1-Make the most of daylight
Have you ever thought of going out in the morning for a short walk to soak up some sun (without sunglasses)? You’ll get a boost of dopamine to start your day, along with a dose of a free, natural anti-depressant.
And if the sun isn’t out (as it often isn’t in winter), plan to take a break and go outside when it is. Light—mainly blue light—is captured by light-sensitive cells on the retina and affects the pineal gland by regulating melatonin, which helps adjust our circadian rhythm for the sleep-wake cycle.
2-Take a cold shower
This isn’t for everyone, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions. If you’re interested in giving it a try, taking a cold shower in the morning causes a shock that releases a number of neurotransmitters and hormones in the body:
- Dopamine, which affects motivation, pleasure and mood.
- Noradrenaline (or norepinephrine), which plays a role in stress response and alertness.
- Serotonin, which has a more indirect effect. Research suggests that it affects mood and sleep regulation.
- Endorphins, which affect pain and mood
Basically, it’s a custom-made cocktail to get you in top shape for the day ahead!
Our body temperature drops at night (it’s at its lowest at about 4 a.m., when our body is generally in the deepest stage of sleep and when our metabolism slows down). And it rises during the day (it’s generally at its highest between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., though this may vary, of course, depending on sleep habits, lifestyle, exercise, sauna use, etc.).
By taking a cold shower in the morning, you’ll feel good and you’ll be alert!
3-Wait a while before having coffee
Hold off on having coffee until you’ve been up for 90 minutes. Instead, start your day by drinking a big glass of room‑temperature water to hydrate yourself or, better yet, a cup of lukewarm water with a squeeze of lemon. By waiting to have your first cup of coffee, you delay the onset of sleep. In other words, you’re more likely to feel tired later in the day rather than in the afternoon. How does that work? Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors and blocks the natural build-up of sleepiness during the day. This prolongs alertness and attention during work hours.
To maintain long-term performance, have your last coffee of the day before 2 p.m.—a tip from Dr. Tara Swart, a physician and neuroscientist who teaches neuroscience and leadership at MIT. Why? To follow the circadian rhythm, which regulates all of the body’s functions on a 24-hour cycle. Although the ideal time varies depending on your health, metabolism and habits, it’s generally recommended that people avoid coffee 8 to 10 hours before going to bed.
4-Breathe through your nose
Literally. Keeping your mouth closed and breathing through your nose has many benefits (the most obvious being that the nose filters and humidifies the air you inhale, which the mouth can’t do). Respiration equals restoration. Recently, you may have seen some tennis athletes practising with tape over their mouths. They have informed coaches.
The benefits of nose breathing (and the disadvantages and risks of mouth breathing) are described at length in Breath, a book by New York Times journalist James Nestor. As a real scientific adventure, he did an in-depth study of the art of breathing. In a nutshell, the mouth is for eating, and the nose is for breathing.
5-Be active
Neurologist and professor Wendy Suzuki describes her work on the relationship between exercise and the brain (1) in a very popular TED Talk (it has over 9 million views). She explains the benefits of exercise on memory and the long-term maintenance of cognitive abilities.
She says that breathing and movement have calming effects on our nervous system (this has been scientifically proven) and can nurture our creativity and sense of connection.
Exercise releases endorphins, the neurotransmitters that create what is sometimes called the “exercise high.” Have you ever had that feeling of well-being after a workout? Endorphins act as natural analgesics and are linked to pain relief. If you want to feel that same “high,” you may also be able to get it by laughing genuinely for a long time, eating certain foods, getting a massage or listening to music.
6-Take breaks: naps, the Pomodoro Technique and brain balance
As with weight training, taking breaks helps recovery and ultimately boosts cognitive performance. We mean real breaks: times when you allow yourself to do nothing, not even think about another topic. These breaks could be a nap of less than 20 minutes (to avoid falling into a deep sleep).
In moments of idleness, the brain may suddenly find the solution to a problem.
The Pomodoro Technique is another efficiency and time management method that can help you maintain your concentration. It involves dividing time into short blocks, generally of 25 minutes, called “pomodoros,” followed by a 5-minute break. After completing 4 cycles, you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
So if you’re working on a demanding assignment, schedule some brain breaks. Downtime is one of the essential mental activities on the Healthy Mind Platter. This tool was created by Dr. David Rock, Director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, and Dr. Daniel Siegel, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute.
7-Optimize your workspace and ergonomics
Make sure that your workspace meets your needs (layout, lighting, etc.). Limit distractions (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.), especially if you’re in a learning environment. Turn off all notifications and work in a neutral environment.
The idea is to free up space in your mind by reducing all the stimuli that get in the way of what you want to achieve so that you can be fully engaged in what you’ve decided to. For more on this topic, talk to Dr. Steve Masson, a professor of neuroeducation at the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), about neural activation. (2)
8-Exercise your neurons to stay sharp
Contrary to popular belief, we don’t start losing neurons after the age of 25! Neuroplasticity exists in adulthood. Learning new things stimulates neural connections. For example, playing games or learning a new language, a musical instrument, or a new dance routine helps maintain intellectual alertness. By diversifying stimuli, we maintain the brain’s neuroplasticity and ability to establish new connections throughout our lives.
9-Focus on the pleasure of learning, intrinsic motivation and growth mindset
According to neuroscience, we can get pleasure from doing a task (Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset Theory). The reward comes from the joy of discovery, learning and surprises during exploration. The brain then releases dopamine, which is associated with motivation.
If you lack motivation, a little fear can help! We mean healthy, reasonable fears, of course, not the kind that inhibit any reaction or paralyze you. Generating the right level of stimulation and mild stress (and therefore the right level of cortisol) can help you take action and break out of a period of inactivity. Saying to yourself, “If I miss this deadline, it won’t be good” can sometimes help you complete a project that’s been on the back burner for a long time.
10-Take care of your sleep
Sleep duration and quality are essential for recovery and therefore for productivity. The reality is that no one can function effectively on only four hours of sleep. Specialists even go so far as to say that “the brain starts to eat itself after chronic sleep deprivation.” (3) Less dramatically, sleep deprivation affects concentration, creativity and the ability to make informed decisions.
Disconnecting and resting allows you to resume work more effectively the next day. And sleeping after learning helps you memorize what you’ve learned and cement it in your brain.
Getting a good night’s sleep may mean avoiding screens in the evening (blue light blocks melatonin production) and getting used to going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
Conclusion
While the brain is a complex organ, discoveries about how it works are constantly being made, helping us to both understand it better and use it more effectively so that we can work even more intelligently.
The tips in this article can help you maximize your productivity at work.
Remember that although the brain is a powerful organ, it needs proper care and attention. By taking regular breaks, optimizing your work environment, managing stress, planning strategically and taking care of your sleep, you can maximize your effectiveness and successfully achieve your career goals.
To go further :
Professional Efficiency: Enhancing Your Performance Through Neurosciences
(1) Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators - lien
(2) Steve Masson – Activer ses neurones pour mieux apprendre et enseigner.
(3) NewScientist - The brain starts to eat itself after chronic sleep deprivation
