Re-Energize Your Brain
We all use tools in our work, and all of these tools need to be re-energized in some way over time. They need to be polished, sharpened, refurbished. They need new spark plugs or a tune up. Some times they even need new batteries.
We take these maintenance tasks seriously because we know that when the batteries are fully charged we get the full potential out of electrical devices and when the machinery has been maintained it lasts longer and works more economically.
Doesn't it make sense then to do some regularly scheduled maintenance on our brain - a tool far more valuable than the rest?
It happens to all of us. We get in ruts, we build routines and we develop habits, and in doing so we often don't use our brain the way we could. It is one of our most valuable and precious resources and it is time to re-energize it.
Here then are eight ways you can re-energize, re-invigorate and do some ongoing maintenance for your brain.
1. Ask Why? Our brains are wired to be curious. As we grow up and "mature" many of us stifle or deny our natural curiosity. Let yourself be curious! Wonder to yourself about why things are happening. Ask someone in the know. The best way to exercise our curiosity is by asking "Why?" Make it a new habit to ask "why?" at least 10 times a day. Your brain will be happier and you will be amazed at how many opportunities and solutions will show up in your life and work.
2. Laugh. Scientists tell us that laughter is good for our health; that it releases endorphins and other positively powerful chemicals into our system. We don't really need scientists to tell us that it feels good to laugh. Laughing helps us reduce stress and break old patterns too. So laughter can be like a "quick-charge" for our brain's batteries. Laugh more, and laugh harder.
3. Remember. Get out an old photo album or high school yearbook. Your brain is a memory machine, so give it a chance to work! Spend time with your memories. Let your mind reflect on them and your mind will repay you in positive emotions and new connections from the memories to help you with your current tasks and challenges.
4. Do a puzzle. Some of us like jigsaw puzzles, some crossword puzzles, some logic puzzles - it really doesn't matter kind you choose to do. Doing puzzles in your free time is a great way to activate your brain and keep it in good working condition. Do the puzzle for fun, but do it knowing you are exercising your brain.
5. Play. Take time to play. Make time to play. Play cards. Play video games. Play board games. Play Ring Around the Rosie. Play tug of war. It doesn't matter what you play. Just play! It is good for your spirit and good for your brain. It gives your brain a chance to think strategically, and keeps it working.
6. Learn something new. This one might seem obvious. Yes, we capitalize on our brain's great potential when we put it to work learning new things. You may have a specific topic for work or leisure that you want to learn more about. That's great. Go learn it. If you don't have a subject in mind right now, try learning a new word each day. There is a strong correlation between working vocabulary and intelligence. When we have new words in our vocabulary, our minds can think in new ways with greater nuances between ideas. Put your mind to work learning. It is one of the best ways to re-energize your brain.
7. Write to be read. I am a big proponent of writing in a journal to capture ideas and thoughts. There is certainly great value in writing for yourself. I continue to find that my brain is greatly stimulated by writing to be read. Writing this article (and at least one per week) is one example and writing in my blog is another example. There are several situations and audiences for which I write each week. There are many benefits to me in doing this. The greatest isn't visibility or marketing; the greatest is what it does to expand my brain's capacity. Find ways to write to be read - in your church newsletter, by writing things for your kids to read, by capturing the stories of your childhood (see number 3 above), starting your own blog or whatever - just write to be read.
8. Exercise. We all know that exercise is important for your physical health. Our brain is a part of that body, so increasing our blood flow brings more oxygen to the brain - oxygen that is the fuel for that beautiful brain. When I exercise I get fresh ideas. When I exercise I feel better physically and mentally. Just add "improving my brain" to the list of great reasons to exercise.
This is a short but powerful list. I encourage you to apply at least one of these approaches starting today. Look at your to do list and your calendar. Put it on your list in ink.
Your brain will thank you in the form of new ideas, greater stamina, more passion for your tasks and in so many more ways.
Kevin Eikenberry is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on "Unleashing Your Potential" go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.
