I was standing by the lake early this morning watching the waves crash up against some rocks and the ripple effect that followed. It was beautiful. Full of energy and at the same time made I realized that this can be translated into how one negative thought tends to release a series of more negative ones. This seems to happen to ‘feed’ or confirm the first one. I have found that negative thoughts hate being alone ... they look for company. 

In my own personal experience as well working professionally in the arena of development, I witness how this unfolds. It can be compared to one drop of water and the consequent ripple effect.

I am not a therapist or neuroscientist so cannot speak scientifically. Having said that I have enough evidence after 18 years of working in this area to be able to say the patterns are there. 

It strikes me that our minds do not like to give up the negative thoughts. Our brain looks for further thoughts to confirm this 'truth'. The thought might be far from true now in your actual present-day reality, yet we treat it as absolute truth in our thinking. From what I witness these beliefs come from emotions, more often than not emotions from the past. Our behaviour follows our thinking, so our behaviour will act upon what we think and therefore believe.
 
Limiting Beliefs

For example: If you believe you are not very good at something chances are you will act this way. Instead of taking the approach to learn how to, or improve, you shy away from it.

The very first step is being aware of this thought pattern and the resulting behaviour. To make any changes it is vital to be aware of a pattern. If it turns out to be limiting belief that is holding you back - this belief is best challenged and reframed. Is it due to lack of clarity, you know to get more clarity.

Feeling grounded

In order to stay calm and grounded it requires certain behaviours that feed being calm. 
Each person will have their own requirements. What you as an individual need to feel calm will most likely differ from someone else’s needs. Each has their own interpretation of success as well as what feeling calm and grounded means to them. 

Based on my own personal experience this also changes depending on our age.
I know when I was 30 my focus was very different to 40. At 30 I was focused on creating my family and being a wife and mother. At 50 I noticed that feeling fulfilled was my new goal and turning 60 was fabulous as I had completely grown into my skin by then and was more than happy to focus on my values and needs.  The 'older age’ goal is answering the question ‘how do I want this chapter of my life to look and feel’… This one is still work in progress so watch this space.

What comes next

​If you find yourself lost in a negative thinking pattern regarding an issue, observe yourself to find any common denominators to what kicks the first thought of - what sets those wheels in motion, what exactly triggers you?
And what do you do next?

Is it a recurring situation, a recurring interaction, an issue left unresolved, a lack of clarity?

It could be a number of things. Figure out what exactly it is that you wish to change.
I suggest two weeks of self-observation and then go into project management mode!
The project is change how you have been reacting to something.

It is up to you to change the ripple effect. The best place to start is with the decision that it is worth investing the time.
 
by Suzie Doscher, Executive Coach focusing on Personal Development
Photo credit: Pexels

Change is never easy.
It can take time which requires patience. You need to be ready for something to change.

The first step is self-awareness.  Raise your awareness to what exactly you wish to change.
Is it a bad habit? Has a behaviour pattern you developed become your default mode (now could be considered as a bad habit)?

Observe yourself for a period of time to really get to know what exactly it is you want to change.


This poem sums the process of change up beautifully:
 
 
Chapter One

I walk down the street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in
I am lost ….  am hopeless
It is not my fault
It takes forever to find a way out
 
Chapter Two
 
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I pretend I do not see it
I fall in again
I cannot believe I am in the same place
But it is not my fault
It still takes a long time to get out
 
Chapter Three
 
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I still see it there
I still fall in….it is a habit
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault
I get out immediately
 
Chapter Four
 
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around it.
 
Chapter Five
I walk down another street

poem by Portia Nelson
Posted by Suzie Doscher, Executive Coach for Personal Development
Photo credit: Unsplash

Being consistent in leadership is easier said than done.
Applying leadership skills often comes across to the team as inauthentic.
Aligning your leadership values, with your natural or learned, skills is a brilliant way to make they leadership skills your own.

The Values of Leadership Values Exploration:

• Gain Self-Awareness: By exploring their values, strengths, and leadership philosophies, leaders can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and what drives their actions.
• Clarify Their Leadership Vision: Together we create your Unique Leadership Value Statements. This process help leaders clarify their desired leadership approach. The team feels the impact of this style of leadership.
• Develop Consistent Behaviors: Integrating the insights into their daily actions will enable leaders to lead with greater consistency and authenticity.
  
