation for the time release, heres the usual update time (and thus the probable Space-Time Smackdown release time) in your time zone: 1o p.m. PST on Jan. 29for the West Coast of North America1 a.m. ESTfor the East Coast of North America6 a.m. GMTfor the U.K.7 a.m. CETfor Western Europe/Paris3 p.m. JSTfor TokyoWhat to expect from PokmonTCG Pocket Space-Time SmackdownexpansionThe Space-Time Smackdown expansion will add 140 new cards to Pokmon TCG Pocket and the ability to trade cards. The trailer teased a trainer card featuring the Champion of the Sinnoh region, Cynthia, and a Pachirisu ex that references tool cards (whatever those are).We dont have the full roster yet, but it looks like some strong cards are coming to TCG Pocket. Here are some highlights of whats on the way:Lucario is a fighting-type with 100 HP and a retreat cost of two energy. It has an ability called Fighting Coach that allows attacks from your other fighting-type Pokmon to do an additional 20 damage to your opponents active Pokmon.Dialga ex is a steel-type that has 150 HP and a retreat cost of two energy. It can use an attack called Metallic Turbo that allows you to take two steel energy from your Energy Zone and attach it to a benched Pokmon.Palkia ex is a water-type that also has 150 HP and a retreat cost of two. Its attack, Dimensional Storm, will allow you to unleash an attack that does 150 damage to your opponents active Pokmon and 20 damage to each benched Pokmon. Its strong but it has a drawback: You must discard three water energy on it once you use it.

There are benefits to training in heart rate zone 2, and youve probably heard all about them. But what happens when your heart rate spikes into zone 3, whether when you're on a run or doing cardio at the gym? Surprise: You dont lose the benefits of zone 2 training. Zone 3 is arguably just as good for you, or maybe even better.Remember, the reason people are excited about zone 2 training is that it helps you build your aerobic base and burn calories without incurring much fatigue. Guess what zone 3 training also does? Yep, it helps you build your aerobic base, burn even more calories, and usually only incur a tiny bit more fatigue than zone 2. So why arent we all doing more zone 3 cardio?Zone 2 is overratedThere are reasons to run (or do any cardio) at lower intensities, and reasons to use higher intensities. Easy cardio is having a moment right now, so everybody is talking about doing more zone 2. Before heart-rate monitors were widespread, you had to judge what was easy by yourself, or by comparing your speed of running to what you knew you could do in a race. Non-athletes had the talk test": If you could hold a conversation while jogging, you knew you were at an easy, steady pace.But when everybody has a watch that tells them their heart rate, suddenly were looking at specific numbers, and our watches color code the numbers so you know when youre in zone 2 versus zone 3. Your heart ticks up a beat? Youre out of your zone. Straight to workout jail!But the reality is, your body isnt getting a drastically different workout at 153 beats per minute than it was at 152. There probably isnt even much difference between, say, 145 and 155, as long as theyre both within that conversational-ish effort level. Workout zones arent realThe most popular heart-rate zone systems use zones that are divided up for convenient measuring. They don't have any precise relationship to what's going on in your body. Your body does have some true dividing lines when it comes to exercise intensity (like the point at which you can't speak comfortably anymore, or the point at which lactate accumulates faster than you can clear it), but these don't correspond exactly to the typical five-zone system. The five-zone system, as a refresher, is based on where your heart rate falls as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. There will be specific percentages defined as the boundaries of each zone, and the five zones are usually described something like this: zone 1: rest or minimal effortzone 2: easy breezy conversational pacezone 3: ???zone 4: pretty hardzone 5: maximal effortIt's a cute idea, and many people find this system helpful, but these zones are not based on any scientific findings that prove we get such-and-such benefits at 60-70% of max heart rate, and such-and-such different benefits at 71-80%. If you arent convinced, just look at how different gadgets and apps define the zones differently: Your zone 2 might be 60-70% on Apple Watch, but 65%-75% on a Peloton. At, say, 73%, the Apple Watch would say you're in zone 3 but the Peloton would say you're in zone 2. Who is right? Neither, really.Research on the benefits