A brain-smart working day

We live with a Stone Age brain in a high-tech world that never sleeps. The brain is our most important working tool, both at home and at work. But do we look after it the way we look after our phone or computer?

Working brain-smart is not about trying harder. It is about understanding how the brain works and creating the conditions to function well and perform sustainably.

The brain – your head office

The brain contains roughly 86 billion nerve cells and uses around 20 per cent of the body’s oxygen intake, even though it makes up only a small part of the body’s weight. It governs everything from emotions and decision-making to focus and creativity.

A central part of the brain for how we function at work is the prefrontal cortex (PFC) – the brain’s manager, you could call it. When the “manager” is working well, we stay focused, solve problems and handle our emotions. When it is overloaded or worn out, we become easily distracted, forgetful and hard to engage.

One of the greatest challenges in working life today is the sheer volume of input, and the way the brain is constantly forced to shift focus. Every unfinished task is like an open tab on your computer, taking up mental bandwidth. Constantly switching between tasks, meetings and impressions drains the brain and reduces our ability to think clearly.

Stress – is it only bad?

Stress in itself is not dangerous. We are made for it. When we need to mobilise energy, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. Adrenaline and cortisol are released, resources are channelled and logical thinking is temporarily dampened.

It is a brilliant survival mechanism. The problem is that the brain does not always tell the difference between a real threat and a packed calendar.

When stress becomes prolonged and is not followed by recovery, the body never gets the chance to return to its baseline. The parasympathetic nervous system – the body’s “rest and calm” system – never switches on.

Stress without recovery wears down our resources and, over time, becomes harmful.

Three brain-smart keys

So what can we do to work with the brain, not against it? Here are three keys:

1. Look after “your basics”

The foundation of a well-functioning brain is simple but easy to deprioritise. Sleep, food, movement, rest and time with other people are not luxuries. They are what the brain needs to work as it should.

If you are a manager or leader, walking meetings can be a simple way to give employees movement and recovery in the middle of the working day.

2. Protect your focus

Everything competes for your attention: notifications, emails, meetings and social media. The brain is not built for the amount of stimuli we meet every day, nor for the constant switching that shifting focus involves. One thing at a time is not inefficient – it is brain-smart.

A simple tool for creating the conditions for focus in a meeting is to start with a few conscious breaths, so that the participants get a chance to let go of whatever they have just come from.

3. Regulate your stress

The brain needs rest to work well. Micro-breaks without a screen or other rapid input, where you allow yourself to daydream for a while, are not a waste of time. They are recovery, and they foster creativity too.

For managers and leaders, this is about setting clear boundaries for availability, so that employees know what is expected and when – and can therefore switch off notifications and communication channels for parts of the working day.

Choose one thing to do for your brain today

You do not have to do everything at once. Choose one thing, just one, that you can do differently today.

It might be taking a walk at lunch. Turning off notifications for a couple of hours. Taking three deep breaths before your next meeting. Or letting your brain rest for a while without filling the silence with a feed.

Small changes, made consistently, make a big difference over time.

Would you like to know more about working brain-smart in your everyday life or at your workplace?