Why We're More Creative When We’re Tired, And 9 Other Surprising Things About How Brains Work

Editor's Note: This is one of the most-read leadership articles of 2013. Click here to see the full list. One of the things that surprises me time and time again is how we think our brains work and how they actually do. On many occasions, I find myself convinced that there is a certain way to do things, only to find out that actually that’s the completely wrong way to think about it. For example, I always found it fairly understandable that we can multitask. Well, according to the latest research studies, it’s literally impossible for our brains to handle two tasks at the same time. Recently, I came across more of these fascinating experiments and ideas that helped a ton to adjust my workflow towards how our brain actually works (instead of how I thought it does). So here are 10 of the most surprising things our brain does and what we can learn from this information. 1. Here’s how it breaks down: For night owls, this is obviously a much later period in the day. 2. 3. 4. Improved memory 5. 6.

Empower Your Willpower This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new article to Get Rich Slowly every two weeks. One of my fundamental beliefs about money is that it mostly comes down to self-control: Making yourself do the right things and preventing yourself from doing the wrong things. Robert Brokamp: Can I change my willpower or am I just born with the willpower that I have? Brokamp: Explain the concept “ego depletion” and how when you exercise willpower, you tire it out.Baumeister: Yes, exactly like a muscle, that as you exercise it, it will get tired. Brokamp: During the course of the day, we are subjected to many temptations. Another important point is to understand how mind and body work together. Brokamp: What kind of exercise will increase your willpower? So to practice it, try working on habits, and my advice is to start with an easy one.

The Pomodoro Technique® What is The Pomodoro Technique? EASY for anyone to use! Improves productivity IMMEDIATELY! FUN to do! Why Pomodoro? The Pomodoro Technique isn’t like any other time-management method on the market today. For many people, time is an enemy. Essential to the Pomodoro Technique is the notion that taking short, scheduled breaks while working eliminates the “running on fumes” feeling you get when you’ve pushed yourself too hard. Whether it’s a call, a Facebook message, or suddenly realizing you need to change the oil in your car, many distracting thoughts and events come up when you’re at work. Most of us are intimately acquainted with the guilt that comes from procrastinating. Who does the technique work for? These are all ways real folks use the Pomodoro Technique: Motivate yourself to write.Limit distractions.Keep track of how long you’re spending brainstorming / writing / revising.Reduce back and neck pain by walking around during Pomodoro breaks.Draft a book in three weeks. How It works

Why we screw up when the heat is on - life - 11 July 2011 Read full article Continue reading page |1|2 Psychologist Sian Beilock has investigated what happens in the brain when our performance crumbles under pressure. She talked to Tiffany O'Callaghan about what it takes to stay on form under stress, and why being smarter can be more hindrance than help What made you want to research what you've called "the science of why people screw up"? This phenomenon is known as "choking": what does this mean exactly? What is going on when we are under pressure? You say people with more cognitive horsepower may be more likely to fail. We had people do mathematics problems that could be solved by working through a complicated algorithm, or by using a shortcut. Those with more cognitive horsepower are also folks who tend to over-think and analyse. How can you avoid worry? A mathematical problem presented horizontally - "32 - 17 = ??" How did you find out that paying less attention can improve performance? New Scientist Not just a website! More From New Scientist

Walking helps keep body and brain young Scientific Speed Reading: How to Read 300% Faster in 20 Minutes (Photo: Dustin Diaz) How much more could you get done if you completed all of your required reading in 1/3 or 1/5 the time? Increasing reading speed is a process of controlling fine motor movement—period. This post is a condensed overview of principles I taught to undergraduates at Princeton University in 1998 at a seminar called the “PX Project.” I have never seen the method fail. The PX Project The PX Project, a single 3-hour cognitive experiment, produced an average increase in reading speed of 386%. It was tested with speakers of five languages, and even dyslexics were conditioned to read technical material at more than 3,000 words-per-minute (wpm), or 10 pages per minute. If you understand several basic principles of the human visual system, you can eliminate inefficiencies and increase speed while improving retention. First, several definitions and distinctions specific to the reading process: You do not read in a straight line, but rather in a sequence of saccadic movements (jumps).

Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep I once went almost five days without sleep in 1996 just to see 1) if I could make a week (I couldn’t), and 2) what the side-effects would be. I was a new neuroscience major at Princeton at the time and hoped to do research with famed serotonin pioneer, Barry Jacobs. Hallucinations cut my sleep deprivation trial short, but I’ve continued to experiment with sleep optimization and variation as a means of improving performance. Here are a few effective techniques and hacks I’ve picked up over the last five years from sources ranging from biochemistry PhDs to biologists at Stanford University… 1. Consume 150-250 calories of low-glycemic index foods in small quantities (low glycemic load) prior to bed. Morning fatigue and headache isn’t just from sleep debt or poor sleep. 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil (120-240 calories) can be used in combination with the above to further increase cell repair during sleep and thus decrease fatigue. 2. 3. 4. Test “caffeine naps” between 1-3 pm. 5. Sweet dreams.