of exercise doesnt use heart rate zones, or at least not of this type. They may measure intensity in a few different ways, including whether you are above or below your ventilatory threshold (basically, whether or not you can talk while exercising) or your lactate threshold (measured through blood chemistry, but basically the highest effort you can sustain for a long time). Sometimes theyll measure METs, which relate to how much energy you use to do work, or they'll put everything in terms of oxygen consumption (this is where the term VO2max comes from). Occasionally these studies will send participants home with heart rate-based guidelines, but those tend to be drawn from their personal scientific measurements, rather than the cookie-cutter zones you get from an app or from watching a video on youtube. Conversational pace includes zone 2 and most of zone 3So lets take a closer look at that idea of the talk test or conversational pace. The guideline to keep your easy cardio at a chatty pace does come from a scientific concept: the ventilatory threshold.Imagine you start out at a walk, and every minute or so you increase your speed a bit. As you work harder, youll hit a point where your breath becomes a little ragged, and your sentences choppy. If you were conversing with a friend, you'd be grunting out a few words at a time, rather than casually telling a story. That point is your ventilatory threshold, or VT (sometimes called VT1).When athletes or coaches talk about easy pace or easy efforts, they usually want you below your VT. The way people talk about zone 2, youd think that the VT occurs at the top of zone 2. But nopeconversational pace is closer to 80%, which is the top of zone 3. For example, heres a study on recreational runners that found VT1 to be, on average, at 78% of the runners max heart rate. And they tested the runners max heart rate, rather than using a formula based on age. (Never trust the default formulas.)So if youre trying to train at an easy pace, or if youre using the 80/20 rule to keep 80% of your runs easy, you can do those easy runs or cardio sessions in zones 2 and 3, not just zone 3.Zone 3 is still aerobic and still easyNow that I've explained why the zone 2/zone 3 distinction is arbitrary, you see why it makes more sense to look at zones 2 and 3 (or even zones 1 through 3) as a continuum. At the lower end, youll be running or pedaling slower, burning fewer calories, and feeling like youre barely doing any work. (Hello, cozy cardio!)At the higher end (or the top of zone 3), youre still getting a lot of aerobic work done, still benefiting your mitochondria and your capillaries and everything else, but youre doing it in less time. If youre interested in calorie burn per hour, zone 3 is more efficient.Cyclists sometimes call training in this range the sweet spot. It gives you some of the advantages of harder training without making you too fatigued. For runners, zone 3 may include some of your tempo runs, some of your race-pace runs, and some of your faster easy runs.So whats the point of zone 2, if you can get all of its benefits in zone 3? That depends on your big picture: If youre doing a lot of training, youll probably want some of it to be in zone 2, if only to save some energy while youre getting more miles on your feet. But if you only run, say, three times a week, its unlikely that those couple of runs will wear you down much even if you do them all in zone 3.You shouldnt read too much into your heart rate anywayThis brings me back to my grudge against heart-rate monitors. (Its a grudge borne of love; I track my own heart rate when I run and find it useful in many ways.)Your heart rate doesnt only track with your training effort; it also responds to a lot of other factors. For example, it responds to summer heat, showing you higher numbers in hot weather. It can also show higher numbers if youre more fatigued, or at the end of a run compared to the beginning, and it may show higher numbers if youre a bit dehydrated. When you run a race, you may find that your heart rate is higher than expected at the start, just because youre a bit nervous.Some medications can alter your heart rate as wellbeta blockers, for example, notoriously lower your heart rate. And then theres the question of whether your fitness tracker's zones are set correctly (even knowing that, yes, their boundaries are made up). If youve never run an all-out race or series of hill sprints, your watch may have never seen your maximum heart rate. So if it says that your max must be 184 because you are 36 years old, its just grabbing numbers from a formula. That makes as much sense as buying shoes based on the average shoe size for a 