7 Habits for Brain Optimisation
SUMMARY
Do you sometimes feel like your brain has left the building and you are running on empty and feel exhausted?
Well, stick with me, and this week I am going to help you slowly get things back on track just like I did.
Your brain is an amazing thing. It operates with electrical connections, chemicals, synapses, and neural pathways. Depending on who you listen to, there are between 86 and 100 billion cells in your brain, and that is all great. However, it can only function properly if you look after it.
For me, I have identified the 7 most important things I needed to change so that I could sustain my performance and not go through what I had already experienced ever again. Today, I want to unpack those for you.
1. Sleep
2. Movement
3. Nourishing
4. Calm
5. Connected
6. Challenge
7. Believe
This is key because, the way your brain works, those dopamine circuits can work with you or against you. When you develop positive habits that give you what you want and need, your brain responds positively and encourages you to keep doing that.
Enjoy this shift from being a high performer driven by unhealthy motives to a sustainable performer who achieves great results without burnout.
Well, that's it from me for another week. Join me again next week as we continue this conversation. I'd love you to come along on this journey with me. I also want to hear back from you, so hit reply or comment wherever you're watching or listening to this. Let's have some interaction because I know this is a very important area in all the work I do. It's the one I have the most experience in—coming back from breakdown to breakthrough.
I'll see you next week.
TRANSCRIPT
Do you sometimes feel like your brain has left the building and you are running on empty and feel exhausted?
Well, stick with me, and this week I am going to help you slowly get things back on track just like I did.
Hi, this is Grant Herbert, leadership and sustainable performance coach, and today I want to continue our conversation about shifting your performance from high to sustainable by helping you understand 7 Habits for Brain Optimisation.
Over the last few weeks, we have been talking about making a shift in the way you get things done so that not only do you get it done, but you can keep doing it for longer. As someone who has been through major breakdowns, both physically and mentally, I am here to give you the benefit of my experience so that you can get on top of things and avoid burnout.
Last week we talked about the neurobiology of performance. As I said then, I am not a neuroscientist. If you want to know more about that, you should go to someone like Dr Sarah Mackay, our neuroscientist, and find out more. But what I do understand is enough to be able to change the way I think and do things. For me, this was born out of necessity because I broke down. So, what I want to do is give you some advanced knowledge so you can avoid going through the same thing. Whatever you take on today and start incrementally changing will help you to optimise your performance and sustain it.
Your brain is an amazing thing. It operates with electrical connections, chemicals, synapses, and neural pathways. Depending on who you listen to, there are between 86 and 100 billion cells in your brain, and that is all great. However, it can only function properly if you look after it.
For me, I have identified the 7 most important things I needed to change so that I could sustain my performance and not go through what I had already experienced ever again. Today, I want to unpack those for you.
Now, I know before I even get started that some of you will be thinking as I go through this, "You don't understand. I'm not able to do that." I thought the same way. So, just like I said last week, the first step is to shift your mindset away from that high-performance mentality that feeds the performance trap, approval addiction, and all those other issues we've been working on.
What I want you to do today is find just one thing that you can take on and change some habits in, and then incrementally add more things until you can operate in a sustainable way and avoid all those health challenges.
The first of these 7 habits is sleep.
Many people tell me, "Oh look, I survive on 5 hours of sleep a night," and I am here to say that is not true. You are not surviving; in fact, you are shortening your life. The sleep debt across our world is getting larger, and the problem with sleep debt is that it is not something you can ever repay. However, what you can do today is make some small changes.
Pay attention to your circadian rhythms, and ensure that the sleep you get is deep and regenerative, not just light sleep. Shift the way you prepare to go to bed and consider your room environment. All these things fall under the term "sleep hygiene" and are really going to help you feel and perform differently on a daily basis.
What I want you to do today is make a shift in your mindset: sleep is important. The hustle and grind mentality and the crazy sayings I've heard over the years like, "Oh look, sleep when you're dead," or "Sleep is overrated," or "It's a waste of valuable time," are major contributors to burnout across the world. Sleep is important. Just as we talked about last week, a high-performance car needs to be looked after, and your high-performance brain needs the same care.
So, how can you shift your approach to sleep? Even if it's going to bed an hour earlier tonight just to add a little more sleep. Whatever you do, find something that works for you. Leave your phone out of your room, avoid eating late, and make other adjustments as necessary. There are so many tips—just Google "sleep hygiene" and follow the recommendations. For me, this was the number one key to getting back to where I am right now.
