Keep the Brain firing on all Cylinders

Ha ha, the dreaded brain fog!
Everywhere I turn currently, I am hearing versions of it. September can be a frantic month- leading into the final quarter of the year, work pressures, kids and teenagers returning to school and an avalanche of activities which appear to have tripled since the pandemic. I hear you; I’m knee deep in it myself.

On top of that, brain agility is coming up as one of the top sought after leadership strengths in the current climate.

Much of what we do is on autopilot which is great for productivity on the day-to-day stuff but not so great to keep those new neural pathways fired up in the brain.

Here's the good news!
Contrary to historical beliefs, we now know that the brain creates new neurons and fires up new neural pathways right into old age. It is this process (Neurogenesis) that keeps us on top of our game. If you are spinning many plates and noticing the odd one (or ten) dropping, here are my top tips to keep the brain firing on all cylinders. 

And NO, I am not giving you a time consuming list of activities that you will never get around to, and promptly ignore. These are 4 simple tips and can be implemented pain free.

1.   ☕   Engage your non dominant hand – Stir your tea with your non-dominant hand. Notice what it does to the brain. Try to introduce this once a day. Equally effective is using your mouse with your non-dominant hand. Again, notice how it frazzles the brain initially.
2.    🚗  We tend to walk and drive on familiar routes on autopilot. Take a different route to, or from the office. Walk around the block or wherever you normally walk in the opposite direction. Notice how much more brain engagement is involved, firing up those new neural pathways.
3.    🏃‍♂️ A study reported it the Washington Post as recent as April 2023 confirmed that physical activity does in fact change our minds. It stimulates the production of BDNF (a chemical also known as ‘miracle gro’ for the brain). This in turn promotes the production of new neurons and neural pathways in the brain. Now for the not so nice bit –While 30-40 minutes of moderate exercise daily will really help your brain,  short bursts (5/6 mins) of high intensity exercise is most effective.

4. Prioritise your sleep. Sleep is when your brain consolidates memories, clears out waste products, and engages in essential repair and growth processes. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support neurogenesis. For more on how to improve your sleep see my post here.

Maintaining brain health and brain agility is a lifelong journey. The more you invest in your brain's well-being, the more resilient and agile it becomes. So, keep those neural pathways firing, your brain will thank you for it.

#neuroscience #brainhealth