  

The Benefits of Consistent Leadership 
 
Investing in leadership development can yield numerous benefits for your organization, including:

• Improved Team Morale and Engagement: Consistent leadership fosters trust, clarity, and a sense of direction, which can positively impact team morale and engagement.
• Enhanced Decision-Making: Leaders who are self-aware and aligned with their values are better equipped to make decisions that are consistent with their leadership philosophy and the organization's goals.
• Increased Productivity and Performance: Consistent leadership can reduce confusion, minimize conflicts, and foster a more productive and focused work environment.
• Talent Retention: Effective and consistent leadership is a key factor in retaining top talent, as employees are more likely to stay with organizations that provide clear direction and support their professional growth.


• by Suzie Doscher, Executive Coach for Personal Development, Self-Help Author since 2014
  Photo credit: Pexels

“It Is Not What Happens To You, But How You React to What Happens”
Epictetus, Greek Stoic philosopher.
 
“The Only Moment In Which You Can Truly Be Alive is the Present Moment”
Thich Nat Hanh, Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk.

“The Things We Love Are Like the Leaves on a Tree:
They Can Fall at Any Moment with the Gust of Wind”
Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoic philosopher.
 
To me it says a lot that these wise words have been around for a long time.
They have been changed to reflect the present time. I read how they surface as if they are revelations - something new.
They are new to the new generations who are learning now which is the beauty of these wise words.

New books surface with the same information and will continue to do so.

The underlying wisdom and advice for life, will remain the same. How it is quoted changes to adapt with the times but not the meaning.


by Suzie Doscher, Executive Coaching focusing on Personal Development
Photo credit: Pexels
 

So are we back to the old, sceptical, observation, of “if you believe it works, it will work”?

Yes, indeed. The placebo effect is indeed powerful and a little mysterious. Many people put it down to “just being in your head”, simply “psychological”. But thoughts are made of chemical interactions in your brain - so a biological process which in turn influences your biology in other ways.
So, don’t underestimate the placebo effect - for if it does work, it does indeed work.

The best place to start with this topic is by understanding what you can gain from letting go of the past.
We tend to focus on what might be lost and frequently overlook what the benefits of taking this step are.

Try to imagine a life already free of images and thoughts from the past inhibiting you in the present. Imagine how it would feel if you maintained positive memories, ones that energized you rather than ones that drained you.

Carrying negative aspects of the past with you prevents you from feeling and knowing what the present has to offer. Sometimes you may be so entangled in old problems that you cannot see the changes that are necessary to make your life better. For this you will need to “clear out the deadwood” and make space for the new, that is: your life now.

You know that the past is the past; nevertheless you are still caught up in it through strong emotions. Intellectually you understand what is going on but somehow your emotions do not.
 
Some thoughts to motivate you to move on:

New research shows that walking in nature is more effective than walking in urban environments at restoring attention and cognitive control.

Nature is good for our health and brain: you have reported on this before, right?

Indeed, I have reported multiple times on how nature has been shown to be beneficial to all aspects of health and brain functioning:
This is another piece of supporting evidence by Amy McDonnell of the University of Utah. But also interestingly this is an intervention study.

What do you mean intervention study?

Well, many of these studies have looked at correlations between nature and positive health. But this does not disentangle cause and effect. For example is it the lower stress of those who live closer to nature not nature itself - similarly is it walking in general or walking in nature that is better.
So, in this study the researchers gave a task then prescribed two different interventions and measured effectiveness - also using EEG brain measurements.

Ok, so what was this study?

Amy McDonnell and David Strayer conducted an interesting experiment and one that is more robust than many other similar studies.
They ended up collected data on 92 individuals (which is larger than most similar studies). These individuals first of all conducted an attention task to help deplete attention reserves. This was a simple but mentally tiring task of counting backwards from 1000 in steps of 7. Starts of easy but when you get going it becomes tiring quickly and attention quickly slips.
They then did a standardised attention test to measure the level of depletion before going for a 40-minute walk. And here lies the difference: about half walked a route through nature, and the other walked through a more urban landscape across parking lots and building. The routes were matched in length and elevation gain.

Oh, and what happened?

