Flow Over Frazzle: Why I Created the FOCUS Pill

By Shawn Wells, biochemist, formulator, author of The ENERGY Formula, and creator of the world’s first state-based supplement line with Mindvalley.

The Truth About Focus (And Why We’re All Struggling)

Let me start with a confession.

For much of my life, I was in survival mode. I looked like I had it all together - master’s degree in nutritional biochemistry, formulator of over 1,000 supplements, keynote speaker on stages around the world.

But I was drowning.

My mind was fogged. My body was inflamed. I was pushing through pain, autoimmune conditions, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. And I thought I could outwork it. I thought if I just found the right biohack, the next stimulant, the next nootropic - I could outpace the breakdown.

I was wrong.

I was doing what most of us do when focus slips:

Pushing harder.
Drinking more coffee.
Reaching for “productivity” in a bottle.

The problem isn’t that we’re lazy. It’s that the world we live in is overstimulating and undernourishing.

And that’s why I created FOCUS - not as a quick fix, but as a sustainable way to help your brain come back online, gently, powerfully, and naturally.

Why Focus Isn’t Just Mental - It’s Metabolic

Let’s clarify something most people miss:

Focus is not stimulation.

It’s not adrenaline. It’s not feeling jacked or buzzed. It’s not chasing the next dopamine hit. That’s what caffeine and Adderall have taught us to chase. And it works… until it doesn’t.

What I came to learn - painfully - is that real focus is a neurochemical state of balance.

It’s where dopamine, acetylcholine, blood flow, oxygenation, glucose, and even nitric oxide are all in sync. Where your brain is relaxed enough to be creative but alert enough to be productive. This is what’s called a flow state - where you feel like you can just go, effortlessly.

But you can’t access flow when your nervous system is frazzled, your brain is inflamed, and your energy system is depleted.

And that’s the state most people are in today.

So instead of hacking more, I started healing more. I shifted my approach from “how do I stimulate the brain?” to “how do I support the brain and put it in its natural, healthy, high-performing state?”

That question led to the formulation of FOCUS.

The Problem With Our Current “Solutions”

Let’s look at what most of us are doing today to “get in the zone”:

☕ Caffeine Overload

Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive compound in the world. And yet, over 60% of people are slow metabolizers of caffeine. That means for most of us, caffeine is doing more harm than good.

It increases mental errors under stress.
It disrupts sleep cycles, especially REM and deep sleep.
It causes jitters, anxiety, agitation, and fatigue crashes.

And for the genetically slow metabolizers, it can linger in the system for up to 3 days, subtly impairing your nervous system the entire time.

I don’t want to villainize caffeine. I used to love it. But what we’re experiencing in coffee or energy drinks is often the “dirty” side of caffeine - the toxic metabolites like theophylline and theobromine - not the clean performance-enhancing benefits.

What I Did Instead: I Created a Smarter Formula for Focus

I asked myself: What would I give my own brain if I wanted to be in flow, not frazzle?

What if instead of pushing the system with stimulants, I could:

Support natural dopamine and acetylcholine levels
Increase brain blood flow
Enhance oxygen and nutrient delivery
Boost mitochondrial energy production
Smooth the nervous system into an alpha wave state

That’s what FOCUS was built to do. And these are the five ingredients I included - all in clinical doses, all in their cleanest, most bioavailable form.

Let’s break it down.

🧠 Inside the FOCUS Pill: The 5-Star Stack

1. Paraxanthine (as Enfinity®) - 300 mg

The Clean Metabolite of Caffeine

Paraxanthine as enfinity^® is what caffeine becomes after your liver filters out the junk. It’s the clean, active metabolite that delivers the focus, motivation, and energy we all crave - without the side effects.

Studies show that paraxanthine outperforms caffeine on almost every measure:

32% fewer mental errors post-exercise
Improved neuroplasticity, thanks to higher BDNF
Increased nitric oxide and blood flow
100 calories burned per dose through thermogenesis

And best of all? It doesn’t impair sleep like caffeine does.

This is what I call Coffee 2.0.

