Monday Productive #15 with Radha Patel

Published on: November 28, 2021

It’s Monday again and it’s time to start the week with a good energy!

Monday Productive is a weekly interview format, featuring peak-performers from my network, who share 5 quick ideas on how to boost your productivity and stay at the top of your game.

Radharani (Radha) Patel is a qualified yoga teacher by the age of 16. She holds a master degree in pharmacy and speaks internationally about health, fitness and nutrition. Her background includes being a professional model (making it to the finals of Miss UK 2017) and pop singer (performing on stages in front of more than 20,000). Radha is the creator of TOGA (Toning Yoga), unique blend of health, fitness and nutrition with a hint of pharmacy. _______________________________

1. Radha, I know you for a number of years now. You are always so positive and full of energy. How do you sustain such a high state?

It’s been a learning experience and a case of studying those that have achieved it and then a joyous, continuous experiment of seeing which techniques work for me! For me the key aspects have been exercise, meditation and learning to fall in love with sleep! So often we focus on doing MORE, but I believe success is doing less, but doing the right things. Keeping at least one night a week for ‘date night’ with yourself can ensure you get some down time. Get a massage, have a bath, take yourself out for dinner; just find time to fall in love with you and rejuvenate yourself! Self care shouldn’t be a luxury, it is absolutely paramount for long lasting success.

2. Why should we love Mondays? What excites you to do what you do?

Mondays are the BEST! They are an excuse to start fresh and take time to plan, design and optimize your schedule. It allows you to mentally let go of the last week, and is the perfect time to kick start new, healthier habits. For me it’s people that inspire and excite me to do what I do! Seeing that you can make a difference in a patients’ life with a 5 min conversation, that you can make someone smile, do what you love and have the gift of an amazing family. How can you not be happy?

3. Could you share with us your SNAP model / framework? Do you think sometimes we make things look so complex. As in reality – it’s just about doing the small things consistently that is making the difference?

I created SNAP for that reason exactly- the world of healthcare, fitness and wellness has become oversaturated with information and it can actually increase stress while trying to learn all these ways to reduce stress! SNAP covers the four vital parts of what makes holistic health; Sleep, Nutrition, Activity and Purpose. When people feel they are reaching a plateau with their health it is often because they are missing a piece of the puzzle. You can be a total fitness freak with a great diet, but suffering from chronic insomnia/ poor sleep habits and you’ll be wondering why you’re still not reaching your health goals. Purpose is one, that surprises most people, but I feel that it is absolutely key for mental health. We need to use our lives to achieve our greatest potential and without health we’ll never do that. A sense of purpose has a huge impact on health too so it’s a two way street. SNAP is about giving people a simple and effective tool to assess and improve their health.. With a snap of their fingers!

4. In the last few years – what habit or belief have you acquired, that helps you to be a better performer?

Gratitude is key. We live in a society driven to make up feel like we’re not enough and that we have to ‘fix ourselves’. By starting with gratitude you live more fully, and from a place of abundance not lack. I try to start each day with two things: a smile on my face and gratitude for what I have. It’s an undervalued and hugely impactful practice. Remember, the things you have now you once dreamed of, don’t be so focused on what you want that you forget what you have.

5. What do you do when you are feeling overwhelmed and unproductive, but have tons on your to-do list?

There’s a few techniques I use. Write down your list so it’s not just floating around your head, things often feel overwhelming when they aren’t written down. Just get it out on paper and then tackle it one step at a time! I pick the things I can do in under 5 minutes and do them now. I then see what is unimportant or can be outsourced and either let it go or see if there is someone who can do it for me! When everything feels like too much I often just stop and take time to workout or go for a walk in the mountains, it puts everything in perspective.

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