Well, first after this they were wired up to EEG measurement equipment - electrodes on your scalp measuring brain activity. And then given another standardised attention test.
Given that they had had 40 minutes to recover with activity (which we know to be good) you may wonder if there was any difference at all?
Keep up to date with fascinating research updates and reviews - made readable. Upgrade for more and exclusive content.
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Was there?

Yes, there was. There wasn’t much of a difference between alertness and orientation but those that walked in nature showed improved executive control and this was matched by increased activity in the prefrontal cortex - responsible for higher order executive function. Participants also subjectively rated themselves as more recovered.
In short the walk in nature was much better than the urban walk.

So, it seems to be something specific to nature. What?

Yes, the above study, and many others, show that nature itself is what improves executive function (above and beyond rest and exercise), and health, and well-being in general.
Many researchers assume it is something baked into our DNA. We after all developed in nature and have this primal connection to nature. But there are all sorts of visual cues and smells - the chemicals released by plants have also been shown to have a positive impact on health and immune system function. It is probably all of the above combined but in short - nature is good for your brain and health.

So get into nature!

Indeed, another paper recently out by Makram et al. also shows that people in urban areas with more green have better mental health.

So get access to green whenever you can

But also as a clear strategy to improve cognitive function. A few minutes between meetings with a walk in a park will greatly help your cognitive function - not to be underestimated!

by ANDY HAYMAKER
Photocredit: Suzie Doscher

It seems odd that we do not just naturally live in the Now. After all, almost everyone would agree that the present moment, the Now, is all we have. The fact remains that most people do not live in the present moment and have to learn how to do so. Here are a few of the reasons I continue to master living in the moment:

1. I receive instant relief from stress.
2. I am able to manage fears.
3. I become calm instantly.
4. I feel my strength and personal power.
5. I put myself back into a place of enjoying life. (This might not be immediate, but it does not take long for me to feel vital again...)
6. By looking around me and taking in nature (as simple as looking out of the window at the sky or seeing a weed growing in the middle of train tracks), I realize how small I truly am in comparison. This puts things into perspective.

I have been working with one of my clients about how to live in the “Now”. Her tendency has been to react, motivated by past emotions. Our focus was to bring her to a place of acting, rather than reacting. Here is what she felt she achieved from learning to put herself back into the Now.

1. I am able to solve problems more easily because I only have to deal with the one actually on the table in front of me. I know that future problems (projections) will be solved at THAT moment, at that time. With this separation, I am able to worry less about the future, knowing that problems will be solved when they occur.
2. With this way of looking at things and problem solving, I feel a sense of freedom and can enjoy the day more – even if it is a difficult one. The load is not so heavy because I am only carrying the load of the present day.
3. Feeling freer gives me strength, which makes me ready for everything that happens in the moment.
4. I have more time. It seems that not wasting time by worrying about what might be, or feeling the emotions of what was, I create space. Space equals more time to me.
5. I enjoy myself more. This makes me happier.
6. It has been hard and takes practice, but is well worth it to feel the way I do now.

 
By mastering the art of living in the moment, you are taking good care and being very kind to yourself. That alone should make it worth the effort.
Remember: “Do not encumber your mind with useless thoughts. What good does it do to brood on the past or anticipate the future? Remain in the simplicity of the present moment”.

By Suzie Doscher, Professional Executive Coach focusing on Personal Development, Native English Speaking, 18 years experience in the field of coaching.

Photo credit: Pexels

Self-awareness involves understanding your personality, behaviours and behaviour patterns.
It is all about getting to know yourself and what makes you who you are.

• Take a closer look at what is standing in your way to go where you want to go, be who you want to be.
• Research suggests that seeing yourself more clearly not only boosts our confidence but also our creativity. Sounder decisions and clearer communication are additional benefits.

Raising your self-awareness starts with self-reflection and observing your behaviour and reactions.
Self-reflection can be a powerful tool on its own. Time spent exploring this is time well worth spent.
Raising your self-awareness can involve observing yourself for ca 2 weeks.  
 
Make  notes of what you witness:

• What pattern, if any, do you see?
• What is good, do you like?
• What do you not like?
• Write down what you wish to change
  
  
  by Suzie Doscher, Executive Coach focusing on Personal Development, Self-help Author since 2014.
  BALANCE - A Practical Handbook for Life's Difficult Moments.
  Photo credit: Suzie Doscher
  

Maybe you are trapped in a golden cage?
Maybe you feel you have been forced into this cage or have chosen it.

