Brain Boosting Exercises For The Office
Dr. Paul Lanthois
August 22, 2008
I was just about to go and sit next to some friends to hear this speaker when I got a friendly tap on the shoulder." Hey Paul, would you be able do me a favor and introduce this speaker to the audience?" asked Peter who was organizing the speaking tour.
"Sure," I replied and we had a quick meeting by the side of the stage to clarify what he would like mentioned.
I confidently strode onto the stage and picked up the microphone as I scanned the audience. When I began to speak I noticed that I could only hear every second or third word due to some technical challenges. As a recovered my composure I began my introduction of the speaker only to realize that I had forgotten the speakers surname!
I awkwardly dragged out the introduction while scouring my mind for her surname but I was still drawing a blank. I could feel by face burning with embarrassment as I became all too aware of the uncomfortable murmur that was growing within the audience. Eventually I quickly blurted out some muffled sound as her surname as I quickly escaped the scene of my embarrassment.
We all have had times when our brain ceases to function and our mind just tends to draw a blank. It can happen in quite public or embarrassing circumstances (like mine) or it can just be a frustrating impediment to your daily work.
Whatever the circumstances there are some things that you can do that can help wake up your brain from its slumber. Here a few brain boosting exercises to try…
Brain Boosting Exercise No.1
Get Up And Have A Drink Of Water
Even mild dehydration can impair concentration and performance. Monitor your hydration levels by ensuring that your urine color is clear.
Brain Boosting Exercise No. 2
Cross Crawling
March on the spot by raising your knee and opposite arm at the same time. To help coordinate exercise, focus on hitting your opposite knee with your opposite hand whilst marching on the spot. This helps to improve the communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
As we know the right hand side of the brain predominantly controls creativity and the left hand side of the body whilst the left hemisphere of the brain controls logic and the right hand side of the body. Cross crawling exercises help encourage your brain to think logically and creatively at the same time.
It may not be entirely appropriate to be marching up and down in the middle of a board meeting but it can be done during a quick bathroom break.
Brain Boosting Exercise No.3
Massage Your Brain Buttons
Your two ´brain buttons´ are located in 2 locations, one of which is located directly on your umbilicus. To find the second brain button go along both of your collarbones to where they meet the top of your breastbone (sternum). Here you will find a bump on the end of both of your collarbones. Just underneath both of these bony bumps your other set of brain buttons reside.
With one hand rub the top brain buttons simultaneously using your thumb and index finger. At the same time, rub the lower umbilicus brain button with a couple of fingers from your other hand. Do this for thirty seconds and repeat by swapping over your hands. This is thought to stimulate the blood flow to your brain.
Brain Boosting Exercise No.4
Change Your Way Of Learning
According to the science of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) we process the information that we receive in three predominant ways…
Sight (visual)
Sound (auditory)
Touch (kinesthetic)
Visual people generally are more fast-paced, outgoing people who like to look good (even if the clothes they are wearing hurt).
Things that help to fire up the brains of visual people are:
Writing notes when someone is talking to you
Change pen color if get a ´brain freeze" while writing.
Change font color on computer.
Look upwards when thinking (it activates the visual part of your brain).
Looking at different pictures on the topic is more likely to stimulate new ideas.
A kinesthetic person is a more tactile person who may fidget more or talk a bit slower. They will tend to dress more for comfort.
A kinesthetic person requires movement to stimulate their brain such as:
Changing posture
Getting up and moving around
Squeezing a ´stress ball´
Any form of exercise
You can generally tell an auditory type person by their incessant talking or the melodic tone to their voice. They tend to dress a bit for comfort and a bit for looks.
They are half way between an auditory and kinesthetic.
An auditory person can fire up their brain by:
Talking to himself or herself or to someone else about the problem.
Humming a different tune.
Listen to some different music while working.
Once you become aware of how you process information you can use the recommended methods to stimulate your brain in a language that you understand. This will help you become quicker and more effective in your learning.