56 woman, rather than actually measuring your feet (or trying on the shoes). If you go out for an easy run and find that your heart rate was in zone 5 the whole time, I guarantee you that isnt your zone 5.So if your heart rate creeps into zone 3 on a zone 2 training run, that may or may not be accurate. But even if it is, if you can still breathe and speak more or less normally, youre getting plenty of benefits from your zone 3 cardio.Is zone 2 or 3 better for fat loss? Both are good! If you can only do cardio a few times a week, and don't mind working hard, zone 3 is a great place to be. It's less fatiguing than HIIT, but packs more of a punch than zone 2. But if you have more time, you may want to work toward the 50 to 60 minutes of exercise per day that researchers have found works the best at helping people lose weight and keep it off. (Here's one interesting study where this level of exercise worked even without dietary changes.) This is a lot of exercise! To get that amount of work in, most people would not be comfortable doing it all as zone 3 trainingbut zone 2 is a lot more doable. The more exercise you do, the more you'll need to include easier work, like zone 2, to give yourself a break from the harder days. So if you're doing a ton of exercise, at least some of it should be zone 2, and some can be zone 3 or higher if you like. If you're only exercising a few days a week, zone 3 is probably better. What is the best heart rate zone for cardio? Every zone has a benefit, so if you're trying to increase your cardio fitness, you should spend time in all of them. Zone 1 is good for warmups, cooldowns, and the recovery periods between intervals.Zone 2 is good for long sustained efforts. It's usually OK to do zone 2 in place of a rest day. Zone 3 helps you adapt to harder work than zone 3. It burns more fat but incurs a little bit more fatigue than zone 2, as we've discussed. It's also the zone where you'll practice race pace if you're training for a race like a half marathon. Zone 4 helps you to work close to your lactate threshold, which improves your endurance when you're working hard. This is an important zone for athletes, but it's usually only done one or a few times per week, not for every workout. Zone 5 is a very hard zone, and is great for HIIT workouts (with zone 1 work, like walking, to recover in between those hard intervals).In general, you'll want to spend more time in the lower zones, and sprinkle in the higher zones for variety. In the 80/20 style of running, 80% of your workout time should be spent in zone 2 and low zone 3; everything from high zone 3 on up should only make up 20% of your workout time each week. This isn't the only way to structure your training, but it's a popular one that helps runners get a good balance of work in all the zones. Is zone 3 a "gray zone" with no benefits? Not at all! It got this reputation from all the coaches and writers who were trying to convince people that training medium-hard shouldn't make up all their training time. Instead, they should do some sessions easier (zone 2), and some harder (zone 4 for threshold and zone 5 for shorter and harder intervals). The idea of emphasizing the highest and lowest zones is sometimes called "polarized training." But this advice somehow turned into a myth about people needing to avoid zone 3, which was never true.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/feb-27th-2024-woman-opening-closing-2433383737Your Mac collects a lot of usage data to improve macOS and Apple's own apps. Quite a bit of that data is collected by default, and it's good to be aware of it. Apple is quite good at declaring how and why it collects data, and almost always, this information is easy to find and understand. The company also encrypts a lot of the data that it collects, which means that Apple cannot read it. Having said that, I think all kinds of data collection should be opt-in, and not enabled by default. Here's how to review data collection settings on your Mac and use third-party tools to ensure that your computer isn't phoning home any more than is necessary.And since we're on the subject of privacy, also consider opting out tracking by data brokers and stopping Apple from collecting data on your iPhone.Use a third-party firewall Credit: Little Snitch Although Apple offers its own firewall, it's not helpful if you want to monitor Apple's own data collection. Third-party firewalls work quite well on macOS, which is far less restrictive than iOS is here. You can use apps such as Little Snitch ($63), Radio Silence ($9), or even the free LuLu to keep an eye on apps and services that phone home. With a good firewall app, you'll be able to block