Ironically, I did not know that President Obama was about to publicly announce $100 million dollars for brain research on learning more about the brain and how we as a society may benefit in the future in terms of Alzheimers and Epilepsy. Although this post addresses brain fitness amongst leaders and executives. Such news can only benefit all of us in and outside of the workplace globally.
Personally, there’s no reason to not benefit from such an initiative. As an aging population that’s living longer, One must keep abreast of the fact that we’re living longer. Improving mental ability is paramount in terms of quality of life while quantifiably increasing performance and productivity.
Take a few minutes as you read this post to learn how healthy you can become as leader or executive through brain fitness.
How much money would you like to wager that, as a busy executive, you barely have time to get enough physical exercise into your schedule? Actually, no one wants to be told they need to exercise or take a yoga class or meditate. However, these three activities are great for brain fitness and stimulation. It’s just as important you keep your brain fit and strong if you want a competitive advantage as a high potential leader.
The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise five days a week. Not surprisingly, most large companies offer health-club memberships as a perk, and some even provide onsite gyms. Doctors will tell you that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.
Neurons need not die as we age. In fact, several regions of the brain that control motor behavior and memory can actually expand their complement of neurons as we age. This process, called neurogenesis, used to be unthinkable in mainstream neuroscience.
Here’s how this shows up in real time: Neurogenesis is profoundly affected by your lifestyle. Your experiences and interactions can help strengthen and improve your brain’s neural networks and cognitive abilities.
I see this in the clients I coach. They’re so busy they’ve got their work finely tuned and organized. But it’s often routine and back-to-back with very little ‘down’ time for reflection or exploration of new things. That’s not healthy for the brain, and actually works against brain fitness.
A New Way of Thinking
The brain acts like a muscle: The more activity you do, the larger and more complex it can become. ~ Developmental molecular biologist John Medina, Brain Rules for Baby (Pear Press, 2011)
Brain-imaging studies indicate that acquired expertise in diverse areas—playing the cello or speaking a foreign language to juggling or driving a taxicab—helps expand our neural systems.
In other words, you can physically change your brain by learning new skills. You can even improve brain function by exercising conscious will. In one experiment, chronic-pain sufferers lowered their level of discomfort by employing neurofeedback techniques.
For busy executives, learning to play a musical instrument or doing challenging puzzles may not be practical. But you can incorporate some basic strategies into your existing responsibilities and tasks to improve your cognitive fitness.
In my next post, I’ll suggest six ways to develop your brain while working through your daily tasks. I’d love to hear from you. What do you do to expand your cognitive fitness? Where have you stopped challenging your brain? What indulgences inhibit your growth and brain stimulation? In an ever changing and often stress induced environment you know how important it is to be in tip top shape, unwavering and at your best.
Curt Canada coaches clients in career,leadership, and personal development at Adapting2change in Washington DC. Adapting2change is a DC Chamber of Commerce Member.