Change Your Mind, Change Your Business: How to Train Your Brain for Optimal Success

© 2009 Global Change Management, Inc.
www.MindfullyChange.com
Change Your Mind, Change Your Business:Change Your Mind, Change Your Business:
How to Train Your Brain for Optimal SuccessHow to Train Your Brain for Optimal Success

Logos of Some Companies Served…

What Causes Our Brains to Under Perform?

Autonomic Nervous System

Fight or Flight
Heart pumps
faster: Increases
risk of heart
attack or stroke
Skin impacted by
sweat glands: Can
slow wound healing
and increase risk of
infections
Breathing
quickens: May
exacerbate asthma
and/or trigger
panic attacks
Stomach stops
digesting &
stomach acids
increase: May
cause nausea,
trigger IBS, etc.
Internally
hormones are
secreted:
Corrodes bones &
muscles, weakens
immune system

Judgment
diminishes,
aggression
may increase
Impact On Mental Clarity
Problem-
solving
abilities
reduced
Difficulties
accessing
long-term
memory
Ability to
remember
decreases,
impacting
learning
Message
receptors shut
down,
terminates
meaningful
rapport

www.MindfullyChange.comChronic Stress Cycle
Sympathetic System
Activated
Cortisol
“Stress Hormone”
Hypothalamus

What You Hold to Be TrueWhat You Hold to Be True
10:07

SubjectiveSubjectiveObjectiveObjective
What ActuallyWhat Actually
HappenedHappened
The Story YouThe Story You
Told YourselfTold Yourself
About WhatAbout What
HappenedHappened
Beliefs and “Brain Expectations”

Brain Expectations…
 When your boss calls in into his or her office, do you
immediately assume you are going to be reprimanded, or
complemented?
 Do you assume you will get a promotion, or are you so sure
you will not you do not even apply?
 Do you view the recession as an opportunity to grow your
business, or do you “just know” your business will suffer?
How do these “expectations” impact your productivity and
outcomes?

www.MindfullyChange.com The Good News…
Your Brain Can Change!
The brain can change itself. It is a plastic, living organ that can
actually change its own structure and function, even into old
age. Arguably the most important breakthrough in neuroscience
since scientists first sketched out the brain’s basic anatomy, this
revolutionary discovery, called neuroplasticity, promises to
overthrow the centuries-old notion that the brain is fixed and
unchanging. The brain is not, as was thought, like a machine, or
“hardwired” like a computer. Neuroplasticity not only gives hope
to those with mental limitations, or what was thought to be
incurable brain damage, but expands our understanding of the
healthy brain and the resilience of human nature.
- Norman Doidge, M.D., author of The Brain that Changes Itself

Discover How to Change the Brain
What is brain training?
“That is exactly what we find most exciting about this
emerging field of neuroplasticity: the awareness that we can
improve our lives by refining, ‘training’ our brains...”
- Dr. Judith Beck, author of The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your
Brain to Think Like a Thin Person
"What research has shown is that cognition, or what we call
thinking and performance, is really a set of skills that we can
train systematically."
- Dr. Daniel Gopher, Professor of Cognitive Psychology and
Human Factors Engineering at Technion Institute of Science.

The Dalai Lama & Neuroscience
Address to the 35th annual meeting of the
Society for Neuroscience

The Neuroscience of Mindfulness
What is Mindfulness?
 Being aware of, and accepting, your
present thoughts, feelings (and
circumstances)
 Without judgment, reaction or
distraction (without subjective
“stories”)
 Usually initially involves focusing on
your breathing…stop, breath, relax

Detaching From Emotions…
- D. Creswell, PhD & D Lieberman, Ph.D. of UCLA
 Simply labeling your feelings forces you to call them
something. It’s part of noticing and detaching from
those emotions versus letting them hijack your bliss.
It’s about helping people develop that pause button, so
they can observe emotions.
 The brain of someone who practices mindfulness may
be physically different from the next person’s.

Mindfulness Can be Practiced in Many
Situations…
?
Sports
?
Walk
-ing
? Tai
Chi
?
Yoga
?
Exer-
cising
?
Medi-
tation

Mindlessness vs. Mindfulness
Mindlessness:Mindlessness:
 ClosedClosed
 RigidRigid
 Restricted/LimitedRestricted/Limited
 External locus of controlExternal locus of control
 FearfulFearful
 JudgmentalJudgmental
 Cluttered/ConfusedCluttered/Confused
 Frantic/AgitatedFrantic/Agitated
 Lack of solutionsLack of solutions
 Few or no choicesFew or no choices
 MultitaskingMultitasking
 Dwelling in past/futureDwelling in past/future
Mindfulness:Mindfulness:
 OpenOpen
 FlexibleFlexible
 Spacious/Room to growSpacious/Room to grow
 Internal locus of controlInternal locus of control
 Confident/CourageousConfident/Courageous
 Accepting/UnbiasedAccepting/Unbiased
 ClearClear
 CalmCalm
 Creative processingCreative processing
 PossibilitiesPossibilities
 Focus on one taskFocus on one task
 Living in the “now’Living in the “now’