outgoing connections (even Apple's own) and reduce tracking.Sometimes, it is important for your Mac to phone home, because that's how you get automatic software updates, but there are plenty of times when it's not needed at all. You can use your firewall app to monitor all these connections and block unnecessary ones.Turn off Apple IntelligenceApple Intelligence has a few redeeming features, but I find that it slows down my M1 MacBook Air a bit, and since it also requires you to send your data to Apple's servers, I prefer to turn it off. Yes, Apple Intelligence does encrypt data, but it still doesn't perform all actions on-device. If you're uncomfortable with your Mac using Apple's cloud services for AI features, you can turn off Apple Intelligence by clicking the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and going to System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri. Reduce Siri's data collectionAs the Siri spying settlement confirms, you should be wary of Apple's data collection using its voice assistant. Apple is now quite transparent about how your data is processed for Siri, and you can go to System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri to check what the company has to say for yourself. Click the About Siri, Dictation & Privacy button and you'll see that Apple does store and process your Siri transcripts. This is another form of data collection, which you can avoid by disabling Siri and dictation. On the Siri settings page on your Mac, click Delete Siri & Dictation History and then click Delete to remove stored data. Then, turn off Siri. Finally, go to System Settings > Keyboard and turn off Dictation to complete the process.Disable Apple analyticsWhen you use your Mac, Apple collects a fair bit of data to track app crashes, macOS bugs, and usage to decide which new features to work on next. This data is usually anonymized before being shared with Apple or third-party developers, but you can still review it and decide if you want to share it at all. Just go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements on your Mac and go through all the options. I've disabled everything on this page.Check Apple's location access Credit: Pranay Parab As a rule of thumb, I deny location access to practically every app on my Mac. Even so, I was surprised to see location access enabled for the computer's system apps. You can verify which of your apps have location access by going to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and clicking the Details button next to System Services. Go through the entire list and disable location access for services that don't need it. You should leave it enabled for essential services such as Find My, but it's okay to disable location access for Mac Analytics and a few others.You can also click the Details button next to Significant Locations to see the location information Apple has collected on your frequent hangouts, and optionally delete it and revoke access to future data collection. Note that this information is encrypted and cannot be read by Apple. The company says it uses the info to show useful details in Photos, Maps, Calendar, and other system apps.Reduce personalized advertisingOver the past few years, Apple has been pushing its own ads quite a bit. The situation is far less dire on the Mac than it is on your iPhone, but it still is annoying to see ads in the Mac App Store. You can't block these entirely, but you can go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising and disable Personalized Ads.iCloud alternatives on the MacTo complete your review of Apple's data collection on the Mac, you're going to have to scrutinize iCloud, too. iOS is restrictive enough that no service is as good as iCloud for syncing and backing up your data. However, macOS is far more accommodating, and you don't really need to use iCloud as much as you do on iOS. Some system apps such as Apple Notes, Messages, Calendar, and Reminders rely on iCloud for syncing, but otherwise you can look for alternative services to back up your Mac.Note that using cloud storage services exposes you to data collection by default. You just have to decide if you want Apple to collect your data or opt for another company. Some people prefer to keep their data spread out across different services while others don't mind having it all in one place. The good news is that you can use dedicated online backup services such as Backblaze ($99/year) on the Mac, which isn't possible on the iPhone. You can also easily create offline backups using Time Machine or third-party apps such as Carbon Copy Cloner ($40). This means that you can easily reduce your reliance on iCloud on a Mac.

