, ,

What Does Your Brain Say About You?

Posted by

“The headline conclusion reached is that journalists are undoubtedly subject to a range of pressures at work and home, but the meaning and purpose they attribute to their work contributes to helping them remain mentally resilient despite this.”

~ Lindsay Dodgson

Journalists Got a Bad Rap, BUT…

They have lessons to teach anyone who has a high-stress lifestyle and wants to make wise strategic decisions, and complete lots of productive work. Evidence suggests that journalists are extremely good at coping with stress and do not show the physical impact, but their cognitive function is below average. Unfortunately… the effect of stress and typical coping mechanisms does have an impact on their brain especially when it comes to:

  • Executive function
  • Focus and silencing the mind

Both of these areas are critical for entrepreneurs and business owners – so, it makes sense to pay attention and see what you can learn.

How Do YOU Rate on these Typical Stress Coping Mechanisms?

People like you from all walks of life cope with stress by…

  • Drinking alcohol
  • Drinking caffeine
  • Consuming sugar in many forms

On the other hand…

Most executives don’t…

  • Drink enough water and are chronically dehydrated
  • Exercise or even move enough throughout the day

The journalists in this study all fell into those health traps as well and, as a result, it seems that they were working longer hours to meet those deadlines because the same work took far longer – other studies suggest that it could be nearly 70% more time-consuming due to susceptibility to distractions – and also less confident and careful in their decisionmaking.

Can You AFFORD that Sort of Attrition?

As an entrepreneur, business owner, or marketing manager you need to:

  • Meet deadlines
  • Be accountable to your team and stakeholders
  • Cope with heady workloads
  • Make yourself and your company visible
  • Deal with customers
  • Handle financial obligations and stresses

In the midst of that you need to be functioning at the peak levels of executive function (decision-making) and focus (silencing the mind and eliminating distractions).

People depend on you, so you can’t afford to allow this stress to affect your cognitive function as these journalists often did.

What Do You Need to Do?

  • Follow the Journalists’ Example: find meaning and purpose in your work. If it’s not there already, then make it meaningful… Or find something else to do before your body pays the price.
  • Drink Plenty of Water: water is proven brain food and increases your ability to focus and make decisions under pressure. Most people don’t drink enough.
  • Move Regularly: set reminders to stand at least once each hour and respond when they go off. Build that movement into your meetings so everyone gets the brain benefits.
  • Alternatives to Caffeine, Alcohol, and Sugar: many people use these to help them focus as a habit, rather than a decision. Instead of reaching for sweets or coffee think about alternatives that won’t fry your brain. Often a quick breathing or stretching routine can be just as energising as coffee or sugar (and they do less damage in other ways).
  • Plan Your Sleep: cutting out (or reducing) alcohol, sugar, and caffeine will help you to sleep more deeply and feel more refreshed – both of these will help you focus more and make wiser decisions.

These simple actions can help you raise your brain’s cognitive function above that of the average population member – and possibly even above that of your competitors.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *