Besser schlafen, weniger Stress, mehr Fokus. Karin Andrea Stephan.

Episode 21 of LIFESTYLE by BUSINESS. How you, as an entrepreneur, can sleep better, reduce stress, and gain more focus. Business psychologist Karin Andrea Stephan explains why every second executive struggles with sleep problems and what good sleep has to do with creativity, clear decisions, and resilience. — Design a Business & Life You Love. GET INSPIRED: https://www.mikebite.com/home#newsletter (Smart systems, clever processes, and tons of inspiration delivered straight to your inbox) — 🎙️ Guest: Karin Andrea Stephan, business psychologist and entrepreneur – Sleep, stress, and self-leadership. — Karin Andrea Stephan is a business psychologist and entrepreneur. She previously led the Impact Hub Zurich and is now the co-founder of Earkick, an AI platform for mental health. Together with Herbert Bay, she wrote the book "Overnight Power," a real-life field experiment on better sleep, less stress, and greater focus. : ... Since 2021, Karin has slept almost every night under the open sky on her balcony. It started with a mattress that she simply dragged outside in April. What began as an experiment is now her most important routine. We talk about why we completely misunderstand sleep. Most people see it as something bothersome between two important meetings or as a reward at the end of a hard day. Karin turns this on its head: sleep is the prerequisite for us to be productive at all. Studies show that every second executive struggles with stress-related sleep problems, and around 80 percent of the workforce does as well. At the same time, we discuss stress and what it does to the body. Karin explains the difference between good and bad stress, why you can get used to stress and even become addicted to it, and how cortisol and melatonin interact. One sentence from her book is particularly memorable: Leadership is high-performance sport without a final whistle. If you don't get the final whistle, you have to give it to yourself. We also talk about "star bathing," her term for sleeping under the open sky. It's about the contrast between light and dark, the microclimate under the covers, and why the body can endure far more than we give it credit for. Karin shows what the first small steps can look like, from taking the phone out of the bedroom to a quick walk outside before falling asleep. In the second part, things get more personal. Karin talks about her North Star, the inner compass that sustains her in uncertain times. She discusses her childhood, during which she was frequently ill and spent a large part of her primary school years in bed, her early career as a professional musician, and how she deals with her children when her own support does more harm than good. An honest conversation about sleep, self-leadership, and the question: What could you accomplish if you were truly well-rested? — 00:00:00 Introduction: Better sleep, less stress, more focus 00:01:14 Why a book about sleep for leaders? 00:06:45 What we don't understand about sleep 00:08:46 50% of executives struggle with sleep problems 00:10:17 Leadership as a high-performance sport without a final whistle 00:17:21 REM sleep and creativity: Why brain tidying up is important 00:35:09 Understanding stress: The difference between good and bad stress 00:39:58 Cortisol and melatonin: The hormones of sleep 00:43:04 Star bathing: Sleeping under the open sky 00:44:42 The first night outdoors: A field experiment begins 00:51:48 Practical tips: First steps to better sleep 00:55:11 The North Star: Finding orientation in life 01:00:32 Karin's personal North Star: Making connections 01:04:57 Childhood and imprinting: Resilience through challenges 01:10:56 Upbringing and Resilience: Guiding Children Through Difficulties 01:23:02 Balancing Consumption and Creation 01:23:51 Success Redefined: The Journey is the Destination 01:28:25 Advice to Your 20-Year-Old Self: Don't Rush, Focus — Follow Karin: LinkedIn: LinkedIn: karinstephan Instagram: Instagram: overnight_power Website: https://overnightpower.net/ — Follow Mike: Website: https://www.mikebite.com/ YouTube: @mikebite-lifestyle-by-business Instagram: Instagram: mikebite LinkedIn: LinkedIn: michaelbissig