Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

There you are … caught in a sand trap ... after three slices,  a gorilla shot to the green, and an internal meltdown. Meanwhile… your three respected business associates try to look the other way when you swing – it’s just the way your game is going…. Have you been there? I have and it is tough to pull the gears from reverse back into any forward motion.

There are reasons for this… and to know them is to turn a tough golf game into a steady loft forward at the next hole.

When you top, slice or shaft a ball – you send the panic hormone … cortisol … surging through your brain. In that state you are headed only for more disasters … and if you golf like I do… you have seen them a time or two.

In contrast, if you’ve ever seen a golfer pull back from last position to win a game… you’ve likely seen a person capitalize on the power of a stress free mind. The key is to bring serotonin back into your swings and that hormone will set you up for a winning shot every time. Here are some tips to move from cortisol to serotonin for a better game:

1. laugh at your poor shot and visualize your next ball laughing its way to the green
2. pause and remember your last great shot and envision yourself swinging for it
3. take three deep breaths before you swing and relax your arms and back
4. offer the great shot you’ll have … silently… to the golfer you most respect…

Your brain takes orders from you when you step to the helm … and believe it or not … your mind is often ready and waiting for the kind of orders that help you to increase the serotonin hormone that helps you to golf well on a rough day. Try this on the golf course and watch it work for you in the workplace when stress hits you there.  What do you think?