In the latest riveting episode of Everything Costs More, Fubo raised the prices of all of its English-language plans by $5 for new customers. The hike includes Fubos Essential plan, which only launched in early December. In a statement to The Streamable (which first reported the news), Fubo blamed the fee hikes on increased programming costs. The regular prices of the English-language plans have increased $5 due to rising costs from our programming partners, a spokesperson wrote. We only make adjustments when necessary, and were committed to keeping Fubo competitive while ensuring our subscribers have access to the channels, features and live events they enjoy. The changes now put Fubos cheapest plan (the aforementioned Essential bundle) at $85 monthly, slightly more than YouTube TVs $83. The latter raised its fees by $10 per month in early December up from the $35 monthly price it debuted with in 2017. In addition to Fubos $85 Essential plan, the streamer offers a Pro plan that technically costs the same. But its angle is that, unlike Essentials, it includes regional sports networks, which add mandatory fees of up to $16 per month to the base price. Essentials gives you the option of skipping the RSNs and their fees if you arent worried about losing many of your local teams games. (Yes, live-streaming TV is often now as much of a confusing mess as traditional cable.) Fubo Elite, which now costs $95 monthly (plus RSN fees), includes 78 extra channels like The Cooking Channel, NBA TV and MLB TV. Fubo also offers a $33 Spanish-language Latino plan with networks such as ESPN Deportes, Cine Latino and Nat Geo Mundo. It was the only subscription tier spared from the price hikes. Although Fubo is arguably the best live TV service for sports, it has some significant missing pieces compared to rivals like YouTube TV. Notable omissions are channels from Warner Bros. Discovery (CNN, TNT, TBS, HGTV, Discovery, Food Network and more), A&E and AMC. To ease the blow (very briefly), Fubo is offering savings to new subscribers on their first month of service. New signups get $25 off their first month of the Essential plan and $20 off Elite or Pro. Meanwhile, you can save $8 on the Latino plan. Just remember that the full prices will kick in after that single discounted month. Earlier this month, Fubo and Disney agreed to merge the streaming service with Hulu + Live TV. If the deal gets shareholder and regulatory approval, it will create a new entity (under the Fubo brand) to manage both services. At least the initial promise is that the two services will continue to operate independently. Disney will own 70 percent of the new company, while Fubo will have 30 percent. The two products currently boast a combined six million subscribers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/fubo-raises-prices-on-all-english-language-plans-181540573.html?src=rss

Meta AI adds memory feature

The Ayaneo 3 gaming handheld is here with better specs and features, but you'll be spending at least $700 for the honor of owning one.

Japan's chip-related shares extended declines for a second day after DeepSeek triggered concerns over competitiveness in the artificial intelligence sector.

James Gunns vision for Superman comes alive in an electrifying TV spot promising pure cinematic magic. Featuring the iconic Man of Steel, the trailer takes viewers on a breathtaking journey through the skies packed with gripping moments, soaring visuals, and an unmistakable heroic spirit.Framestore, ILM, and Weta FX bring this visionary work to stunning life. Working under Production VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti and VFX Producer Susan Pickett, this commercial beautifully combines artistry with advanced technology to bring Supermans classic tale to new heights.Directed by James Gunn, this latest look into the Superman saga captures the essence of heroism, combining exhilarating action with heartfelt storytelling. Its not just a sneak peekits a celebration of what makes Superman a true cinematic legend.The post James Gunns Superman TV Spot: A Cinematic Spectacle appeared first on Vfxexpress.

Under the visionary leadership of Academy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins, MPC embarked on an ambitious journey to bring the Pride Lands to life in Mufasa: The Lion King. Embracing Jenkins distinctive storytelling style, MPC seamlessly merged artistry and advanced technology to create an immersive, vibrant world, capturing the heart and soul of this origin tale in breathtaking detail.The visual effects production was led by the acclaimed Adam Valdez as the Production VFX Supervisor, with Daniel Fotheringham guiding animation as the Animation Supervisor. VFX Producer Barry St. John, MPC VFX Supervisor Audrey Ferrara, and VFX Producer Georgie Duncan supported this monumental endeavour.With a roster of more than 1,700 artists, production crew, and technologists, MPC detailed every frame from the sweeping vistas of the Pride Lands to the nuanced performances of its CG characters. In doing so, they delivered a cinematic experience that pays homage to the original Lion King while pushing it forward through state-of-the-art visual storytelling.The post Mufasa: The Lion King VFX Breakdown by MPC appeared first on Vfxexpress.

