Keeping Your Brain Healthy: Brain-FX

Winning Under Stress

This comes from Nick Bollettieri, director of Bolletierie/IMG Academies, and leading coach to tennis champions:

"Most of us, especially athletes, are all too familiar with the misery of Aristotle, commonly known as overthinking. Ever since the appearance of Homo sapiens on the planet nearly 150,000 years ago, our well-developed brains (blame it on the cerebral cortex) have enabled us to think, reason, create, and empathize - all good things - but also to worry, doubt, and obsessively self-analyze - not good things, especially if you are a tennis player serving for game, set, match, and championship at the US Open. Think of it as the "centipede effect": if the lowly centipede had to think about coordinating each of its legs to get from Point A to Point B, it would be totally immobilized - and I have worked with some athletes who were not far from that state of mind!"

This is taken directly from the foreword of the book Mental Training for Peak Performance, Top Athletes Reveal the Mind Exercises They Use to Excel, by Steven Ungerleider, Ph.D. (Rodale, 2005)

Looking forward to reading this book, as I reflect on my recent tennis loss where my brain felt as if it were soaking in molasses...

I have a feeling that what is coming is a model for envisioning whole body movement, rather than focusing on one leg at a time, like the centipede. When athletes are able to visualize the flow of body movement and ball motion they can get out of the molasses and create results. It's the inability to shake of thoughts of the last error that interfere with the next positive visualization.

Clearly "being in the moment" has its rewards in sports, like in life.

Now, if only I can remember all that tomorrow for the match...

Multi-tasking ain't what it used to be...

If you think you can read email, listen to the news, talk on the phone, while chewing gum AND you think it's no big deal...think again. Kathy Sierra writes a good post about your brain and multitasking. Go read it here.

When Are You the Most Alert?

Our brains have natural daily cycles of alertness and relaxation which we inherited from our primitive ancestors. According to those who study these circadian rhythms, there are two times during the day our brains are most alert and receptive to incoming signals.

The first time is early in the morning when we wake up. Our ancient relatives became alert after sleeping, to sounds of danger, so they could protect themselves and their families from harm.

The second time is around 7 or 8 p.m., when we prepare ourselves for sleep. The cavemen had to be alert again at this time, in order to be aware of possible dangers during sleep.

In modern life, of course, we have many choices and a lot less dangers when we sleep. Yet our brains continue to operate with daily cycles of alertness followed by relaxation.

I am one of those modern beasts who chooses to use the morning hours. I love taking advantage of my brain's natural rush of activity. I can't stay in bed because my thinking becomes creative. The juices flow and I gladly get up to write or do something else creatively.

I am married to a modern beast who chooses to use the evening hours. He loves being creative in the evening.

Looking at our natural rhythms from an evolutionary perspective can help you decide when to capture your natural energy.

The pharmaceutical industry is working very hard to find pills that can enhance alertness. Read about one such effort over on the Brain Waves blog.

Until then, the best way to go is natural. There are some natural herbs that can enhance alertness for work and sports, such as those developed by Mind-FX Science.

How do you know when your own mental alertness cycle kicks in? Staying off of alcohol and drugs will clear your mind and make you more alert to your body, mind, and brain.

Dealing with Tragedy: the Aftermath of Hurricaine Katrina

We all deal with tragic news differently; I am always amazed and full of admiration for those citizens who rise up at great sacrifice to help others in times of tragedy and suffering.

There are so many different charities, and fellow Americans are helping out the victims of Hurrican Katrina in so many different ways, that it is hard to know where to help, how to contribute, what to do in order to help out in the best way.

The Reuters Foundation 'Alertnet' has referred me to a very helpful resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to provide help to hurricane survivors. 

It's a comprehensive web site that not only details what relief organizations are currently engaged in the Gulf coast region, but also describes the scope and scale of their activities.

I'd like to encourage you to go over this list, read about the missions each one of these groups is involved in, select one you feel an affinity towards and make a contribution today.

Recovery from this disaster will be a long, multi-stage process, but there is an immediate need right now to provide food, water, and medical attention to the people who have lost their homes and means of support.

This is the best list I've found of groups that are in the region and doing what needs to be done right now.

http://www.interaction.org/katrina

Please copy and paste this message to friends, family and colleagues. Time is of the essence.

This information comes from internet expert Ken McCarthy at: http://www.SystemFundraiser.com, a comprehensive source of fundraising advice for small business owners and entrepreneurs interested in helping hurricane relief efforts.

Take care and be healthy.