How to stay motivated and driven

In lockdown it’s important to look after the wellness of you brain to keep it healthy and active. Here are 5 evidenced techniques.

I don’t know if you are experiencing this but this morning as I tried for the second time to string a sentence together it was there in my head but came out garbled! Was this because my husband and I have spent so much time in each other’s company, and apart from video calls haven’t really spoken to anyone else face to face for any length of time.

I have realised that in lockdown my brain is becoming conditioned to a new, quite dull routine. My thought process is either in work mode or latest headline updates. I’m not being challenged by new experiences. I have my daily comfy wardrobe so little mixing and matching and debating what would look better with what depending on which meetings, so my choice for the day takes little creativity. Shopping, if you can call it that, is static online based so not much call for imagination or the exercise of moving from one shop to another only to go back to the first shop!

My brain’s need for safety and security luckily for me are being met. I’m nestled in my home and the only dangerous predictors that my brain needs to scan for is crossing the road safely when walking the dogs and feeding the dogs on time to avoid frustrated barks!

I realise that I’ve fallen into a rhythm of not taxing my brain. Regularly accessing stored memories or stretching ourselves helps decision making, weighing up risk, balancing uncertainty, or getting comfortable when speaking to a wall of faces at an online meeting!. All the things my brain needs for good cognition and wellness. True, past daily pressures have reduced tensions and stress but have been replaced with slight anxiety in the back of my mind for when we can get back to normal.

So I have set myself a new challenge to reset my daily routine, avoid apathy and take advantage of my brains neuroplasticity to make new connections, revive some of the existing ones or dust down very old pathways, so I’ve taken up the piano again which I love and have organised a monthly delivery of flowers for self-care and to release serotonin for happiness.

Fancy joining my challenge to reset yourself in lockdown? Or why not do it as a team experience to add to your company’s wellbeing culture? The 5 wellness activities below will give you daily focus, help your brain release healthy chemicals so that when we are out and about again we have made sure our brains are in tip top condition, ready to go and importantly happy and healthy. And yes these are not just nice to do, they are based on latest neuroscience research for some of the things that will boost our brain and improve mental wellness.

5 Neuro evidenced mental wellness techniques

  1. When you wake up each morning, stretch and open your arms above your head as though you had just won a race, then place your hands on your hips push your shoulders back, stand up straight and take a deep breath for four counts, hold for four and then breath in for four.
  2. Find 15 minutes a day for thinking, boredom or visualisation. Hide the phone, get rid of distractions let your mind meander, or visualise a future perfect day – bet you haven’t done that for a while,
  3. Take up a hobby or do something you’ve not done for a long-time or not at all. In my circle two people have begun playing the violin (!) and one the guitar.
  4. Loneliness is one of the most debilitating experiences for people both physically and mentally. So reach out, who could do with a friendly call, or the delivery of a miniature succulent or plant to care for to make them smile and feel appreciated?
  5. Whilst you are going though the days mundane tasks like brushing your teeth or doing the dishes focus your brain on developing and thinking about your purpose. What does it need to be? Has it changed? What would the ideal be? How could you achieve it?

 

 Let us know how you get on with the challenge at: hello@springboardtribe.com  and why not join the Springboard Tribe newsletter edited by Springboards founder Soraya Shaw who holds a unique MSc in applied neuroscience? It’s not for the faint hearted but rather challengers, thinkers and pioneers who want to shake-up the ‘world of work as we know it’ status quo by becoming advocates for applying neuroscience to advance a new work culture.

If you are interested and that sounds like you and how your brain works, then please sign up and come and join us.  The newsletter comes out on the 2nd day of each month. Simply scroll right to the bottom of this page where you’ll be able to subscribe.

Please feel free to pass Springboard Tribe’s information on to people you feel may also be interested in joining our tribe, or to join our new LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/springboardtribe

 

We’re looking forward to having your mind on-board.

 

 

© Springboard Tribe 2020

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Leading for mastery not perfectionism

To say that the past year has been tumultuous is an understatement!!!

Only fires should burnout, not people!

Brain Friendly ways to protect Mental Health through workplace Brain Wellbeing

Tomorrow is here today. observing trends

We’ve applied how our brains will benefit by the future trends being actioned by businesses, to keep you upto date