An Interview With Dave Algeo 
Dave Algeo is the founder of the Midlife Reshape Academy. He specialises in helping people in all walks of life to refocus on their health and wellness and get back to their past fitness level.
His mission, should you choose to join him, is to seek out ways to get life back on his terms, heading in a more fulfilling direction and enhancing his health in the process.
Dave is a writer, coach, and constantly curious person, striving to encourage others to live big – by identifying the small but significant things that can transform the life we are living.
Preventing Overwhelm and Burnout
One of the challenges in midlife, says Dave, is our physical health. So, he tells his clients to start where they’re at. You don’t have to try and make big changes straight away. Give yourself 10 minutes a day to sit quietly and let your thoughts percolate.
“Start small, and build on that over time. When you’re introducing new habits and taking time for yourself, you get to choose how fast or slowly you go. That’s why having time to think about things without interruptions or distractions is a good thing.”
Once you’ve identified whatever it is that’s overwhelming you, you can find ways to manage it, one small step at a time. Then, keep building on it. For instance, meditate for an extra five minutes per week, or go for a walk at lunchtime, a little further each day.
Balancing Productivity and Wellness
It’s very easy to get distracted, because smartphones mean we’re constantly connected to the outside world. Dave recommends creating a morning routine to do before you check your emails or social media.
“My version is called the ‘opening ceremony’, and it’s sitting quietly with a coffee. I think about the day ahead and see if what I’ve planned is actually the best thing. Then, I take my daughter to school and go to the gym. That’s it.”
Over time, Dave says, that on the days you don’t do your morning routine, you’ll realise that you need it to help you manage your wellness. It can be a clue that you’re starting to feel overwhelmed with something.
Juggling Competing Demands to Maintain Wellness
Modern life is full-on, and it’s hard to juggle work, family and other commitments with your own wellness. When overwhelm hits, we can often start negative self-talk, which only makes things worse.
“What I encourage people to do is start to recognise when they’re feeling burned out and trying to keep all the plates spinning. Once they can do that, they know that they need to give themselves some time out, whether that’s 10 minutes or 30 minutes.”
The SDADS Method
Dave explains that we all have things we think we should be doing, and they can overwhelm us. “Take a moment to ask yourself if that task is what you really need to be doing – is it moving you towards your goals? Or can you put it down?
“I personally overcomplicate things, so I’ve come up with the ‘SDADS’ method to help me. Tim Ferriss says “What would this look like if it was simple?” and that’s the ‘S’. How can you make this easier?
“Next, if I can’t make it easier, can I ditch it? If I can’t, can I automate it? The second ‘D’ is delegate – can I pass it to someone else. But you only consider this if you really can’t ditch or automate. And the final ‘S’? Simplify again!”
How to do the Right Things for Your Own Wellness
When you’re focusing on work rather than your health and wellness, Dave recommends touchpoints. Remember your longer-term vision and ask yourself “What do I aspire to in life and health? What might happen if I don’t change things? How can I get to that goal? And work backwards from that.”
Dave adds that it’s helpful to come up with smaller, short-term goals too – you can build on these and see some positive changes straight away. This helps you to stay focused on your longer-term vision and stops you feeling disappointed.
“For each goal, come up with three elements that will help you achieve it. And within those, three small actions you can do consistently. Don’t try to do it all at once, especially in the beginning. Touchpoints throughout the day will keep you on track and let you check in with yourself.”
Breaking Bad Habits
When we want to eliminate bad habits, it’s not as simple as just deciding not to do it. “Stopping something dead is really hard, so we use a technique called ‘temptation bundling.’ It comes from economics, but it works in psychology too.
“So when you want to bring in a new habit, you attach it to something you’re already doing. Say you play Wordle in the morning: rather than doing that first, make it a treat that you do after your new habit, which could be as simple as your 10-minute morning routine.”
Dave describes these as ‘stop moments’ rather than stopping something completely. “You’re very clear about giving yourself that stop moment to do the ‘bad habit.’ And giving yourself that time out also allows you to reflect on whether or not that habit is really helping you to move in the right direction.”
What is temptation bundling? Find out more here.
Mental Health and Wellness
When we think about mental health, we often think of it as a negative. But, Dave says, “It’s really about recognising that we’ll all have bad days, and some of us have more things to manage than others.
“The support we need varies throughout our life, and the good news is, it’s much easier to be open about these things. It’s better to ask for help rather than muddling along on your own.
“Getting more familiar with the warning signs that you’re struggling is important. It might be that you’re working longer hours, emotionally eating, drinking too much. Whatever it is, get to your own signs and build coping strategies to help. And remember – you are not your emotions, no matter how it feels at the time.”
How to Connect With Dave Algeo
- Midlife Reshape
- Email Dave
- Follow Dave on Twitter
- Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
- Like The Restless Midlifer on Facebook
- Watch Dave’s videos on YouTube
How to Connect With Me
- Subscribe to TubbTalk RSS feed
- Subscribe, rate and review TubbTalk in iTunes
- Subscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on Stitcher Radio
- Subscribe and rate TubbTalk on Spotify
- Follow TubbTalk on iHeartRadio
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Mentioned in This Episode
- Crackerjack video featuring Rosie
- Layne Norton
- Book: The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide
- Guest blog post: Writing Down Your Successes
- Productivity tool: AppBlock (for Android users)
- Productivity tool: Freedom (for iOS users)
- Audio course: Operation Snooze
- Meditation app: Headspace
- Meditation app: Calm
- Book: Prof. Matt Walker: Why We Sleep
- Tubblog mental health resources
- Chrome extension: Newsfeed Eradicator
- Pastor Steven Furtick
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Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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