The brain works with biochemical energy and if we know how it works, we can get more out of it.

The brain works with biochemical energy and if we know how it works, we can get more out of it. But like any other muscle in our body, we need to train it and this is only achieved with a “mental diet”, made up of different activities, which we do not always include in our day to day. David Rock, founder of the Neuroleadership Institute, along with Daniel J. Siegel, describe what we have to do to get there. They have called it “the healthy mind tray” and it consists of seven activities that we have to do frequently. Marta Romo has renamed it the rainbow agenda, which has to coexist with our daily agenda to be more creative and develop our talent.

Let’s see what our diet should include:

1- Sleeping, which refreshes the mind, body and consolidates memory, establishes pieces of information that we have been learning throughout the day. It is not surprising that when we get up we get answers to problems that we had no solution before going to bed. Simply, the dream has done its job. And how much do we have to sleep? Although it is usually thought that eight hours a day is normal, Rock and Siegel say that it depends on each person. Thus, each one has to know how long is adequate for their body and mind to be at full capacity. By the way, Albert Einstein normally slept 10 hours a day except in the case that he was working on ideas that he considered important, in that case he slept 11.
2- Play, to experiment with life: a few days ago we talked about the importance of play, an importance that neuroscience reaffirms. Thanks to the game, we are more flexible in our emotions and we can be more creative. This is the scientific explanation of why we are more permeable to learning when we enjoy what we do. Our wave frequencies contribute to this.
3- Do not do: it may be one of the most difficult for us. It does not mean pleasure, but time not to focus on anything in particular, like when we are in an airplane and our mind flows without a specific objective or we listen to music without noticing the lyrics. These are moments that help us to later be more effective in reaching a goal. For this reason, sometimes, before getting down to a complex task, it is advisable to “waste” time doing other unimportant things. It is a necessary preamble to find a solution.
4- Develop introspection or live in the present moment: which we access through activities such as taking a walk in the middle of nature, listening to quiet music or doing some kind of meditation or relaxation without judgment. Helps reduce stress and reduces blood pressure and muscle tension. In a way, it is a prelude to being much more effective in our work.
4- Connect with others: it is the time dedicated to building healthy relationships, in which we enjoy company, a good conversation or maintain satisfactory physical contact. On some occasion we have talked about the need for friendship as an element that increases life expectancy. Thanks to the connection with other people we are also able to improve our endocrine, cardiovascular and immune systems.
5- Do physical exercise: We all know that we need to do sports to feel healthy, but what neuroscience has shown is that physical exercise also helps us make our brain more plastic for learning and creativity. It also enhances the neural activities that protect you from aging or any other damage that we can do to you. The variety of exercise is wide: from sports to walking, dancing, hiking …
6- Focus on objectives: it is the time we dedicate to perform tasks to be efficient. Technology has helped us to find any time during a day to solve problems, emails, calls … however, to focus on tasks in a more efficient way, it is recommended that we focus on one, that we do not fall into the multitasking, which robs us of time and energy.
7- Well, according to neuroscience, if we want to be more effective and creative, we must include a series of activities that strengthen our brain, such as rest, reflection or contact with friends. To the extent that we forget any of the above, our beloved brain will feel lame of some of the ingredients that allow it to be at full capacity.

Prescriptions
1- Take your agenda from the last few weeks and identify from the list of previous activities which you have focused more on and which you have left a little aside.
2- Reflect on whether you have the possibility, the means or the people to be able to carry out each and every one of the seven activities on the rainbow agenda, as Marta Romo says.
3- Define an action plan in those that you feel are a little more parked.

Formula

The brain works with energy. To the extent that we feed it with the seven fundamental activities, we can be at full capacity.