Do you take care of the most important organ in your body? The one that helps you with problem solving? The one that helps you with innovating new ideas? The one that helped the human race as a whole with inventions and path-breaking discoveries?
When I ask this question at my seminars, most people do not have a process or ritual that they do on a daily basis to take care of the health of their brain. I always say that if your body is a temple, then your brain is the high altar.
Isn’t it the brain which generates your thoughts, feelings, and movements?
The brain is fundamental to everything we do in life. I have over the years helped my client create a precise road map to help each one of them in improving the quality and quantity of brain health through my Personal Coaching & Group Seminars.
These according to me are the four pillars of the Road map:
Physical Activity:
Physical activity is the number one factor that can turn around a lifestyle that is heavily stressed. It plays a crucial role in enhancing brain health. Latest research studies indicate that physical activities activate the muscles to release molecules that are beneficial to the brain.
It also increases blood circulation to the brain. This helps to form new brain cells (neurons) and create new connections (synapses) between them. In my opinion, this is the most important reason why you should be involved in a daily physical activity.
Strengthen Brain Reserve:
The brain is like any other muscle in the body that goes through wear and tear. So it is important to strengthen the brain reserve for our later years. The most effective way to do this is to be mentally active by investing time daily in “cognitive stimulation”.
The list of things you can do is limited only by your imagination.
This is a personal choice,pick an activity that you can do every day for a long period of time, in order to reap the benefits. It can be anything from mindful meditation to a game of bridge or Sudoku.
Pick an activity that stimulates the brain to think, concentrate, and enhance memory. Choosing a social activity with a small group of like-minded people would make it even more enjoyable.
Eating Healthy:
When I talk about healthy eating, most people are aware of its benefits for keeping the body healthy, but are surprised when I talk about its role in emotional well-being.
A well-balanced and nutritious diet will complement any activity that you do.
All you need to do is to utilize to the maximum, the process through which rich nutrients from the food we eat reaches the brain through the bloodstream. In your diet, include foods which have nutrients that play a crucial role in brain health, such as Omega 3.
This is found in fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, and avocado, as well as several other foods.
Managing Chronic Stress:
The most common lifestyle disorder that I have come across among people who are entrepreneurs or in the corporate world is chronic stress.
The brain is loaded with stress receptors, which is why stress is extremely toxic to the brain, if it is not managed effectively and immediately.
Latest research indicates that Indians are genetically vulnerable to stress. In contrast, people from other countries appear to be more resilient. This further impacts the way we individually respond to stress in our lives.
There are numerous lifestyle choices that can help you manage chronic stress. I always recommend “mindfulness” and meditation for stressed executives.
This is an effective way to manage and reduce stress, both in the long & short term as well. Another stress-reducing habit is creating and maintaining healthy sleep patterns. This has proven to be beneficial for both brain and body.
So get into the habit of sleeping for at least 6 to 8 hours every night.
Working on your brain health actually requires a lot more to be done step by step.
Yes, one needs to follow a step by step procedure buy focusing on the key driver of brain health ie emotions. When one’s emotions are managed well, the brain health gets a boost.
Need professional help to work on it? You can reach out to us by clicking on the link below …
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As the topic is too vast to be discussed in this blog, we have collated various learnings from our experience of Coaching people since more than a decade and put them in the form of a Learning Experience for you.
Besides working with clients one-on-one, we also engage with corporate teams through my “Group Coaching Sessions”
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