Noreen Chadha is a transformational coach in the field of leadership and conscious parenting. Drawing from her knowledge of mindfulness techniques and fundamental neuroscience, she supports clients all over the world in their quest to move towards a more self aware, present and connected way of living, leading and parenting.
Overall, your brain represents only 2% of your total body weight, but it accounts for 20% of your energy usage. On an average day, you will burn more than 300 calories just by using your brain. The prefrontal cortex, the part located right behind your forehead, is known as the “CEO” of your brain. From an evolutionary perspective, it is the newest part of your brain, and it helps you make decisions, solve problems, focus, contemplate different possibilities, and understand consequences. Not surprisingly, this part of your brain requires the most energy. If you are in charge of big-picture projects that require deep thinking, you ideally need your prefrontal cortex to be highly “fit.”
Essentially, the tasks you regularly complete to stay on top of your to-do list are the most energy-draining. Therefore, if you are the type of person who likes to feel organized and in control, you are also more likely to feel exhausted at the end of the day.
When your prefrontal cortex is high on energy, you feel in control, organized, and efficient. When it is low on energy, you feel forgetful, distracted, demotivated, and perhaps even overly emotional or uninspired.
What can you do to keep your brain energized?
1. Use visuals
When working on a big project that requires strategic and deep thinking, your brain will quickly feel overwhelmed and focus on small details, as those are easier for it to process. The brain always prefers safety over danger, certainty over uncertainty, and the familiar over the unfamiliar. So, if you are working on something you have never done before, your brain will have a harder time focusing.
Your prefrontal cortex responds very well to visuals, as information is easier to process that way, and we can use this to our advantage.
How to use visuals to help you at work:
Visualizing in detail what you want to achieve for a future project will help your brain grasp it more easily.
Using storyboards and mood boards (or even everyday objects) in your presentations and brainstorming sessions.
Writing down concepts on colorful posters or post-it notes to represent themes or ideas in your workplace. This will help your brain keep things simple and, as a result, make you more productive.
If you are in a meeting and someone is presenting a big new idea, but you find yourself getting caught up in the minutiae, you might need a short break to re-energize.
2. Schedule tasks based on energy required
The following tasks are the most draining for the prefrontal cortex.
Prioritizing
Planning for the future
Work involving big-picture thinking
Delegating tasks
Strategic thinking
Brainstorming
Complex decision-making
Activities involving uncertainty or the unknown
The following tasks are the least draining for the prefrontal cortex.
Administrative tasks
Familiar work
Work involving small details
Basic decision-making (only two choices)
Social activities
Creative projects that involve working with your hands
Analyzing tasks that have already been completed
Can you schedule the least draining tasks for times of the day when you are most tired and the highest-energy tasks for when you are most energized?
(Note that for men, the best time to tackle high-energy tasks is in the morning when their testosterone levels are highest. For women, the best time for high-energy tasks is slightly later in the day or, ideally, during the follicular or ovulatory phase of their menstrual cycle.)
3. Calm your nervous system
The fact that we are always available and able to receive notifications on our smartphones continuously sends a message to our brain that we need to be on high alert. This triggers our fight-or-flight response, putting our nervous system in a state of potential danger. As a result, our body starts preparing by increasing stress hormones and altering the function of various organs, just as it would if we needed to run from a bear.
Back in the day, when we might actually have been chased by a bear, this response made sense. But even though you know that a new email in your inbox is not a life-or-death situation, your brain, unfortunately, doesn’t.
When we are in this state (also referred to as the sympathetic nervous system), it slows down the cognitive function of the prefrontal cortex. This happens because the brain prioritizes physical safety, de-prioritizing rational thought and strategic tasks. In this state, you will not be your most efficient, productive, or creative.
In contrast, the calmer, more rational part of our nervous system is referred to as the parasympathetic nervous system. This is when our bodies feel safe and our organs are primed for resting and digesting food, hence the term “rest and digest.” It is also when we have the space to form social connections, be creative, and show compassion for ourselves and others.
How to switch from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest
Do a calming breathing exercise for a few minutes (inhale through the nose, hold for four seconds, and exhale through the mouth).
Take a few minutes to focus on all your senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing).
Spend a few moments simply being conscious of your breathing.
Take a short walk in nature (without your phone).
Speak face-to-face with someone about something funny.
Stare into the distance and let your mind wander for a few minutes.
4. Mono task
The concept of “multitasking” is largely a myth. Yes, of course, we can speak on the phone while cooking or sing along to music while driving, but we cannot actually perform deeply cognitive work at the same time. We think we are multitasking, but our brain is actually just switching from task to task. Every time it switches, you lose time, accuracy, and energy.
Your brain prefers tasks that require less effort, so it will naturally focus on the easier ones, preventing you from completing deep work effectively.
How to successfully mono task
Regularly schedule a time when your devices are switched off.
Close all tabs except the one you are working on.
Log out of emails at certain times of the day.
Keep your desk completely clean when you need to focus on deep work.
Set alarms for tasks to prevent distractions and avoid shifting to other activities.
It is unfortunate that our brains have not yet adapted to the demands of today’s knowledge-driven work environment and are not better equipped to handle our highly addictive smartphones and fast-moving schedules. Therefore, understanding how the brain works and respecting its limitations can be extremely helpful in reducing frustration and stress while improving resilience.
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Noreen Chadha, Leadership & Conscious Parenting Coach
With almost 20 years of professional experience, Noreen Chadha supports both leaders and parents on their journey to be more conscious, and therefore more at peace and authentic in their day to day life. She believes that being truly present is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and also one of the biggest gifts we can give ourselves, our teams and most importantly our children.