For whatever reason you are feeling trapped or as if your wings have been clipped, it is not a nice feeling.

It is up to you to figure out what needs to change to set yourself free.
This is a lot easier said than done.

I remember reading The Road Less Travelled. At the time I bought it the concept of self-help was new to me.
I was in a state and knew that something had to change. I had no idea what, and even less of a clue where to begin. So, I bought a book!
I remember I got as far as ‘life is difficult and the sooner you accept it, the easier it gets’. (Or at least that is how I remember it)
Naturally this was not the ‘quick fix’ I was hoping for. However, those words made such an impact on me that they were in fact a ‘quick fix’.

My next step was to accept that life is not easy and therefore change my expectations. Life can be difficult

The first law of perception is that the eyes see but it is the mind that tells you what you see.  One of the reasons our mind tells us what we see, or perceive, is that our underlying beliefs tend to make us look for certain things.  For example a cynic will see what he is looking for just as much as an optimist will see what he is looking for.  Each chooses their experience from their beliefs.  

What are Beliefs?
Beliefs are thought patterns, evaluations, opinions, judgements and generalizations that we hold about ourselves and others.  These beliefs are stored by our unconscious mind during our early formative childhood years.  Our experiences with our parents, relatives, siblings, teachers, friends, social environment, from traumas, media influence or repetitive experiences add to the collection of information that forms these beliefs, be it negative or positive.  Beliefs are the data we base the formation of our self image on.  J.H.Brennan states  ‘It is believed that as children we define ourselves by how others see us.  In other words we take on someone else’s visions or impressions of ourselves and turn them into our own self image.’ An excerpt from the book  ‘Getting what you want’.

If you tell a child often enough something negative about themselves, they are being conditioned to believe it is true.  Children are curious about everything, and consequently learn very quickly, they are hungry for knowledge and information. By asking questions they learn and acquire knowledge, consequently they are eager to be told things and will listen to whomever is doing the telling be it a parent, teacher, friend or some other outside influence. As children our parents instill their beliefs in us.  After all, children have little or no information to analyse or evaluate a situation; they tend to accept what they are told as being the truth.  They are too young to verify or falsify these beliefs.

In my professional experience as a coach focusing on personal development beliefs can be reawakened in adults by the last boss, the present day boss or anyone in a person's life.
 
Where do Beliefs come from and what is their impact on us?

Our beliefs are created and stored in our unconscious mind;

The stress response begins in the brain. However, this stimulates a whole bodily response, and an international collaboration has now uncovered the mechanisms of how chronic stress impacts the brain to change neuronal responses that can lead to symptoms such as social withdrawal - which in turn can be a major contributor to developing mental illness.

Flurin Cathomas of the University of Zurich, here in Switzerland, and research colleagues showed that an enzyme released during stress impacts brain function.
"We were able to show that stress increases the amount of the matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), an enzyme in the blood of mice. The same changes were found in patients with depression,"
This research, in mice notabene, leads to behavioral changes: they withdraw and avoid social contact such as is common in depression.

Can you tell us who you are and what you do?
I am a Professional Master Coach accredited by the International Authority for Professional Coaching and Mentoring (IAPCM). I am American born, grew up in Switzerland where my family moved in the 60’s. My father was the marketing man for a US corporation establishing European headquarters. Corporate lifestyle and executives were very much part of my upbringing. Consequently I feel at home in and amongst any cultures and with all management levels within organizations. A feeling for ‘life at work’ and how it integrates ‘with life at home’ comes to me naturally and is my passion as a coach.
After 32 years in England I now live back in Switzerland and work internationally since 2006.
 
What is your elevator pitch?
 “Where there is a will, there is a way”.
 'I support you and together we find the way and keep your motivation in tact to stay on the ‘way’.
 
What is the one thing that makes you unique in this profession?
My goal is not keep clients involved in long-term contracts. I love that about coaching.
I work with my clients for a little while, establishing the needed skills to deal with the obstacles in their way.  I am here for them to come back to for some ‘maintenance’ or ‘upgrades’  at a later date.
 To me successful coaching means my client is in a better place having enhanced their strengths, manage their weaknesses better, and are able to handle day to day with more comfort and ease.