MORE RESOURCES:
Don't let fear choke creativity Seattle Times It taught me that creativity comes in many forms. The experience of fearing failure and then being redirected and encouraged to try a different way was ... |
 Sydney Morning Herald | Lack of creativity handcuffs 'Bounty' Milwaukee Journal Sentinel AP Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler have a love-hate-love bond in “The Bounty Hunter.” By Sue Pierman, Special to the Journal Sentinel Journal Sentinel TV ... Metro Morning Movie Reviews |
Canon U.S.A. Joins Creative Forces with Fashion Brand LeSportsac MarketWatch (press release) ... all over the world, has applied the same fashion-forward design creativity to create this exclusive camera case for Canon PowerShot Digital cameras. ... |
Crystal Springs(R) Creative Manager Uses her Talents for the Susan G. Komen ... PR Newswire (press release) ATLANTA, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Emily Custer has worked for four years in the Creative Department at the headquarters of DS Waters (brand owner of Crystal ... |
Symphony holds creative writing contest The Daily Sound Now organizers with the Santa Barbara Symphony hope the piece will inspire many others through a creative writing contest. Contestants of all ages can ... |
A Jif(R) Peanut Butter Sandwich Earns an Aspiring Kid Chef a $25000 ... PR Newswire (press release) "We applaud Rachel and all of the runners-up for demonstrating their creativity and culinary skills with their imaginative peanut butter sandwiches," said ... |
Gaga is the next Madonna: Director Hindustan Times He added: "She's (Madonna) always very creative. She always goes back to creativity. She has so much politics around and all these stupid rumours and gossip ... |
 Press Herald | New MECA president sees creativity market growth Press Herald He also believes that students who are well-schooled in the arts are better prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century, and that their creative ... |
 Boston Globe | After loss, new love and creativity found Boston Globe Peter Lieberson at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he is being treated for the leukemia diagnosed following his late wife's death. ... |
Weaving Creative Careers into an MBA Mix BusinessWeek But can creativity—or at least a genuine comprehension of creative processes—really be taught to hard-headed business men and women in the classroom? ... |
Improvisation in Life and the Arts: What I learned from Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovitch
Can you be an artist while you're washing the dishes?In this article I share some of my learning and impressions from a chapter of the exceptional book, "Free Play", by Stephen Nachmanovitch.This subtitle of this book, "The Power of Improvisation in Life and the Arts", speaks of bringing the improvising we do as creative artists into our daily routines and interactions.
Business Innovation - Personal Creativity
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.
Riches Through Creative Thinking!
When solving problems after you have exhausted the normal means of coming up with the solution, think in terms of unorthodox methods. Vary your thinking and try to solve the problems by creating something completely new and irrelevant.
Creativity Isnt Just About Art It Is About Healing
Go on, pick up a pen, hold it in your hand and ask, " What can you do for me?"What do you hear? If you listen with your heart you may hear " I can show you a world within that only you and I can explore! Let's start writing and see what we can find."As you travel deeper within you will start to find a world of emotion and thoughts that you never imagined you had, whether you are delving into those dark corners of pain or dancing into the lightness of your being.
Mindfulness and Music: Things That Go Hmmm
Shhh..
Re-Energize Your Brain
We all use tools in our work, and all of these tools need to be re-energized in some way over time. They need to be polished, sharpened, refurbished.
Codifying Creativity
Can we codify creativity? Within these few words are a number of principles that must be identified and resolved before we can really answer the question.The first question is, what is creativity? What are we trying to codify?One useful definition of creativity is that it is problem identification and idea generation.
The Sylvia Plath Pattern Of Creative Flow
* Sylvia Plath teaches a valuable lesson about the Even Flow - opening the channels for creativity, regardless of this is for poetry or not.Sylvia Plath was a poet and that was her job and her life.
Creativity Management - Intellectual Cross Pollination
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.
Creative Thinking The Secret Key To Lasting Success
What is creativity anyway? Well, let us look at the word. Creativity means the capability to build, create something.
Art, Artists and Money
Practical money tips for people in the arts.1.
A Quick Course in Creativity
This quick course in creativity is designed to give you a platform to stand on as we look at the various ways you can handle home, social and workplace situations, job-search details and career-path decisions.Let's examine what creativity might look like.
A New Discovery Of An Old Secret
Some years ago, when the world seemed to close in on me and I felt asthough I was trapped between the sword and the wall, I made an excitingdiscovery. Actually, it was a phenomenon that was as old as dirt but ittook on significant meanings for me because it freed me from all myproblems and all the stresses and pressures that were being imposed uponme.
Connect with Your Inner Artist
In the "Roadblocks to Creativity" e-course, we look at the 7 most common things that block our creative expression. So, if we're "blocked" when we're facing those things, what are we like when we're free of them?Well, certainly we're connected to our "Inner Artist".
Forget Thinking Outside The Box....GET Outside The Box
I happened to overhear a conversation the other day between two men?Young man has started learning about real estate investing. He has read books and attended seminars put on by some gurus who make more money selling information about real estate investing than they do investing in real estate BUT at least he is taking the initiative to learn more.
New Inventions - From Absurd to Wacky!
New inventions? Heard of a revolving restaurant combination television tower? How about color x-ray pictures? Or heard of a new invention that turns the sea's salt water drinkable? These are wacky new inventions not having been fully used!Are you on the lookout for shirts that don't require ironing? For $4,000.00, you are able to purchase a shirt processed out of titanium-alloy fibers interwoven with nylon.
A Book About Faith and Love
With news about Iraq and London and even our own neighborhood disasters, we need something to encourage us to keep going. While browsing the net the other day I came upon the most wonderful way of preserving my HOPE.
How to Make Time for Art
The key to making time for art is the ability to say "NO".If you say "yes" to everything that is asked of you, you will not have time to be creative.
Mind Power Games
Want a fun way to tune up your brain? Why not use some classic mind games to help you increase your brainpower and get you out of your thinking "ruts." Good mind games habituate you to using creative problem solving as a normal part of thinking about things.
Creativity Management - Collaboration NOT Competition
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.
