[Ohio-Talk] Brain Awareness Week

[NFB Ohio Community Service]

When it comes to productivity, your brain is your best ally, but are you
ignoring the most important signals it’s sending? Considering this week is
Brain Awareness Week, now’s a good time to start paying attention to your
mental energy and learning how to manage it to boost your productivity.



Here are 10 quick tips for managing your thinking to increase your
productivity:

1.      Be mindful of your energy levels throughout the day. Notice the
situations and people that are associated with a loss of energy as well as
those that leave you “feeling the flow” and full of energy. Look for
patterns:

*Who is involved?

*What happens?

*What time of day does it happen?



Some signs that you’re experiencing a situation or person as an energy suck:

*Your mind wanders.

*You feel tired.

*You feel irritated.

*You start interrupting people.

*You make excuses to avoid certain events and people.



2. Maximize your productivity by keeping your changing energy levels in
mind and planning for them. For example:

*Schedule demanding tasks for your periods of highest energy.

*Mentally prepare for people and events that seem to drain your energy.

*Involve someone else in your interaction with an energy-draining person.



3. Meet people where they are, energetically speaking. This is not so much
about being non-judgmental as it is about developing empathy. Find out
about their preferences and circumstances and what’s draining their energy.



4. Hold the context, please. He acts that way because he’s lazy. She’s
doing that because she wants my job. Notice your tendency to unconsciously
fill in context when interacting with an energy-draining person. Instead,
ask people to proactively share their context. The Whole Brain® Model gives
you a way to manage a mismatch of energy. While differences in thinking
preference might be the source of the problem, we all have access to all
four thinking modes.



5. Tap into your own cognitive diversity as a way to accept diversity in
others. You can either resist differences or embrace them. Embracing them
allows you to reverse the energy drain that comes with resistance and start
having a lot more fun.



6. Stop multitasking. What you’re really doing is task switching, and the
brain simply isn’t good at it. Studies show that multitasking compromises
working memory, and the mental blocks created by task switching can eat up
as much as 40% of your productivity.



7. Master your attention. Notice when you disagree with people, and use it
as a cue to give them the gift of your full attention. Even if you don’t
agree, when you truly understand their perspective, you’ll be able to
minimize energy- and productivity-sapping conflict. Give that gift of full
attention to yourself, too. Quiet your mind for 5 or 10 minutes and decide
what you will focus on.



8. Match your tasks to your energy level. There’s only so much you can do
to control what’s going on around you, but the one thing you have control
over is your brain. So plan to check emails, social media and engage in
similar activities that don’t require much of a mental stretch during
low-energy times.



9. Keep a “clean machine.” Your energy levels are intimately connected to
your overall health. Exercise. Eat well. Get enough sleep. It’s no
coincidence that these are also linked to memory, learning and
attention—all essential for peak productivity.



10. Raise your productivity and energy levels by noticing what works. The
only way to keep improving and build on your successes is to pay attention
so you know what’s making the difference. Make intentional attention a
habit.



Energy is the pivot point in your productivity. The best way to get more
productive is to get more conscious about how you manage your energy drains
and gains.


LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT!


National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

Community Service Committee

nfbohiocs at gmail.com

 NFB Website <http://www.nfb.org>

Community Service Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/communityservicedivision/>


"I am filled with hope, energy, and love by participating in the National
Federation of The Blind because my expectations are raised, my
contributions make a difference to me and to others, and I can celebrate
the realization of my dreams with my Federation family”