What makes you stand out from the crowd?
I am known for my incisive questioning, open-heart, ability not to be judgmental and holding the space with and for my clients. Equally for being able to quickly grasp the underlying issues. I have been told that 'clarity' is one of my specialties.

What inspired you to become a coach?

1. The Present
 
It is best to start by examining your present-day reality.  Determine 'what is working' and 'what is not working'.
Once you have the answers explore what you can influence and what not.
 
Eckhart Tolle refers to living in the Now, which means being able to see and feel what your life is in the present moment.
The present-day buzzword for this is to be mindful by practicing mindfulness.
Standing in a beautiful park, by a calming body of water, or attending your child’s school play or other family event, and actually seeing the trees, feeling the flow and energy of the water, enjoying the play or event while feeling joy instead of being lost in your thoughts (which are taking you elsewhere) is experiencing the now, the present moment, being mindful of that very moment.
 
Thoughts can propel you into an entirely different location even if you are not there physically. It seems odd that we do not just naturally live in the now. After all, almost everyone would agree that the present moment, the now, is all we have.
 
When you are able to live in the day life becomes more relaxed and enjoyable. You empower yourself by influencing what you can influence.
This becomes a powerful technique to step out of stress.
This is not to say you should never think of the future and plan to reach your goals and avoid pitfalls.
It is more about how this is done. Keep your energy where it is needed - in the day.

Deal with issues and problems as they arise.
By doing this you keep yourself strong to deal with the present-day reality.
Your self-confidence and self-esteem will thank you.
 
 
2. The Future

Do you end up doing everything yourself?

How would it be if you could ask for, trust, or accept the help of others?

It can be so difficult to even consider asking for someone’s help when you are used to coping with everything on your own. There might indeed be times when you do not even accept help offered. Today, society contains some very bizarre patterns. You are born into a community called the family, you grow up within communities, for example school, friends, relationships, teams in the work place, and clubs you seek to join, etc. As social creatures life is set up around communities. Yet we no longer find it easy to ask for help. Whatever the reasons for this are, we can all benefit from a little support sometimes.

Consider this short story (author unknown):

A little boy was having difficulty lifting a heavy stone.
His father came along just then.
Noting the boy’s failure, he asked, “Are you using all your strength?”
“Yes, I am”, the little boy said impatiently.
“No, you are not”, the father answered. “I am right here just waiting, and you haven’t asked me to help you.”

If you need to get a chore, job or task done, schedule organized, a school-run worked out, or any other task 

How are you doing?
I do not mean physically. I am referring to how you are doing emotionally.
There are all sorts of people, all sorts of approaches to  handle life, all sorts of approaches and mindsets, all sorts of biases, fears, beliefs and all sorts of processing ways and speeds. 

I spent a weekend in the Swiss Alps where across one of the gorgeous small alpine lakes a slack line event was happening.
It was amazing to watch all levels of slack line walkers move across the lake.
At first I thought “I guess falling into the water is not too bad” followed by “but then they have to swim back to shore and start again”. I noticed they were wearing a safety harness. Losing balance meant still being attached to the line, so they would not fall into the water.
To start again they beautifully maneuvered with grace and elegance  back up on the line.

Anyhow, this all made me realize that ‘getting back up’ is a most vital skill to have for life with all of its ups and downs. After all the reality of life is a series of ups and downs. 

In a step-by-step approach I examined my own approach to ‘getting back up’.

By gifting yourself this Values process,

You will:

• Gain clarity by confirming what is important to you.
• Feel more grounded in yourself by knowing more about who you are and what is important to you.
• Set boundaries with greater ease because you are motivated to stay away from what drains you.
• Know what to include in your life that is now missing.

Get in touch and book your Values Process.
Treat yourself to a great start to the new year.
Value yourself.

2 Session Values Process
CHF 500

Save CHF 300 this January and February 2024 only.

The end of the year is nigh! And with it comes a lot of busy work—some fun, some not so fun. Whether it’s personal or professional, the end of the year is about finishing up, taking stock, and making plans. And that’s all before we get into the crush of the holidays. Our To-Do lists can be very long this time of year.

What we often leave off our list is taking time for ourselves. Yet, the crazier life becomes, the more we need to give ourselves space to just be. We need to spend time on our self-care.

