Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

Billionaire investor Warren Buffet just reported that the US is already well into recession. Whether you believe Buffet’s alarming claim or not … human brains are being wooed into recession’s depressed slumps daily. How so?

Five recent facts about your business brain on recession may surprise you:
 

1. Saving goes against your brain’s desire for instant gratification. Research shows "When our emotions are charged, we have a hard time waiting for a reward," says Carnegie Mellon University's George Loewenstein, one of the first study's authors. Even the chance of getting a slightly bigger reward tomorrow doesn't have the same stimulating effect on your brain as a gain today does.”

2. The brain responds favorably to pricy items. Researchers found that a cheaper wine – tastes better to people who think it costs more. An increase in the perceived price … sends signals to the brain of more pleasure. That expectation shapes the response a person gives. Can you see why people spend more for less?

3. The brain works best when not multi-tasking … and today’s frenzied workplace demands more tasks from more angles with more interruptions … all at the same time. Your brain comes equipped with a neural bottleneck that thwarts doing too many things at once.

4. Constant media warnings about recession create fear and anxiety. Excessive exposure to such stress from media headlines can literally shrink the human brain and shuts it down to block learning or progress. Because we hear about too little money … too few jobs … and mostly gloomy prospects … our brains rewire daily for more recession gloom. We literally learn to anticipate the worst.  

5. Fast foods work against brainpower. Yet modern workplaces increasingly report too few workers lead to shorter lunch breaks … fast foods on the fly …  with less incentives for good diets.  Research affirms that foods high in antioxidants oil and fuel brains for better productivity. These include foods not typically found at work … such as  prunes, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, spinach, broccoli, avocados, oranges and eggplants.

Luckily … not all human brains are on recession’s rollercoaster downslide. Why so?

Save today and you rewire for more thrift tomorrow. Check prices carefully to ensure you have proof of quality … and your brain looks for more quality. Slow down and target one task at a time to motivate brainpower for excellence … before moving on.

Tell stories on the other side of recession and you'll inspire others to rewire for growth and productivity … to help make it happen. Perhaps I’ll suggest this brain based approach on holding back tides of recession … to the Wall Street Journal.

In the meantime … I’ve planned a highly productive day. You?