Maybe she might just have that early night she was always promising
herself.Annie doesn’t look after her brain as well as she could, nor are the
conditions at her workplace entirely conducive to its successful per-
formance. As you read this book you will learn many practical ways
in which you can take more care of your brain. Here are 10 to get
you started.10 tips for treating your brain right
1 Keep well hydrated. Your brain needs plenty of water for its “elec-
tronic circuitry” to function effectively.
2 Take regular stretch breaks. Your brain needs lots of oxygenated blood
to work well. Just standing up releases an extra 20 percent.
3 Always give the big picture first. Your brain is constantly trying to
make connections, so giving the big picture in advance allows it
time to make sense of things and gather together all it knows about
a particular subject, even for someone who loves to focus on the
details.
4 Avoid talking at people for long periods. Your mind can only absorb a
certain amount of new data and unless the speaker is very talented
it will switch off after 20 minutes or so.
5 Vary the ways you give out information. Our minds are all different,
some preferring visual, some auditory, and some the kinesthetic
experience of getting up and “doing” something.
6 Think about concentration spans. While it is helpful to stay on task
when you are flowing well, regular short breaks every 20 or 30 min-
utes often help the mind to remain engaged.
7 Break big things down into accessible bits. Your brain finds it easier to
deal with big issues when they are broken down into smaller
elements.
8 Use humor. There is evidence that when you laugh your brain
releases chemicals called endorphins that act as relaxants.
9 Don’t create fear in others if you want them to perform well. Under stress
our brains think only of survival and higher-order thinking stops
happening effectively.32 Power Up Your Mind
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