A Brain-Healthy New Year
January 3, 2023
Sandra Bond Chapman, the Chief Director of the Center for Brain Health always reminds us: “You don’t have health without brain health,” important words of wisdom for everyone to consider.
While some diseases associated with brain health may be beyond our control, there appear to be a number of behaviors thought to be highly associated with brain health that we can influence. We discuss some of the most important in our Neuropsychology of Leadership course and in this blog, we’ll look at the three that appear to have quite significant effects.
The first and one that no one actually believes: Do not multitask. Over 20 years of research has converged on this one piece of very important advice. While we are able to engage in more than one mindless task at a time (for example cleaning the kitchen and watching TV), if one of these tasks becomes more difficult or demanding, we cannot concentrate on the other. Think about driving: if your route is routine, one you’ve traveled many times, you may converse easily with a colleague on your Bluetooth device; however, if your path becomes blocked and you have to focus on your route, suddenly you cannot pay attention to your companion’s conversation. We fool ourselves into believing we can multitask easily; however, what is actually happening is our brains are switching back and forth from one task to the other – very inefficient and cognitively demanding. In addition, this causes you to take more time to do both tasks than if you tackled each one separately. This is most difficult to believe. In presentations I have given, attendees almost always argue this point. For example, I’ve been told, “my son can converse with me and play video games,” or “tweeting your presentation while you are speaking actually makes me listen more carefully.” No, no, NO!
The second (and one no one likes to hear) is exercise: Not a huge surprise. What’s good for your body is also good for your brain. What does it do? Research indicates it enhances cognitive performance, increases hippocampus volume (and thus short-term memory), and appears to mitigate the loss of volume associated with aging in some brain regions. It appears aerobic exercise is most effective and while research indicating the exact amount has not been definitive, a safe bet is 3-4 times per week for at least 30-45 minutes. A brisk walk is all that is required and your canine companion will be the better for it.
Our last suggestion references Stress. While we believe chronic stress can actually kill brain cells, the stress associated with challenging oneself to learn and grow actually is very beneficial for your brain, helping to build more neural pathways. Not challenging oneself can result in a LOSS of brain cells! The recommendations include engaging in situations with some unknowns (travel); challenging yourself to do something you are a little anxious about (learning a new language) and last, be cautious about television watching, an activity usually not associated with challenge. Binge watching is not great for brain health. (If you must binge watch, discuss the show with someone else or write about the ideas generated from the experience). The most important takeaway from these suggestions is that we can (and should) take the responsibility for our brain’s health seriously. After all, it’s the only one we have and it has to last us a lifetime.
Suzette Plaisance Bryan, PhD, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director OBCC Leadership Center
