Kate Creevey's Key Ideas from Brain Rules
by John Medina

When we are in survival mode, we are not connecting with the world around us.

You may be aware of this by feeling irritated or annoyed when someone tries to be nice to you, or even give you a hug, when you are stressed and upset. 

However, forcing ourselves to override the instinct to pull away and to physically connect with another being (human or animal) can help the brain understand that the world is ok and we can come out of survival mode.

Slowly, and maybe even it may take some time, the brain will relearn to lower it's barriers and allow us to feel connection and reapt its benefits.

The best way to move a brain state on is literally to get moving!

Exercise boosts brain function by improving blood flow, oxygen levels, and memory formation. Any type of movement is good and lots of different kinds of movements is even better.

• Walking - can help decrease stress hormones, release of endorphins (happy chemicals) and give your brain alternative visual stimuli and input.
• Yoga makes us move in many different ways including the option of going upside down (inversion poses). This can help increase ciruclation and oxygen delivery to the brain which can positively affect mood.

Attention is selective and easily distracted, so the brain needs novelty, emotion, and meaning to stay focused.

The brain loves to focus in on what it thinks will help us in the moment, so if we are focusing our attention on stressful thoughts the brain will lean into those for us. This is when we need to force our attention elsewhere. 

• Read a research paper that takes a novel work task to a place of meaninful application.
• Listen to music that feels good and makes you connect with the moment.
• Movement that helps you feel your body and be aware of the space you are in

Short-term memory is limited and fragile, so the brain needs repetition, association, and chunking to store information temporarily.

Long-term memory is enhanced by elaboration, retrieval, and spacing, which help the brain consolidate and recall information over time.

• Repetition: Repeating the information you want to remember several times.
• Association: Associating the information you want to remember with something that is already familiar to you.
• Elaboration: Elaborating on the information you want to remember can help you deepen your understanding and make it more meaningful.

Sleep is essential for the brain to process, integrate, and strengthen memories, as well as to restore energy and mood.

For some of us, it may take a mix of things to truly get in a state that prepares us for a deep, healing sleep. Think of this as your personal recipe card. It may take:

• Exercise or a late night stretching session
• Particular eating habits and timing
• Dimming lights and lighting candles
• Turning off the TV and putting down your phone
• Reading a good book
• Playing some chill tunes

Find the right mix for you and get those zzzz's that help our brain.

Vision is the dominant sense for the brain, which relies heavily on visual cues to interpret the world and communicate with others.

If you spend your day just looking at spreadsheets on a computer screen, then switch to TV and then to bed, this may not be setting your brain up for success. 

Looking at nature, reading a book, watch a dog playing in a park, looking up and into the distance through a window, try anything that will switch up your sensory input to optimsie your brain state.

Exploration is the brain’s natural tendency to seek new experiences, test hypotheses, and learn from mistakes, which fosters curiosity and creativity.

By living with a belief that the world is here to explore, taking a sense of curiosity to the work place with us and into our personal and professional relationships, can help us leverage our brains natural desire to deepen it's connection with the stimuli of the world. 

Remind your brain just how big and interesting your world is, and by doing so you will in turn get the most back from your personal power station, the brain.