2. L-Tyrosine - 500 mg

The Resilience Amino Acid

L-Tyrosine helps your brain create dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine - the neurotransmitters that fuel motivation, mental stamina, and drive.

It’s especially effective when you’re under stress. Whether you're dealing with burnout, deadlines, or sleep debt, tyrosine helps protect your cognitive resilience.

I chose a fermented, ultra-clean form called TyroPure, which is vegan, bioavailable, and gentle on the gut.

3. Alpha-GPC (GeniusPure®) - 300 mg

For Deep Work, Neural Strength, and Memory

Alpha-GPC is the most bioavailable form of choline, a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter for learning, memory, and focus.

This compound is so effective, we’ve seen studies show:

108% improvement in cognitive performance (in one dose!)
2.4x faster processing speed
Increased mind-muscle connection (useful for workouts too)

I use this before writing, speaking, training - and it’s a non-negotiable for me in FOCUS.

4. Peak ATP® - 400 mg

Mitochondrial Energy on Demand

ATP is the currency of energy in every cell. It powers your neurons, muscles, and synapses. When your ATP is depleted, you feel foggy, tired, and mentally scattered.

Most energy supplements don’t give you actual ATP. Peak ATP® is different. It increases:

Blood flow to the brain
Cellular oxygen delivery
Mitochondrial energy output
Physical strength and muscular endurance

I included this because real focus starts with real energy.

5. L-Theanine - 100 mg

The Alpha Brainwave Activator

L-Theanine is found in green tea. It calms the nervous system without sedation and boosts alpha waves - the brain state linked with flow, creativity, and deep learning.

It’s also been shown to smooth out the edges of stimulants. Even though paraxanthine is gentle, I included L-theanine to help your brain stay centered, creative, and calm while focused.

Why These Ingredients Together?

Because together, they do what no single supplement can do alone.

Paraxanthine provides smooth, clean mental energy
Tyrosine and Alpha-GPC support neurotransmitter production
PEAK ATP^® gives you cellular fuel
L-Theanine puts you in flow, not frazzle

There’s synergy here - a “Voltron effect” - where each ingredient enhances the others. And the result? You feel it. First time, every time.

Real Talk: Why You Can Trust This Formula

I didn’t make this for mass-market shelves.

I didn’t make this to hit a price point.

I made this because I needed it myself.

When Vishen and I sat down to dream up the Mindvalley States line, I told him:

“If I’m going to put my name on something, it has to be something I would take every day. And it has to work. Visibly. Tangibly. Fast.”

So we used patented, branded ingredients, all third-party tested, all in full-disclosure labels.

No proprietary blends. No pixie dust. No junk.

Just science, intention, and heart.

When to Take FOCUS (And When Not To)

Here’s how I personally use it:

✅ First thing in the morning - to kickstart my day
✅ Before writing or creating - to get into flow
✅ Before workouts - especially strength training
✅ Before key meetings or speeches - to stay mentally sharp

I usually take two capsules in the morning, and occasionally one more before training or deep work.

And unlike caffeine, you won’t need to cycle this. In fact, the longer you use it, the more benefits you’ll see - especially with neuroplasticity, sleep quality, and resilience.

Final Words: Why This Isn’t Just a Brain Pill - It’s a Reclamation

You don’t need more hustle. You don’t need more pressure. You don’t need more dopamine hits from your phone.

What you need is support.

You need a nervous system that’s nourished.

You need your brain operating like the beautiful, complex, brilliant organ that it is.

And that’s what FOCUS helps restore.

This isn’t about becoming superhuman. It’s about returning to the real you - the version of you that thinks clearly, acts courageously, and creates effortlessly.

I made this for myself.

Now it’s for you too.

You’ll feel it from the first dose.
And love it more with every use.

It’s not just a pill.
It’s a daily practice. A way of anchoring into your highest-performing, most focused, most vibrant self.

You can try FOCUS here:
👉 mindvalleystates.com/focus

With heart,
Shawn Wells
Nutritional Biochemist, Author of The Energy Formula, and Formulator of Mindvalley States