Mindfulness Research Results
Clinical research findings related to MBSR and other Mindfulness-Based
programs over the past 25 years are very encouraging. Those
completing these programs consistently demonstrate and report long
lasting improvements such as:
- Enhanced self-esteem and activity levels
- Increased social activity and vitality
- Reduced tension, anger, and fatigue
- Improved sleep quality
- Improved emotion regulation, reduced anxiety
- Decreased blood pressure
- Fewer and less intense headaches
- Brain activity associated with positive emotion
Source - www.SteveSHealyPhd.com

The Principle of Mutual Exclusion
If your body is relaxed, your mind is relaxed…
If you are in the parasympathetic mode, you cannot be in the
sympathetic mode…
If you are laughing you cannot be tense…

Coming to Your Senses: How to Activate Your
Brain…

 We absorb information about an event through our senses,
translate it into electrical signals (some for sight, others from
sound, etc.), disperse those signals to separate parts of the
brain, then reconstruct what happened, eventually perceiving
the event as a whole.
 Our senses evolved to work together – vision influencing
hearing, for example – which means that we learn best if we
stimulate several senses at once.
 Stimulate more of the senses!
- John Median, author of Brain Rules
Sensory Integration

Right Hemisphere:
Working holistically
Creativity
Symbols & images
Emotions
How to Activate Your Brain & Increase
Learning
Left Hemisphere:
Working linearly
Logic
Verbal Language
Basic Math
Use the Left & Right SideUse the Left & Right Side
of Your Brain Together ...of Your Brain Together ...

What Your Notes Might Look Like…

Recommended Reading…

The Brain Learning
“What you do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like – it
literally rewires it.”
– John Medina, author of Brain Rules

Dreams Can Come True…
But first you have to have one

Whole Brain Functioning…
So how can you use the natural power of both sides of your brain to
not just dream but also make those dreams come true? Here are some
tips for you:
When creating your goals stimulate the right side of your brain by
putting logic aside for a while and allowing yourself to dream and be
creative – unleash the power of your imagination.
Use as many senses as possible to record your goals. For example,
write it down, draw it or find pictures that represent what you want to
achieve…because each sense has its own location in your brain, the
more senses you involve the more of your brain power you’ll use.
Once you have created and recorded your goals it is time to
simulate the left side of your brain – the practical side. Think of the
goals you created as the destination and now plan concrete and
logical steps to reach that destination and make it a reality.
Ned Herrmann, a neuroscientist and author of The Whole Brain
Business Book, calls this sort of processing, “whole brain
functioning”

Your Reticular Activating System…
It’s like a GPS system for yourIt’s like a GPS system for your
brainbrain

Do You Believe You Can Multitask?
 Recent neuroscience research proves multitasking is a myth
that can be harmful to your business!
 The human brain is a sequential processor, unable to fully pay
attention to two tasks at the same time.
 We can do simple tasks like walking and talking at the same
time, but when it comes to true multitasking, your brain just
can’t do it.
 Because attempting to “multitask” drains a lot of mental and
physical energy, we feel like we’re productive – we worked hard
and used energy so we must have produced a lot. Wrong.
 Studies show that a person who is attempting to multitask
takes 50 percent longer to accomplish a task and he or she
makes up to 50 percent more mistakes. Therefore, a person
working sequentially is 50% faster and up to 50% more
accurate!

www.MindfullyChange.com If Multitasking is a Myth…What Can You Do
to Increase Productivity & Accuracy?
 Organize and prioritize your tasks in advance.
 Become familiar with your natural rhythms and know what time
of the day you have the most energy, mental and physical, and
schedule tasks accordingly.
 If possible, vary the sort of tasks you work on throughout the
day – your brain functions better when it has variety.
 Create interruption-free time zones during the day to work on
selected tasks – this will greatly increase productivity.
 Focus on one task at a time, complete it, then focus on the next
task and repeat the process.

Continued…
 Acknowledge the satisfaction you feel after the completion of each task,
no matter how small the task – this will reinforce sequential task
completion.
 Schedule times during the day when you will check your e-mail and
voicemail – and be strict about only checking it during those
designated times.
 Turn of your e-mail notification, phone ringer, IM program, BlackBerry,
etc. – distractions that can waste your time and give you an illusion of
being productive and important.
 Take “brain breaks” about once an hour. For example, stand up, stretch,
and take a few slow deep breaths. Your brain will function better with
movement and more oxygen.
Perform the above actions for at least a week then check to see whether
you are more productive and accurate in your work than when you
“multitasked” – you will be!

www.StartUpNation.com
Episode Spotlight
“Join our hosts as they talk with Jonathan
Jordan, psychotherapist and entrepreneur,
about training your brain. Business planning
and employee training are both affected by
stress and attitude. Jordan speaks on topics
that help you find out how you can keep your
mental and emotional health in check. Get tips
on time management, stress management and
how thoughts and beliefs can influence your
behavior. Also find out what Jordan's real
'Brain Age' is, and how that game can help
keep your brain fit.”
Radio Interview on Website or Podcast
“Putting Your Brain to Work”

Presenter Contact Information
Jonathan Jordan
President, Global Change Management, Inc.
E-mail: Jonathan@MindfullyChange.com
Web: www.MindfullyChange.com
Twitter: MindfullyChange
Thank You!

Change Your Mind, Change Your Business: How to Train Your Brain for Optimal Success

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