Our Wandering Minds

Emotions are not a disposable or unnecessary response, but are signals, giving us vital clues about the state of our mind and body, akin to pain. It is a neglected part of our survival mechanism.

Our natural reaction is to suppress our emotions, but it is increasingly apparent that repression of our emotions, especially the stronger kind, is psychologically and physically harmful to us.

Showing emotion using empathetic and active listening is part of emotional intelligence and is greatly valued as a managerial skill set.

Studies show that empathic leaders enjoy more success and goodwill. Interpersonal communication is greatly enhanced when one is able to read someone's emotions and control one’s emotional reactions.

• Attention. To learn, we need to be able to focus on some aspects while ignoring or excluding others. For example, reading this paragraph while ignoring the noise around you.
• Memory. Knowing how memory works and how you can make learning more efficient can increase your performance. Science-based techniques include interleaving and chunking.
• Executive control. Being able to plan, to create a sequence of steps, and to retain important information for short periods. While most happens in the prefrontal cortex, lots of research is needed to understand how executive control works.
• Social behaviour. Social Neuroscience is aiming to understand how our biology affects our social behaviours.
• Neurodiversity. Conditions such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), dyscalculia (difficulty with arithmetical calculations), and dyslexia impact learning. Neuroeducation aims to understand how these conditions best adapt to the learning environment.

Learning starts in childhood and continues into adulthood. Some learning happens in our spare time, and a lot in the workplace.

Many of the current applications of neuroeducation in the classroom are usable in the workplace. Since $80 billion is spent every year on corporate training in the United States, we need to ensure training interventions are effective. Neuroeducation could provide an answer, ensuring employees understand how the brain thinks, learn, and make decisions.

Research found that divergent thinking is linked to playfulness and creativity.

Children who play more tend to display curiosity, persistence, nonconformity, and a willingness to take risks. These are important characteristics for innovative solutions.

• Mind mapping helps your brain work by association. Start in the centre and add notes, connecting branches together.
• Brainstorming. Generate as many ideas as possible.
• Free writing. Focus on the question and write without stopping for a specified time.
• Journaling. It helps to clarify your thinking while producing new ideas.
• Art. Doodling, painting, creating graphs and illustrations will help you think outside the box.
• Role playing. Putting yourself in the shoes of a different character is a good way to practice divergent thinking.