I have discovered I write frequently on how to increase and maintain brain power. Some would say this ought to be a clue for me regarding one of my greatest subconscious needs or fears. Ok, so I am not the sharpest pencil in the pack. At least I admit it! The older I get, however, the more my Dad’s advice to take care of your health rings true. Approaching 90, he still takes just an aspirin a day and walks 3 miles most. We won’t talk about my pharmacy regimen or my dearth of exercise. I just hope I got some of his genes and I don’t mean his Levi’s or Calvin’s.

Personal development expert Steve Pavlina gives some good advice on improving your brain power at work. Most of his ideas can be applied in any setting. Steve’s story is an inspiring one and can be accessed on his web site, www.stevepavlina.com. Here are his tips:

1) Get Some Exercise : Exercise always makes people feel better. Aerobic exercise boosts the body’s circulation, creativity, and the comprehension of new information! Research has proven that chronic exercisers are more creative and have a significantly better memory than non-exercisers. Exercise will make you more creative and boost your overall productivity & cognitive performance while “on the job.”

2) Leave The Cellular Phone @ Home: In more than 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King’s College London University found that workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails, and text messages suffered a greater loss of I.Q. than if they’d just smoked marijuana! The I.Q. of people distracted with technology while at work fell by an average of 10 points. This I.Q. loss is equivalent to that of missing an entire night’s sleep, falling 10 points. A 10 point drop is more than double the I.Q. loss seen after smoking pot. For some reason, the intelligence drop was even more significant in men. To keep your intelligence at it’s peak, don’t check your messages until you have a break!

3) A Good Diet = A Productive Brain : Many studies show that getting enough Antioxidants in your diet can have a significant affect on overall cognitive function. It is recommended to eat a high-protein breakfast to raise serotonin levels, which produce hormones that make you feel alert. If you are feeling a bit sluggish mid-day through work, eat an energy bar or some rich fruits to give you a boost! Keep that water bottle by your desk and stay well hydrated throughout the day. It is important to stay well hydrated to help prevent headaches and keep your body at an optimal overall level of functioning.

4) Exercise Your Brain : We all know that physical exercise makes us feel good, but what about mental exercise? Using your brain in new ways like learning a new language, doing a Sudoku, or engaging in a debate strengthens neural-pathways and neuronal synapses between nerve cells in the brain. Other ways to strengthen overall brain function include: word-puzzles, reading challenging vocabulary, brain training games (i.e. brain age), and doing activities with your non-dominant hand (i.e. eating with your left hand if you are a righty). By giving your brain a good hard work-out, it will strengthen new neural-pathways that involve problem-solving and intelligence.

5) Think Positive! : Leading neuroscientist Richard Davidson conducted over a decade of research @ the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior. The research results showed that consciously choosing specific thoughts and emotions can change the structure and working of the brain. When participants practiced feeling “love and compassion,” their brains showed much more high-frequency 40 Hz gamma activity in the prefrontal cortex than the average person. Their brains went into action and literally “built” new connections and neural-pathways. Richard Davidson concluded that positive emotions are linked to increased intelligence. He also found that taking only 10 minutes of personal time each day to focus on positive, happy thoughts correlated with increased intelligence and a happy mood! This will help you feel positive throughout the workday and put you into a state of “flow” where time goes by quicker because you are happier, having more fun, and thinking positively!

6) Sleep At Night For 8 Hours: We all know that taking a short nap can significantly boost brain function, but so can getting a good night’s sleep. Experts recommend getting at least 8 hours of sleep in order to maintain peak-brain functioning throughout the workday. A National Sleep Foundation study found that half of U.S. workers say that lack of sleep “interferes with the amount of work they get done.” Twenty-percent (20%) of U.S. workers say that not getting enough sleep causes them to make more mistakes. Dr. William C. Dement, a sleep expert, says that “we all need to get at least 1 hour of sleep for every 2 hours we’re awake!” If you keep sleeping “one hour less each day,” you will acquire a “sleep debt.” This sleep debt can take a heavy toll on your emotions, I.Q., cognition, and overall mental abilities. Everyone should permanently block out at least 8 hours each night for SLEEP! No excuses! Now that you have access to such great work-tips, I recommend that you utilize them to keep your brain and life on the right track! Recommend these to anyone that you think could benefit!

This entry was posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at 12:12 am and is filed under Healthy Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.