8 Easy Ways to Make Your Brain Perform Better
July 6th 2011 09:16
Brain fitness ranks as one of the hottest topics at the water cooler these days. Suddenly everyone wants to learn more about what we can do to keep our minds sharp and stay in top intellectual form at the office.
Although the science of brain health remains young, research clearly indicates there is much we can do to improve our everyday memory. Building better brain health can help us boost work skills such as recalling important client information, learning training materials or just keeping track of key documents. It can also lower our risk of serious memory loss.
While many of us want to improve our brain health, we aren't always sure what exactly we need to do, or -- more likely -- simply can't imagine putting one more "must-do" item on our list. Improving your brain fitness doesn't have to be complex, expensive or even time-consuming. The best approach to improving our brain health is one that reflects the current science and blueprints a plan that is practical and actionable. In fact, there are plenty of things we can do to prime our mind while sitting right at our desks.
Here are eight things you can do right now to boost your brain power at work. You can do them all in just five minutes or spend more time on them over the course of the day. All are geared to give your brain an awesome on-the-job workout.
Clear some clutter from your life! Folks who are organized remember more. Spend five minutes organizing your desk and getting rid of whatever is non-essential. Look over how your desk is organized and see if you can think of a better way to put it all together.
This tip is all about bringing a little "ohm" into your life. Yoga is the perfect brain-health exercise: it supports aerobic workout by building strength and stamina, trains our focus and is a terrific resource for maintaining emotional balance. Take a 5-minute yoga or relaxation break. The Kripalu Center offers a series of such breaks you can download right to your computer or other media player on their website at www.kripalu.org.
Do you doodle? Many of us do, including Bill Gates and former President Bill Clinton. But did you know doodling is also good for your brain? Research suggests doodling helps us maintain focus and remember better. A recent study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology found that subjects assigned a doodling task performed 29 percent better than their non-doodling counterparts on a surprise memory test covering the material they were learning simultaneously. Next time you are in a meeting, go ahead and doodle -- no need to apologize!
Studies have shown that folks who are more social have an associated reduced risk for memory loss. In one recent study, Harvard researchers found that persons with lower levels of social interaction were more likely to show memory problems after six years than their more social peers. Remember, no person is an island. Reach out from behind that desk and connect with your family and friends for 5 minutes. It's good for your soul and good for your brain.
Research has shown we can better maintain intellectual skills critical to our work performance by giving them a good "workout." One of the best ways to keep these skills sharp is to play games against the clock, since timed activities force us to focus, think fast and be nimble in our approach. Games we play online can give our brains a terrific timed skills challenge. Take five minutes during lunch or as your schedule permits to get your brain in the game.
Give your brain a little stretch when you check the time by wearing your watch upside down. This subtle change doesn't take much effort but will force your brain to think out of its comfort zone in making sense of time gone a bit topsy-turvy. These kinds of "neurobic" activities may seem simple yet are a terrific challenge for your brain's flexibility.
Here's a smart tip we can all really use: Spend five minutes learning some simple strategies to boost your memory of names. For example, try repeating information as you hear it. This easy technique will force you to focus on what you are learning and give you the chance to rehearse it, increasing the odds that you'll remember it. Or use my "connections technique" and make a connection between what you are learning and something you already know. Meeting Florence? Connect her name to a famous Florence, such as Florence Nightingale, or to the city of Florence in Italy.
Here's a tip that's pretty basic but packed with brain boosting power. Aerobic exercise is one of the best things we can do for our brain, as it revs up our daily performance and reduces our long-term dementia risk. Jumping jacks are a simple calisthenic exercise you can do in a small space that will quickly get your blood pumping. Just stand up at your desk and try out some jumping jacks for five minutes.
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