Peak performance is a state of consciousness where youre in a rapt moment of attention, totally absorbed and focused on the task at hand. Everything else disappears, and time seems to pass quickly. Often called flow or the zone, its a state where your mental and physical performance goes through the roof.When was the last time you felt like you were in the flow? Like the work you were doing, or the challenge you were facing, aligned perfectly with your abilities for optimal performance?Weve all felt flow state before, but as workers, entrepreneurs, and community members struggling with the stresses and pressures of daily life, its worth the effort to learn to cultivate flow deliberately.The good news is its possible to train yourself to move into it when needed, says Steven Kotler, author of The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer. Flow is universal, he says. Anyone, anywhere can get into it, provided certain conditions are met. . . . Instead of it being an elusive state, it can become more reliable and repeatable.What is a flow state?Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist and professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, is believed to have first introduced the concept of flow.In his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Performance, he describes it as: The state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.Flow is that sweet spot on the edge of difficulty, where youre challenged a bit beyond your comfort zone but not so much that you struggle to continue. When youre in flow, time passes differently, your ideas are firing, and youre super focused.Theres a misperception that flow can mean being carried away by any experience, but when youre binging Netflix youre not in a flow stateyoure relaxing, or maybe just wasting time. Flow is a state of optimal performance during which our creativity, productivity, and mental health are enhanced. To experience it, we need to find a task that is challenging enough to require our full attention but not so overwhelming that we feel defeated. And that balance is worth finding for many reasons besides just getting stuff done.The benefits of a flow stateSurfing is a 1,000-year-old sport, and 20 years ago the biggest wave ever ridden was 25 feet. Today surfers push into waves 100 feet tall. Whats behind the insane progress? Flow, says Kotler who is also the author of The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance.Flow is an optimal state of consciousness, when you feel and perform your best, he says. Its the moment of total absorption. Time speeds up or slows down like a freeze-frame effect. Mental and physical ability go through roof, and the brain takes in more information per second, processing it more deeply.It can be a pleasant experience, but more importantly, its an intensely productive one. A 10-year study conducted by McKinsey found that flow made executives five times more productive. Creating the conditions to get to a flow state can be an impactful way to conquer burnout and increase productivity and creativity.Studies show that people who experience flow report higher levels of happiness. A University of Sydney study found that flow is associated with higher levels of creativity and innovation. Flow has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.How do you induce a flow state?Getting into flow happens in a specific way. However, its not a one-size-fits-all process, due to personality. Following someone elses system can be dangerous, says Kotler. What usually happens with personality, personal growth, and self-help categories is that somebody figures out what works for them and then tries to teach others, he says. As a general rule, its a disaster. You need to figure out what works for you.1. Set a clear vision of the future.Focusing on the next hill wont help a marathon runner much if she doesnt know the course shes supposed to be running. Its the same in business. Avoid vague aspirations and instead set clear and measurable targets.Research indicates writing down goals can dramatically increase your likelihood of achieving them. Write down specific longer-term goals, but also try to think more directionally and set small, achievable milestones along the way. For example, if youre trying to climb a mountain or get 100 customers, think about the first customer, or the first 100 yards uphill, and then the next. This way youre not limited by the end goal (and can keep adding steps beyond it) and each step along the way gives you a sense of accomplishment.Video games are often cited as one of the most quickly accessed sources of flow. Theres even a game Flow that pays homage to Csikszentmihalyi. Achieving a state of flow is part of what makes playing video games so enjoyable.Video games like the classic Super Mario World offer players an experience that almost reaches 100 stages. What makes this manageable is the experience