Oct 16, 2020
This is an episode you
absolutely so NOT want to miss. Take a minute. Take
some notes, and apply what I’m going to talk about
today.
I go through dozens of articles,
podcasts and resources every morning when I wake up to fill my mind
with the right type of focus and content. I do this to deal
with all the negative that I involuntarily receive every day.
Well I want to go through an article with you today from Dr
Amen from the Amen Clinics…best selling author, podcast host and
someone that has done hundreds of thousands of brain scans on
individuals suffering from depression, anxiety and all types of
negative emotions. I absolutely feel it is so packed with
content I am going to read it to you rather than just summarize it.
It's got some critical information I feel can help each of
you in the community.
Talk about stress. If
you’re working from home, supervising distance learning for your
children, and dealing with the anxiety of
the pandemic, it can be overwhelming. At Amen Clinics, there’s been
a big increase in people asking for help to cope with it all. The
neuropsychiatrists at Amen Clinics have come up with the following
10 brain tips to keep you (and your kids) from getting frazzled,
frustrated, or fed up.
10 Brain Tips to Keep You (and
your kids) From Getting Frazzled, Frustrated, or Fed Up
1. Look for the
positive.
The human brain is hardwired for
negativity and during stressful times, like now, it’s easy to focus
on what’s wrong with your life. You need to train your brain to
look for the positive to enhance your moods. An easy way to do this
is to start each day by saying “Today is going to be a great
day.” This causes the brain to search for reasons why it will be
great. End each day with “What went well today?” This is
also a very easy lesson to teach your kids that will help them
maintain a more positive outlook.
2. Fuel your brain.
Feed your brain high-quality
foods and start the day with some protein for better focus and
energy. Also, be aware that your brain is comprised of 80% water,
and being even mildly dehydrated can negatively impact your
moods—making you feel more anxious, tense, depressed,
or angry—in addition to sapping your energy levels and
lowering your ability to concentrate. Being dehydrated by
just 2% impairs performance in tasks that require attention,
immediate memory skills, and physical performance, according to
research in the Journal of the American
College of Nutrition. This can be especially important for
kids with ADD/ADHD who
struggle with attention and concentration.
3. Exercise to boost blood flow
to the brain.
Even though your brain, which
weighs about 3 pounds, makes up only 2% of your body’s weight, it
uses 20% of the oxygen and blood flow in your body. Anything
that impairs blood flow hurts your brain and impairs
function. Brain
SPECT imaging measures blood flow in the brain and low
blood flow on SPECT has been seen with ADD/ADHD,
depression, bipolar
disorder, traumatic
brain injury, substance
abuse, suicide,
and more. One of the best ways to promote healthy blood flow
to the brain (and to your kids’ brains) is to exercise on a
regular basis. Exercise enhances moods, reduces stress and
anxiety, and increases focus and energy.
Absolutely something
I have gained benefit from...
4. Create a physical space for
work and school.
This way, when you (or your
kids) enter that space—even if it’s just a desk in the corner of
the living room—it signals to the brain that you’re in work mode
(or your kids are in learning mode).
5. Give your brain a
break.
The ideal amount of time to
work on a single task is 75-90
minutes, according to Bob Pozen, author of Extreme
Productivity and a lecturer at MIT. Taking mini-breaks during
the day boosts productivity. To reset and re-energize, try a brief
meditation session (improves focus and attention), deep breathing
(relieves stress and anxiety), or a quick walk (a natural mood
booster).
Brendon Bruchard
reinforces this…
This does not mean
TV or Social Media Break...
6. Share the load.
Depending on your anxiety level,
consider creating a learning pod or “pandemic pod.” Pods are small
groups of children—about 3 to 10 kids—who learn together in person.
Some pods hire a tutor to teach the children while others let the
parents split the duties. This means your brain gets a break from
classroom time so you can focus on your own work. It also creates a
sense of community, which is beneficial for the brain.
The same can be said
for small masterminds, groups or
networking...
7. Practice mental
hygiene.
In a pandemic, mental hygiene is
just as important as washing your hands. If you find yourself (or
your kids) saying things like, “Things will never go back to
normal” or “We’re all going to get COVID and die,” it’s time to
eliminate the ANTs
(automatic negative thoughts) that steal your happiness.
Whenever you or your children have a thought that makes you feel
sad, mad, nervous, or out of control, write it down and talk back
to it. This can be so helpful for moods and behavior.
Recognizing these
behaviors and thoughts totally empowers
you...
8. Encourage active listening at
home.
To make sure all family members
know what their role is in the household, practice active
listening. This is when you repeat back what you’ve
understood when another person is talking. This helps avoid the
miscommunication and conflicts that can harm relationships. When we
have great relationships, our brains tend to do much
better.
In business this is
a great way to help others feel you are listening and respect and
loyalty and performance...
9. Tell your brain it’s time to
relax.
At the end of the day, put your
work materials out of sight, if possible. This helps signal to your
brain that it’s time to power down and relax. To promote
relaxation, inhale calming scents, such as lemon, lavender,
honeysuckle, rose, jasmine, or vanilla.
I’ve spoken about
the idea of the Corporate Athlete…meaning the growth is in the
recovery not the stress...
10. Stick to a sleep
schedule.
While you’re sleeping,
your brain is hard at work performing some very critical functions
necessary to keep it operating at optimal levels. For example,
during sleep, your brain cleans or washes itself by eliminating
cellular debris and toxins that build up during the day (basically
taking out the neural trash), consolidates learning and memory, and
prepares for the following day. The American Academy of
Sleep Medicine recommends that children ages 6-12 get 9-12
hours and teenagers 13-18 years old get 8-10 hours of sleep each
night. Adults should aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Adequate sleep improves attention, behavior, learning, memory,
emotional regulation, quality of life, moods, and mental
health. Create a sleep routine for yourself and your children
and stick to it.
Obviously there are
seasons of life to consider with this, but overall its important to
maintain this part of sleep...
Anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD,
and other mental health conditions can’t wait. During these
uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever
and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your
symptoms worsen over time.
I think it is so
important for us to remember that we are not our minds. Our
brain is a tool and like anything else, you MUST keep it sharp,
clean and focused. I highly recommend any of Dr Amens books
on Mental Health and Brain health and he also has an incredible
podcast that he and his wife do which gives you small nuggets of
health and nutrition information as well as activities for the
brain and life in general. check it
out.
I’ll leave the link
to this article and his podcast in my show
notes….
Thanks for
listening. George Wright III
amenclinics.com
plus, check out the
podcast on itunes and google play