As you become familiar in your particular learning mode you will be able to identify the learning modes of your work colleagues and clients. As you adjust your communication to coincide with their particular mode of learning the effectiveness of your communication will improve massively as will your results.
"Sure," I replied and we had a quick meeting by the side of the stage to clarify what he would like mentioned.
I confidently strode onto the stage and picked up the microphone as I scanned the audience. When I began to speak I noticed that I could only hear every second or third word due to some technical challenges. As a recovered my composure I began my introduction of the speaker only to realize that I had forgotten the speakers surname!
I awkwardly dragged out the introduction while scouring my mind for her surname but I was still drawing a blank. I could feel by face burning with embarrassment as I became all too aware of the uncomfortable murmur that was growing within the audience. Eventually I quickly blurted out some muffled sound as her surname as I quickly escaped the scene of my embarrassment.
We all have had times when our brain ceases to function and our mind just tends to draw a blank. It can happen in quite public or embarrassing circumstances (like mine) or it can just be a frustrating impediment to your daily work.
Whatever the circumstances there are some things that you can do that can help wake up your brain from its slumber. Here a few brain boosting exercises to try…
Brain Boosting Exercise No.1
Get Up And Have A Drink Of Water
Even mild dehydration can impair concentration and performance. Monitor your hydration levels by ensuring that your urine color is clear.
Brain Boosting Exercise No. 2
Cross Crawling
March on the spot by raising your knee and opposite arm at the same time. To help coordinate exercise, focus on hitting your opposite knee with your opposite hand whilst marching on the spot. This helps to improve the communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
As we know the right hand side of the brain predominantly controls creativity and the left hand side of the body whilst the left hemisphere of the brain controls logic and the right hand side of the body. Cross crawling exercises help encourage your brain to think logically and creatively at the same time.
It may not be entirely appropriate to be marching up and down in the middle of a board meeting but it can be done during a quick bathroom break.
Brain Boosting Exercise No.3
Massage Your Brain Buttons
Your two ´brain buttons´ are located in 2 locations, one of which is located directly on your umbilicus. To find the second brain button go along both of your collarbones to where they meet the top of your breastbone (sternum). Here you will find a bump on the end of both of your collarbones. Just underneath both of these bony bumps your other set of brain buttons reside.
With one hand rub the top brain buttons simultaneously using your thumb and index finger. At the same time, rub the lower umbilicus brain button with a couple of fingers from your other hand. Do this for thirty seconds and repeat by swapping over your hands. This is thought to stimulate the blood flow to your brain.
Brain Boosting Exercise No.4
Change Your Way Of Learning
According to the science of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) we process the information that we receive in three predominant ways…
Sight (visual)
Sound (auditory)
Touch (kinesthetic)
Visual people generally are more fast-paced, outgoing people who like to look good (even if the clothes they are wearing hurt).
Things that help to fire up the brains of visual people are:
Writing notes when someone is talking to you
Change pen color if get a ´brain freeze" while writing.
Change font color on computer.
Look upwards when thinking (it activates the visual part of your brain).
Looking at different pictures on the topic is more likely to stimulate new ideas.
A kinesthetic person is a more tactile person who may fidget more or talk a bit slower. They will tend to dress more for comfort.
A kinesthetic person requires movement to stimulate their brain such as:
Changing posture
Getting up and moving around
Squeezing a ´stress ball´
Any form of exercise
You can generally tell an auditory type person by their incessant talking or the melodic tone to their voice. They tend to dress a bit for comfort and a bit for looks.
They are half way between an auditory and kinesthetic.
An auditory person can fire up their brain by:
Talking to himself or herself or to someone else about the problem.
Humming a different tune.
Listen to some different music while working.
Once you become aware of how you process information you can use the recommended methods to stimulate your brain in a language that you understand. This will help you become quicker and more effective in your learning.
As you become familiar in your particular learning mode you will be able to identify the learning modes of your work colleagues and clients. As you adjust your communication to coincide with their particular mode of learning the effectiveness of your communication will improve massively as will your results.
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