is broken up into 96 parts spread across nine worldsinclusive of bonus worldseach with their own checkpoints.Breaking it down this way makes it more likely youll stay motivated as you achieve and complete those steps. The key here is to carefully plan out your steps by:Identifying your goalCreating a list of key milestonesPutting them into a calendarGet started2. Take care of your body and your brain.Your physical and mental health have to be in a welcome state for peak performance. Kotler says there are specific things you must do to maintain your energy levels on the physical side: perform:Get adequate sleep every nightMaintain good hydration and nutritionHave regular social support and interactionOn the cognitive side, anxiety hampers performance in a significant way and there are many ways to curb it.Kotler suggests you tune up your nervous system with a daily gratitude practice. He recommends making a list of three things youre grateful for and turn it into a paragraph. This is shown to reduce anxiety, he says. He also recommends having a mindfulness, respiration, or breathwork practice. Eleven to 20 minutes a day of focused breath is enough to consistently lower anxiety and regulate emotions. And the third, he suggests getting 20 to 40 minutes bursts of exercise where you can feel your lungs expand and youre flushing out stress. When youre starting, Kotler suggests doing one of these a day.Of course, you might find other techniques are best for maintaining your own mental focus.Kotler admits none of the tricks are cutting edge or sexy. Theyre simple psychological interventions that evolved millions of years ago, he says. If you want to rely on [a] substance, tool, or technology to get into peak performance, theres a problem. When your boss calls you into the boardroom, you need something reliable and repeatable. Flow follows focus. It only shows up when you have attention on the task at hand.3. Find your flow triggers.According to an article from Eton College, Flow triggers are components of experiences that drive dopamine and/or norepinephrine through the brain, both of which can facilitate focus. Flow triggers are individual-based, so you have to figure out what works for you.For example, one trigger for some people is having high consequences, such as the CEO of your company calling you into the boardroom. It involves an element of danger, and someone with a high-risk-tolerance might find this trigger pushing them into peak performance. Another flow trigger is deep embodiment, which is when you expand your physical awareness as you learn by doing.Your triggers can change over time as your personality and strengths evolve, adds Kotler, who recommends rotating through triggers to keep flow showing up.4. Remove distractions.One contributing factor to flow is the singularity of focusyou can achieve this by shutting out interruptions. The type of work you do may have some built-in limitations, but choose instead to focus on the areas you can control.There are Do not disturb settings on practically every device and software you use. Turn them on. Then, set a time boundary around the work youre doing. If youre a writer, set a goal of writing for 30 minutes without interruptions. If youre a designer, create a brief, gather all the necessary materials, and work on the design without stopping. Your productivity will skyrocket when youre not task-switching every five minutes. You cant attain a flow state if youre multitasking. Besides, multitasking is often just doing multiple things sub-optimally.Here are some ways you can remove distractions while you work:Limit your multitasking by shutting down every application you do not needTurn off any notifications that are not absolutely essentialPut your cell phone out of sightClear off your desk spaceDeclutter everything within your field of visionJust like many video games have elegant information displays that do a great job of helping you focus only on the numbers that matter, if you can see it, it should relate directly to what you are doing.5. Select the soundtrack.The quality of video game music has advanced dramatically since the original bleeps and bloops of arcade games like Donkey Kong and Space Invaders.Many video game soundtracks are stand-alone works of art in their own right, but Fast Company writer, organizational development practitioner, and video game enthusiast Jonathan Harrison especially recommend soundtracks from role-playing games like the Final Fantasy game series. The ideal works are sweeping orchestral pieces that fit the bill for being both pleasing to listen to and are noninvasive. This is the perfect combination for productivity-inducing background music.6. Enforce time limits.A timer counting down creates a sense of urgency. Many video games have built-in time limits that specific tasks must be completed within. The presence of a time-tracking system also allows for better management of time