You have probably heard the term self-care tossed around, but what is it exactly? It is any activity that we deliberately do to take care of ourselves—mentally, emotionally, and physically. Self-care is time or an activity that builds us up rather than takes away our energy. It is a way to recenter body and mind when we feel scattered and overwhelmed.

When we take the time to be present in ourselves, when we take time for self-care, we can reconnect to the world in a Higher Self way.

Listen to the Audio version narrated by Suzie Doscher - 4.30 mins

You choose what you will wear and eat, what films you see, who you socialize with. You make choices all day long in your professional and personal life. In the same way, you also have the choice of which thoughts to focus on. The nice, happy thoughts, of course, are not a problem for they give energy, put a smile on your face, and are inspiring as well as motivating. 

Everybody has negative thoughts. They are the ones that are easy to obsess over and rob you of energy, leaving you feeling drained. Believe it or not, how long you allow negative thoughts to influence your mood, day, or even life is up to you. Every thought you have either weakens you or strengthens you. 

It is important to realize that thoughts are not reality. Assumptions are good examples of this. Just because you assume something does not make it true. 

When you are struggling to stop obsessing about something, remind yourself that you have a choice to move on to a thought that might make you feel better in that moment. It is best to acknowledge negative thoughts when they come up and then choose not to stay with them by distracting yourself. 

No one can eliminate all bad thoughts, but you can make the conscious decision to be in charge of your thinking. Filter through what is real and what needs your focus. Your mind is yours to control. You cannot control the first thought, but you can control the second. Choose to consciously override thoughts that weaken you. This will allow you to feel you have some personal power. 

Some suggestions to explore: 

 In my own life one of the important realizations was that balance is possible and it was mine if I wanted it. What followed was a fair amount of self-reflection, openness, and honesty with myself. Setting aside time to explore my definition of balance, by questioning what was missing and what I was already doing successfully, was time well spent. Since then, I have a good grasp on the various elements of day-to-day life. For me personally knowing my heart and mind are working together is what keeps me balanced. The sense of calm, of being grounded and clearheaded, motivates me to keep my life in balance.

Choosing to create balance will reflect in these six areas of your life:

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Social
• Financial
• Spiritual
  
  

Each one is important and will require consideration, attention, maintenance, or upgrading throughout your life. Not necessarily at the same time, or in equal amounts; nevertheless, all deserve attention. It would be impossible and unrealistic to believe that each can have a “full service” all of the time. So, choose the area that is being neglected the most at that time and focus on sorting it out. If you choose to socialize more but are not getting enough sleep, you might have chosen the wrong area to nurture. Choose your priorities carefully. All elements are interrelated; balance will be present when all six are respected.

Most of us spend a large part of the day working. Making sure the remaining hours offer some form of nurturing and reenergizing is vital. There is a difference for single people versus married, with or without children, whether you travel, live internationally and interculturally. Choose the area most in need of attention and nurturing.

That sounds a good thing but what is an everyday pleasure?
In this study the researchers investigated the relationship between simple pleasures and brain activity. Specifically drinking coffee, listening to music, and smelling perfume.


Coffee and music for me - not so sure about the perfume though
Participants could choose what they wanted according to their preferences - that’s important - it needs to be a personalised pleasure…of course. I’m with you on coffee and music also - but then again remember my article on the positive impacts of aroma exposure during sleep a few days ago?

How did they measure this?
Well, this is actually very innovative but we also need to be careful of marketing hype here as this was sponsored by MINDWATCH. They have developed algorithms over the years that can measure brain states based on skin conductance. That is your skin responds very quickly to your current state and this can me measured using a sensor. This is much less invasive than measuring brain wave activity. In this experiment they used skin conductance bands and a device to measure some brain activity also.

And so what was the outcome?
Participants conducted memory tests shortly after being exposed to these stimulants and their performance increase and this could be measured in the brain - an increase in beta band brain waves (associated with concentration and cognitive performance) - and skin conductance results. Music seems to be the most potent followed by coffee and then the perfume.

Don’t we know this already?
Actually yes. We know music can positively stimulate brain activity and is also considered a performance enhancing tool by World Athletics (and as such is not allowed directly before competition!). Similarly, there is a lot of research on coffee and its positive benefits. But participants in this could choose their preferred option.
Also of interest is that there were three types of music to choose from and unsurprisingly the energetic was more effective than the relaxing one - but, and here is the surprise, they included an AI generated piece of music and this was the most effective!

