Neuroscience Hacks for Unstoppable Productivity!
Over the last quarter I’ve been focusing a lot on improving my personal productivity. I have a lot that I want to achieve this year, and if I don’t give myself the space and energy needed to focus, it won’t happen.
You may recall that I’m studying neuroscience.
One of the unexpected benefits of this course is that I’m learning a heap of hacks to build more capacity into my day, week and month.
The part of our brain that is responsible for decision making is the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a complex and dynamic brain region that plays a crucial role in higher-order cognitive functions, emotional regulation, and self-control. The PFC needs the right amount of stimulation to be able to function at its optimum. This includes how much energy we have, how much stress we are under, how much information we are feeding into the PFC.
When the PFC works well, it allows you to navigate the complexities of your thoughts, behaviors, and interactions with the world. In other words, it’s the part of the brain responsible for allowing you to plan ahead, make decisions, regulate your emotions and and organise.
Unsurprisingly, when the PFC is under stress, it can malfunction.
A bit like a diesel-run car that has had petrol put into it.
Not speaking from my own experience BTW…
As well as the basics of getting enough sleep, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet, there are a few things you can do to ensure your PFC is functioning optimally:
Chunk big projects into smaller, manageable steps. I’m currently developing an online course (called Thriving Leaders – you can join the waitlist here), and to remove the overwhelm, I have broken it into modules and sections within each module.
Batch tasks – do like tasks with like. For example, for my course, I’m batching the writing of all the sections within each module, then I’ll batch record them all, then I’ll batch create all the worksheets and checklists. Other tasks I batch are reading and replying to emails, boring life admin (paying bills, returning phone calls) and creating social media content.
Give your brain regular breaks. Our brains thrive when they have time to rest. Try the Pomodoro Technique of working for 25 minutes, then taking a screen-free break for 5 minutes.
Minimise distractions – such as removing notifications off your apps, putting your devices in do-not-disturb mode when you’re doing deep or focused work.
Practice mindfulness meditation to improve attention, working memory, and self-regulation. My favourite is mindful walking – where I go for a walk without listing to music or a podcast. Instead, I pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells around me. I don’t recommend this on bin collection day in summer! Stinky.
Do you do any of these? What could you introduce to give your PFC some love?
