As a former tech columnist for Finnish lifestyle magazine Image, I used to spend evenings testing the latest devices, games, and apps. Back then, it was mostly about curiosity and play. But in recent years, how I use technology has shifted. Now I focus on tools that genuinely improve my life, especially my resilience and performance.
Today, as a founder, board member, and mother of two (plus one puppy who’s convinced he’s the third), performance means something different: the ability to focus deeply, recover better, and show up at my best.
Here are the three tools that help me do just that.
Oura — Turning wellbeing into self-leadership
The Oura Ring has been part of my life since its very first version launched at Slush in 2017. I loved the idea of a Finnish company turning wellbeing into science, and years later, I now have a rich archive of data: thousands of nights, steps, and moments tracked.
Image credit: Oura.
What I rely on most today are its Resilience and Readiness metrics. They reveal how well my body recovers from stress and how much capacity I have for the day ahead. Checking them has become a quiet morning ritual: coffee, Oura data, and reflection. If my readiness is high, I’ll try to dive into creative or strategic work if possible. If it’s low, I’ll plan a slower, recovery-oriented day, especially in the evening.
Oura shows me how my body responds to stress over time, not just from one night’s sleep. For a founder or leader, this is gold. It’s data that teaches you self-management.
A few insights I’ve learned from years of Oura data:
I get restorative time during meetings, lunches, and phone calls with people. Human connection itself can mean recovery.
Once, after a work trip to Japan, I caught the flu, and it took me weeks to regain my “Exceptional” resilience level. This is a reminder of how long true recovery takes.
Even a single glass of wine at 5 p.m. noticeably affects my sleep and recovery the next day.
Oura has become more than a device; it’s a feedback mirror for how I live and recover.
Endel — Soundscapes for flow
Sound helps me to focus. When I need to get into the flow — on a train heading from Helsinki to Tampere, or at home between meetings and Lego chaos — I use Endel, an app that creates adaptive soundscapes based on your circadian rhythm, movement, and even the weather.
Image credit: Endel.
I used to listen to “normal” music, classical, rap, and ambient, but the lyrics or melodies often pulled me away. Endel doesn’t. Its soundscapes are purpose-built to help the brain focus.
Backed by neuroscience, Endel reports that it can increase focus sevenfold and reduce stress 3.6x with regular use, leading to up to 95% longer focus time. From my own experience, I can genuinely feel the difference; it helps me concentrate faster and stay in flow longer.
Sometimes I use it as a trick: I set a five-minute timer for a task I’ve been avoiding. The moment the sound begins, my brain shifts gears. Five minutes later, I’m deep into it, and the hardest part of the task is already behind me.
There’s also a Nordic alternative I’ve come to appreciate: Audicin, a recently launched Finnish innovation. Crafted by neuroscience and music psychology experts, Audicin’s binaural beats help the nervous system relax in as little as 10 minutes, and they even offer a wearable headband for the sessions.
According to Petteri Lahtela, co-founder of Oura Health: “The HRV (heart rate variability) increase on my Oura ring, during naps and relaxation, has been by far the biggest with Audicin compared to any other method.”
Bose — finding silence in the noise
With two kids, a puppy, and a startup, silence is often a luxury. Between calls, trains, and home life, my secret weapon for years has been the noise-canceling Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
Image credit: Bose.
I use them with Endel when traveling, or simply to mark the start of deep work. The world doesn’t disappear, but it becomes more distant, soft enough to think clearly again.
Research from the British Journal of Psychology (2019) found that background noise can reduce cognitive performance by up to 66% in complex tasks.
So, I follow my small ritual: headphones on, coffee in hand, press play on Endel. The act itself tells my brain — it’s time to work.
Technology can overwhelm or empower. The difference lies in how intentionally we use it. For me, these three tools — Endel for focus, Oura for insight, and Bose for calm — form a simple formula for better performance.
·
5 min read
As a former tech columnist for Finnish lifestyle magazine Image, I used to spend evenings testing the latest devices, games, and apps. Back then, it was mostly about curiosity and play. But in recent years, how I use technology has shifted. Now I focus on tools that genuinely improve my life, especially my resilience and performance.
Today, as a founder, board member, and mother of two (plus one puppy who’s convinced he’s the third), performance means something different: the ability to focus deeply, recover better, and show up at my best.
Here are the three tools that help me do just that.
Oura — Turning wellbeing into self-leadership
The Oura Ring has been part of my life since its very first version launched at Slush in 2017. I loved the idea of a Finnish company turning wellbeing into science, and years later, I now have a rich archive of data: thousands of nights, steps, and moments tracked.
Image credit: Oura.
What I rely on most today are its Resilience and Readiness metrics. They reveal how well my body recovers from stress and how much capacity I have for the day ahead. Checking them has become a quiet morning ritual: coffee, Oura data, and reflection. If my readiness is high, I’ll try to dive into creative or strategic work if possible. If it’s low, I’ll plan a slower, recovery-oriented day, especially in the evening.
Oura shows me how my body responds to stress over time, not just from one night’s sleep. For a founder or leader, this is gold. It’s data that teaches you self-management.
A few insights I’ve learned from years of Oura data:
I get restorative time during meetings, lunches, and phone calls with people. Human connection itself can mean recovery.
Once, after a work trip to Japan, I caught the flu, and it took me weeks to regain my “Exceptional” resilience level. This is a reminder of how long true recovery takes.
Even a single glass of wine at 5 p.m. noticeably affects my sleep and recovery the next day.
Oura has become more than a device; it’s a feedback mirror for how I live and recover.
Endel — Soundscapes for flow
Sound helps me to focus. When I need to get into the flow — on a train heading from Helsinki to Tampere, or at home between meetings and Lego chaos — I use Endel, an app that creates adaptive soundscapes based on your circadian rhythm, movement, and even the weather.
Image credit: Endel.
I used to listen to “normal” music, classical, rap, and ambient, but the lyrics or melodies often pulled me away. Endel doesn’t. Its soundscapes are purpose-built to help the brain focus.
Backed by neuroscience, Endel reports that it can increase focus sevenfold and reduce stress 3.6x with regular use, leading to up to 95% longer focus time. From my own experience, I can genuinely feel the difference; it helps me concentrate faster and stay in flow longer.
Sometimes I use it as a trick: I set a five-minute timer for a task I’ve been avoiding. The moment the sound begins, my brain shifts gears. Five minutes later, I’m deep into it, and the hardest part of the task is already behind me.
There’s also a Nordic alternative I’ve come to appreciate: Audicin, a recently launched Finnish innovation. Crafted by neuroscience and music psychology experts, Audicin’s binaural beats help the nervous system relax in as little as 10 minutes, and they even offer a wearable headband for the sessions.
According to Petteri Lahtela, co-founder of Oura Health: “The HRV (heart rate variability) increase on my Oura ring, during naps and relaxation, has been by far the biggest with Audicin compared to any other method.”
Bose — finding silence in the noise
With two kids, a puppy, and a startup, silence is often a luxury. Between calls, trains, and home life, my secret weapon for years has been the noise-canceling Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
Image credit: Bose.
I use them with Endel when traveling, or simply to mark the start of deep work. The world doesn’t disappear, but it becomes more distant, soft enough to think clearly again.
Research from the British Journal of Psychology (2019) found that background noise can reduce cognitive performance by up to 66% in complex tasks.
So, I follow my small ritual: headphones on, coffee in hand, press play on Endel. The act itself tells my brain — it’s time to work.
Technology can overwhelm or empower. The difference lies in how intentionally we use it. For me, these three tools — Endel for focus, Oura for insight, and Bose for calm — form a simple formula for better performance.
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