And what now?
Well, this shows that those small pleasures can positively impact brain performance - this is why they are a small pleasure - a little bit of what you fancy does you good as they say - and this is not all in the mind. Your brain and cognitive performance will thank you.

And what about all three simultaneously?
That’s what I’m doing as I write this - feels good enough to me!

by ANDY HAYMAKER
Photo credit: Pexels


Research:
Hamid Fekri Azgomi, Luciano R. F. Branco, Md. Rafiul Amin, Saman Khazaei, Rose T. Faghih. 
Regulation of brain cognitive states through auditory, gustatory, and olfactory stimulation with wearable monitoring. 
Scientific Reports, 2023; 13 (1) 

Most of us will know that feeling - our attention can drop off during the day and our efficient mornings can then blend into less efficient afternoons. And Friday afternoon? Well, you can write that off!

This feeling, or assumption, is now backed up by some science, and pretty solid science at that in a novel piece of research.

The research was conducted by a team around Drs. Taehyun Roh and Nishat Tasnim Hasan of the Texas A&M University. Much previous work has used self report studies or wearable technology for short periods of time - these can be invasive and in the case of self reporting very subjective.

In this study the researchers tracked a large group of workers (789) at an energy company in Texas over two full years making this an impressive real world dataset. What they found is that computer use and output increased to Wednesday and then dropped off until Friday.

What’s more, usage dropped off in the afternoon and also typos increased - a sign of fatigue and wavering attention. This was particularly bad on Friday afternoons - probably no surprise there - fatigue setting in not to mention the psychological impact of the looming weekend.

The authors argue that this also supports shorter working weeks and other forms of work such as hybrid work or working from home as this can counter fatigue and increase productivity.

After looking at the data it seem like it would make sense to just cancel Friday! Alas but then Thursday may become the new Friday. But seriously, evidence is strong for the effectiveness of the 4-day work week. One solid study published early in the year for Cambridge University showed increased wellbeing while preserving productivity.
Sounds good to me!

by ANDY HAYMAKER
Photo credit: Pexels


Reference:
Taehyun Roh, Chukwuemeka Esomonu, Joseph Hendricks, Anisha Aggarwal, Nishat Tasnim Hasan, Mark Benden. 
Examining workweek variations in computer usage patterns: An application of ergonomic monitoring software. 
PLOS ONE, 2023; 18 (7): e0287976 
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287976

In the quest for fitness and health there has been a focus on exercise as a key factor - we all know that. And recommendations are normally about increasing heart rates over long periods of time or possible also shorter more intensive sessions. These have also been shown to improve cognitive function - making your brain more effective.

However, the route to greater health may be easier - or more specifically of enhanced brain function. The effects of light activity in the focus on more intensive and extensive exercise has been largely underestimated - and is considered by some to be a key factor in public health. Our engagement in light activity has over the decades decreased significantly - see my previous article here.
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In this research just out Ryuta Kuwamizu and colleagues of the University of Tsukuba in Japan conducted a simple but effective experiment. In this participants did 10 mins of easy exercise - in this case light pedalling while seated. During this they measured pupil dilation because this is also related to brain function specifically executive function. Executive function refers to harder cognitive tasks such as decision making, short-term, memory, calculation, and analysis - basically what many consider the heavy lifting of the brain in our daily lives.

Yes, and indeed just this short light exercise intervention increased delation of the pupil and this was directly related to improved executive functions which was determined though scanning the frontal part of the brain where our executive functions reside with a technique called near infrared spectroscopy.
This therefore points to, as I have mentioned in other places, the significant benefits of short bouts of light exercise on improved brain function - something of particular interest to businesses no doubt. I have long since promoted the idea of regular short walking breaks - this shows again why. For a review of the benefits of walking see this article here).

Not that it has to be at work - a walk or light exercise will improve your brain function - and that is good for all of us, all the time.

by ANDY HAYMAKER
Photo credit: Pexels

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Reference:
Ryuta Kuwamizu, Yudai Yamazaki, Naoki Aoike, Taichi Hiraga, Toshiaki Hata, Michael A. Yassa, Hideaki Soya.
Pupil dynamics during very light exercise predict benefits to prefrontal cognition
NeuroImage, Volume 277, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120244