The second habit for brain optimisation is movement.
Sitting has become the new smoking. So much time is spent sedentary, just in front of computer screens, and then even when you're not working, you might be sitting with phones and other gadgets, just scrolling. This has a major effect on your health. So, make sure that you set your day up to include some movement.
I'm not necessarily talking about going and working out at the gym. What I'm talking about is ensuring that your lifestyle includes movement. Right now, I'm at my standing desk. During my day, I alternate between standing up and sitting down. I make sure I have things outside my studio that I need to go and get, so I'm getting some movement in, as well as scheduling purposeful activities to keep my body going.
As someone who is 62, and sometimes feels way older than that, I know it's a challenge when your body is stagnant to get it going again. Just as I said, with sleep, find something small that you can shift in your routine to include more movement. Over time, add more activities and create a culture in your day that incorporates regular movement.
Number three is nourishing.
Whatever you put in is going to determine your output. Think of a high-performance car: if you put diesel in it instead of the high-performance fuel it needs, it's not going to run as it should. If you forget to fuel it altogether, it's going to stop by the side of the road. Similarly, you need to ensure that you feed your body, and therefore your brain, with good food. Continually look at how you can meet the energy needs of your body by adding the right nutrients.
This is the biggest area that is still a challenge for me. Rushing here and there, eating on the run—these habits are not really helping. As I always say, I am a work in progress. Just because I am standing here as the “expert” does not mean I have it all together. Ensuring that you nourish your body is really important.
The next habit is calm.
Every single one of you needs some calm in your day. We live in a fast-paced, ever-changing world with constant activity and distractions. Your brain is always thinking about something, and when I talk to my clients, that's often their biggest challenge. When they go to bed at night, they can't quiet their minds. During the day, they have six or seven things happening at once, making it hard to focus.
So, make sure you find your calm. For some people, that's meditation. For others, they can't think of anything worse. Whatever it is that allows you to switch off, calm down, and give your body and brain a break, find it and incorporate it into your routine. If you are constantly thinking about what could happen and worrying about things that may or may not happen, it's time for you to find your place of peace.
For me, I find that in solitude. Because I work with people every day, I need to ensure that I have some me-time to calm down, and you need that too.
Number five is staying connected.
Often, when you are busy, even those of us who work with people all the time can end up isolating ourselves. Ensuring that there is a connection in your day is really important. Whether that means picking up the phone and calling someone, meeting them in person, or having other interactions outside of work, connection is vital.
Connection allows you to have meaningful conversations with people who care about you. These conversations let you vent and express yourself, and they help you focus on things you're grateful for. So, make sure that you have plenty of connections in your life.
Number six is a challenge.
If you find yourself stuck in the status quo, where the same old things are happening, and you're not feeling energised or excited, then it's time to look for some challenge. It's like finding your Rubik's Cube that needs to be solved.
What I’m not talking about here is taking on another task to help others so that you feel good about yourself. I’m talking about learning new things, doing new activities, and experiencing things that are not currently familiar to you. Make sure you have something beyond the day-to-day routine that you are working towards.
And number seven, which in my understanding encapsulates all the others, is believe.
You need to believe that you have everything within you and around you to get ahead in life. You need to be your greatest cheerleader. Believe in others and in the world you live in. There is so much negativity out there, so it's crucial to have a belief system that empowers you.
So, there you have 7 keys to optimising your brain. Your brain, as wonderful as it is, is a finite resource. It needs sleep, nourishment, and hydration. It needs to be calm and to have some challenges. It needs movement, connection, and belief.
What is it that you can change this week?
What is the one area in those seven that you're going to focus on? Decide which habit you will work on, and make a shift. It could be moving more or sleeping more. Whatever it is for you, pick one thing, and I'd love to hear back from you about how shifting your thinking and behaviours impacts you.
This is key because, the way your brain works, those dopamine circuits can work with you or against you. When you develop positive habits that give you what you want and need, your brain responds positively and encourages you to keep doing that.
Enjoy this shift from being a high performer driven by unhealthy motives to a sustainable performer who achieves great results without burnout.
Well, that's it from me for another week. Join me again next week as we continue this conversation. I'd love you to come along on this journey with me. I also want to hear back from you, so hit reply or comment wherever you're watching or listening to this. Let's have some interaction because I know this is a very important area in all the work I do. It's the one I have the most experience in—coming back from breakdown to breakthrough.
I'll see you next week.