resources, and can help keep a project on track. The motivation produced is as important as the evasion of procrastination.A study conducted by social network company Draugiem Group determined the ideal time for productivity is 52 minutes of focused intensity, followed by 17 minutes of break time. This cycle allows for focused and purposeful activity with an anticipated break at the end. But you can experiment to see what amount of time works best for triggering your own flow state.Tracking the time should be simple. Apps or programs like Marinara Timer will allow you to set a timer for a specific period of your choosing. So, you can take the guesswork out of when to set your next alarm, and provide a visual reminder of the countdown.7. Disable autopilot.The atmosphere around you can trigger flow, and Kotler says novelty, unpredictability, and complexity will get you there. In surfing, no two waves are same, he says.In business, the idea is to get out of habits and routines. Automatic pilot is efficient and routines save the brain energy, but it doesnt put you into flow, says Kotler. Instead, shake things up. Vary your route. Even brush your teeth with the wrong hand. Against-the-grain tricks will demand focus, says Kotler.Pixar is a great example of a rich environment, says Kotler. Steve Jobs designed an atrium in the center of its offices, positioning the meeting rooms, cafeteria, mailboxes, and bathrooms around it.Steve Jobs artificially created the environmental conditions that massively upped the amount of novelty, unpredictability, and complexity in the environment because people across departments and disciplines started running into each other and having conversations, says Kotler. As a result, flow, innovation, and creativity went up.8. Measure resultsbut not while doing the work.Of course, tracking results is important. But its equally important to do this in a way that doesnt interrupt the flow state youve worked so hard to achieve. Set a routine to avoid micromanaging your goals. This could be a dashboard that shows daily or weekly revenue metrics, or establishing regular check-ins with your team to review progress.9. Reward yourself for success.Another important key to productivity is recognition. Video games are especially good at rewarding and recognizing positive behaviors and results. Part of this lies in the programming.Many modern games allow for in-game trophies or achievements for completing certain tasks, usually giving very specific details as to how to accomplish the feat. Unlike the typical workplace when the conditions are met, the award is immediately received every time.Consistency is much easier in a virtual world, where rewards and achievements can be doled out through an automated process, since this minimizes the likelihood good behavior will fail to be recognized, or poor performance will go unnoticed. This is part of the challenge managers face when overseeing groups in the workplace.When it comes to personal productivity, establish a set of prizes you will award yourself with upon completion of a task or milestone. The best part about managing yourself this way is you know what matters most. For example, maybe you know that youre not motivated by rewarding yourself with an episode of reality TV, but you are motivated by a cup of coffee or a sushi dinner to look forward to.10. Push past your fears.Unfortunately, flow can be elusive even if youve set the table perfectly. Fires must be put out and sometimes avoiding distractions is impossible. Beyond that, some of the biggest obstacles to getting in flow are often internal: negative self-talk, doubts, and fears.But the truth is, fear is an almost inevitable by-product of pushing your boundaries. With practice and a few fear-busting strategies, youll develop the resilience to overcome these internal blockers and get into the optimal state to do your best, most creative work.The brain cant tell the difference between physical consequences and emotional risk, says Kotler. Taking social risks is the same as physical risks. Speak up at meetings, share creative ideas, approach a stranger or tell the truth when it feels awkward.In Silicon Valley, the idea is to fail fast or fail forward, he says. If youre not giving employees space to fail, youre not giving them space to risk. Move fast and break things. Engage in rapid experimentation. High consequences will drive flow and you get further faster.By cultivating a flow state, you can achieve productive happiness: a state in which you feel energized, motivated, and fulfilled by your work. And as a bonus, youll likely be more successful in the process.Flow shows up when were stretching, pushing our skills to the max, says Kotler. Its an uncomfortable place to be in the moment, but the payoff is a deeper life satisfaction.Greg Smith and Jonathan Harrison also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article and a previous version.