Is intelligence a function of nature or nurture? Are people born smart or do they become smart? The safest answers are it depends or all of the above. Many search for explanations for differences in people, yet the challenge is to search for ways to maximize your own personal potential. There are some key habits, exercises, and ways of thinking that can help you increase your memory, make more strategic decisions, increase understanding, and enhance mental clarity. This workshop will expose you to simple things that you can do on a regularly basis to challenge your mind engage your thinking to access greater creativity and intellectual focus.
At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
a. Identify habits to increase memory and thinking
b. Explore strategies to increase creativity
c. Play brain teasing games to enhance focus
2. Brain Quiz
Question 1
Question 2
People who
meditate for 30
minutes a day for
8 weeks show
changes in parts
of the brain
associated with
memory, sense of
self, empathy and
stress?
Human brains are
the most complex
of any living
organism on
earth?
Answer: True
Answer: True
Question 3
Question 4
The brain
accounts for 2%
of the body’s
mass and burns
what % of the
body’s energy?
What percentage
of the brain is
made up of
water?
Answer: 20%
Answer: 80%
3. Brain Quiz
Question 5
Question 6
How much does
your brain weigh?
At what age does
your brain stop
growing and
changing?
Answer: 3 lbs.
Answer: Late
teens and early
twenties, but
continues to
change your
whole life
Question 7
Using your brain
can strengthen
the trillions of
connections
between brain
synapses?
Answer: True
Question 8
Your brain
generates enough
watts of power
when you are
awake to
illuminate a 25
watt light bulb?
Answer: True
9. Eating Right for Maximum Brain Power
Nourish – Carbohydrates
Fuel Your Brain
• Glucose is the only fuel normally
used by brain cells
• Neurons cannot store glucose, they
depend on the bloodstream to
deliver a constant supply of this
precious fuel
• This blood sugar (glucose) is
obtained from carbohydrates:
Glucose from carbohydrates is the fuel
your brain uses to product the energy
that moves and motivates you.
Fatty Acids
Micronutrients
Amino
Acids
– grains
– legumes
– fruits
– vegetables
– dairy products
• Too much sugar or refined
carbohydrates can actually
deprive your brain of glucose.
Glucose
Source: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html
10. Question – What Nutrient Gives You
Omega-3
• Extra Boost to Brain Power
• Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
11. Sleep Boosts Brain Cell Numbers
Myelin Ensheaths Nerves to Protect Them and Speed Up Their Signaling
Necessary for Our Nervous System to Properly Work
12. Power of Quick Naps
• Caffeine Can Decrease Memory Performance
• Nap on a Regular Schedule
30-60 Minutes Helps Boost Memory and Enhances Creativity
14. Word About Exercise
• Increases Oxygen to Your Brain
• Reduces Risk of Disorders that Lead to
Memory Loss
• Enhances Production of Brain Chemicals –
Protects Brain Cells
• Testosterone Surge After Exercise
– Production of New Brain Cells Takes Place
• Increases Dopamine Released
– Dopamine Helps Your Brain Improve Concentration
15. #2 POWER OF NEGATIVE/
POSITIVE SELF TALK
ON THE BRAIN
16. Power of Negative Self Talk
I’m Not
Qualified
for this Job
I Can’t
Do This
I’m Not
Supposed
to Be Here
I’m Not
Smart
Enough
I’m Not
Good
Enough
17. Power of Positive Self Talk
I am
Qualified
I Can Do
This
I Belong
Here
I am Smart
Enough
I am Good
Enough
19. De-Stressing
STRESS is One of the Brain’s Worst Enemies
• Destroys Brain Cells
• Damages a Region of the Brain Involved in the
Formation of New Memories and the Retrieval
of Old Ones
20. Hot Buttons
are things that annoy, irritate, and/or
frustrate you.
I get extremely irritated, frustrated, or annoyed if a person:
Misses deadlines
Talks but doesn’t listen
Does not share information
with team members
Only thinks about his or her needs
or interests
Is derogatory
Thinks he or she knows it all
22. Hot Buttons
What You Can Do When a
Hot Button is Pushed
• Don’t React
• Practice De-stressing Techniques
–
–
–
–
Deep Breathing
Visualization
Take a Walk
What Else?
24. Two Hormones Effects on the Brain
• Testosterone – Effect on Key Cognitive Functions
– Attention, Memory, and Social Ability
• Cortisol – Stress Hormone Increased Levels Lead
to Memory Impairment and a Smaller
Hippocampus
28. Power of Meditation on the Brain
• Meditation Changes Actual Brain
– Regular Meditators have More Activity in the Left
Pre-frontal Cortex
• Associated with Feelings of Joy
– Increases the Thickness of the Cerebral Cortex
• Encourages More Connections Between Brain
Cells
Increases Mental Sharpness and Memory Ability
31. #6 POWER OF LEARNING
SOMETHING NEW
ON THE BRAIN
32. Power of New Learning
“Use It or
Lose It”
Working Out Your Brain, Increases the Process to Remember Information
33. How Do You Get a Brain Workout
• Visit New Places
• Different Kinds of Books
• Challenging Hand-Eye Coordination
Pick Something New, Challenging and Fun!
34. #7 POWER OF HAVING FOCUSED
CONVERSATIONS ON THE
BRAIN
39. Social Connections
Relationships Stimulate Our Brain
• Interacting with Others is the Best Kind of Brain
Exercise
• Vital for Brain Health
Exercise
How Can I Build More Social Connections?
40. #9 POWER OF TRICKS TO
MEMORY RETENTION
ON THE BRAIN
41. Tricks to Memory Retention
• Pay Attention
• Involve as Many Senses as Possible
• Relate Information to What You Already Know
• Rehearse in Your Mind
Too much sugar or refined carbohydrates can actually deprive your brain of glucose – depleting its energy supply and compromising your brain's power to concentrate, remember, and learnMental activity requires a lot of energy
Make a regular part of your routine, setting an alarm for a short snooze 20-minute power nap – sometimes called the Stage 2 Nap – is good for alertness and motor learning skills like typing and playing the pianoLonger naps:30 to 60 minutes – help boost memory and enhance creativity 60 to 90 minutes – plays a key role in making new connections in the brain and solving creative problemsCaffeine can decrease memory performance Napping regularly may reduce stress and even decrease you risk of heart diseaseNap on a regular schedule:Between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.30 minutes or less if you don’t want to wake up groggyNap in a dark room or wear an eye maskStay warm