Behind Apollo Neuro is a team that lives and breathes the mission to empower people to take charge of their mental health and live healthier, happier lives. Though we exist and operate in the world of stress management, we’re not immune to stress. But we are privileged to have access to the latest science and strategies for staying calm, focused, grounded, and happy. Through a series of Apollo team member highlights, we’ll share a diverse range of perspectives on mental health and wellness.
In a recent conversation with Apollo Neuro’s Finance and Operations Manager, Kingsley, we discussed staying grounded and healthy in a year marked by isolation and uncertainty.
Q: What do you actually do day-to-day as Finance and Operations Manager?
A: Oh man. I facilitate a lot of the interdepartmental operations that connect the dots between our ongoing initiatives, which branches out into a few key aspects. I handle the day-to-day accounting processes, analyze broader finances and forecasts, as well as lead the shipping and fulfillment sectors. I also manage our data drives to capture and provide critical information when needed. I’m the eye in the sky and the boots on the ground at the same time.
Q: Has the way you take care of yourself changed at all this past year?
A: Completely. 100%. I’m a man of energy and feeling. This past year the way I take care of myself has completely changed — it allowed a necessary, albeit uncomfortable, amount of introspection. Time alone in isolation forced me to consider the practices that’ve been brushed off in more normal past years.
In this extra time, I became more aware of my behavior and how that translates to my energy and mood. Using my Apollo more in 2020 supported this heightened awareness of what I put in and took away everyday.
Q: Tell me more about your Apollo routine.
A: I tend to lean heavily on Apollo during mornings and early afternoons to set the pace and energy I want for the day. In the morning, I mostly use Apollo for an energy boost. I’ve bounced from coffee, to matcha, to entirely subbing caffeine with Apollo. Right now, it’s a balance of the three. I like to explore alternative options, when I hear about a new health trend that intrigues me, I follow that.
I normally hop on the next mode midafternoon, or right after lunch. If I have a meeting, I use Social and Open. I find it a lot easier to open up and converse on team calls. I find if I’m not using Apollo during team calls, I tend to stay on mute just taking notes. But with the extra boost I feel like I can contribute, take notes, and it adds an extra layer of clarity. Almost like I’m aware of what’s happening in my peripherals while maintaining focus. When I’m stressed, my thought process feels very jagged, and this happens much less frequently when I’m using Apollo.
After I workout, I rely heavily on Rebuild and Recovery as an important part of my recovery. I’ll use it while I stretch or take protein.
Q: Do you use Apollo to help sleep?
A: Honestly, I don’t have trouble winding down at the end of the day. My stress tends to affect me earlier in the day. Occasionally I use Relax and Unwind after a particularly busy day, and that helps me transition out of work-mode.
Q: How do you know when you’re feeling stressed and need a break?
A: I find that stress is deceivingly integrated into every thought process of my life if I’m not consciously managing it. We’ve all had a great stress test over this past year. I notice a tightness in my chest, and I feel my body go into a fight or flight response. My mental recall lapses, and I have trouble forming a response. Or I can’t foresee what I need to problem solve to find an answer. It’s almost like a loss of worlds and my thought process gets completely interrupted and jagged. This happens throughout the day, and interrupts my flow. Being able to access a flow state is a total make or break of my day.
Q: What do you do just for yourself?
A: I am lucky enough to have a second bedroom and with this year’s focus on optimizing my health and expending energy, I built a home gym there. I use a rowing machine and free weights. I’ve always enjoyed working out, so this wasn’t newly implemented over the course of the past year, but I became more aware of what it did for me. I became more sensitive to how I was feeling and what I could do to change that.
Q: What’s your favorite part of working at Apollo?
A: The team. We all have a new age mentality and energy. It means a lot to work for something everyone genuinely believes in. It’s a conscientious and self-aware atmosphere. In my position, I get to interact with almost everyone, and I’m constantly learning from my colleagues.
"I'm a man of energy and feeling. This past year the way I take care of myself has completely changed — it allowed a necessary, albeit uncomfortable, amount of introspection. Time alone in isolation forced me to consider the practices that've been brushed off in more normal past years."
