Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise… Which is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise… Which is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
Is This Deficiency Making It Harder for You to Think?
Lack of sleep is a global pandemic affecting around one third of all adults and two thirds of adolescents.
Organisations are waking up to the fact that sleep deprivation is bad for everyone. A study by Rand Europe and Cambridge University reported that lack of sleep is the leading cause of low productivity.
Tackling this problem doesn’t have to be hard or expensive but does require a shift in workplace culture and expectation.
Why It’s A Blessing Not to Work 996
Overwork doesn’t work. Studies have shown how working beyond 55 hours a week adds little if anything to productivity. It seems that 40 hours is the optimal amount. Not only that, overwork can lead to significant poorer mental and physical health. John Pencavel from Stanford has found that overwork provides insufficient time for individuals to restore and recover meaning subsequent work performance suffers.
Is Chocolate Really Good For Your Brain?
As Easter approaches, our thoughts move towards hot cross buns, school holidays and chocolate. With Australians consuming around 6.2 kgs of chocolate a year, apart from wondering what our growing consumption is doing to our waistlines it’s time to question some of the claims that abound as to whether chocolate really is a “super food” that’s good for our heart, immune system, mood and memory.
Lessons in Leadership from a Horse
I recently attended a session on leadership skills like no other I had ever attended. Horse whispering is a term I’d heard of but knew nothing about. So what was this about? Fundamentally it was a lesson in trust and the understanding that being seen as a worthy leader is a choice made by others.
Staying Smarter, Sharper and Happier with Recognition
It’s not a lack of engagement that’s the problem, it’s a lack of recognition and appreciation. Feeling valued, included, and appreciated boosts morale, confidence and trust. This makes us happier and nurtures a positive feedback loop towards greater engagement and contribution.
Do you need this stress busting strategy in your stress resiliency kit?
The discoveries from the new research looking into the connection between our gut and brain health are compelling.
It’s changing not just our understanding of how the MGB (microbiome-gut-brain) axis works but also its significance in determining our mood, level of anxiety or depression. The new field of neuropsychiatry and psychobiotics is leading the way in determining the importance of our food choices to our overall mental health and cognitive wellbeing.