Library
May 18, 2021
Myth #1: Brain cells die off as we age. Brain cells, or neurons don’t necessarily die. In fact, neurogenesis is the process of expanding neurons as we age. Myth #2: Brain development ceases in childhood or early adolescence. It’s true the greatest neural development occurs in our youth. However, we can continue to build mental capacity as we age. Myth #3: We can’t change our brain or who we are. There are steps we can take to maintain and enhance our brain health, or cognitive fitness. Rodney Gilkey and Clint Kilts describe these steps in a Harvard Business Review article […]
April 20, 2021
Many studies have shown sleeping on it has benefits. In one study subjects were asked to convert a string of digits into a different string by applying two principles. No one was told about a third secret rule that could provide a shortcut to the answer. One group went to sleep for eight hours following the training. The second group remained awake all night. The third group was trained the next morning and remained awake for eight hours before being re-tested. The group that went to sleep following the training was twice as likely to gain insight and use the […]
March 21, 2021
Emotions do not start and stop. Emotions are continuous interpretations of our world. In the 1970s Walter Mischel’s studies demonstrated our ability to control our impulses has a huge impact on our entire life. Children who were able to postpone gratification of one marshmallow for the reward of two marshmallows if they could wait fifteen minutes scored 200 points higher on their SATs a decade later. Self-control allows us to make responsible choices when faced with other appealing short-term options. Trying to hide your feelings from someone is called expressive suppression. Studies show suppression is distracting because it requires having […]
February 14, 2021
Pandemic fatigue is upon us as we start our second year of working and living under the cloud of COVID-19. Many companies that have survived are focused on doing the work. Focused may be the wrong term since lack of focus is one result of the fatigue. The pandemic has muddied work boundaries. Workweeks and workloads have increased as have employees struggling with anxiety, depression, and burnout. Gallup’s recent report, Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures demonstrated workweeks that average more than 50 hours significantly increase burnout, and there is another substantial rise in burnout at 60 hours. A study by […]