Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - June 16th

The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous. - Carl Sagan

You can't change who you are, but you can change what you have in your head, you can refresh what you're thinking about, you can put some fresh air in your brain. - Ernesto Bertarelli

In last week’s Terri’s Tuesday Tip, I discussed my new quest for knowledge on various topics.  As I finished Mozart’s Brain and the Fighter Pilot by Richard Restak, M.D., I contemplated things I learned and implemented an idea I learned.     

According to dictionary.com, mindlessness is “without intelligence; senseless, unmindful or heedless”.  Every day, we have to do repetitive tasks that often become mind numbing.  Activities of this nature include making copies or entering data at work or washing dishes or folding clothes at home.  Often times, the mind does these activities over and over again day in and day out and there is no challenge and those times become very mundane.  However, this is a great time to “shake things up” and refresh your mind. 

Cleaning is a mindless activity that many of us do, but probably do not enjoy it.  However, I think it is a great time to allow the brain to think, process information or just “run wild”.  For me, I take time each day to tidy up my apartment and prepare for the next day.  I actually find this relaxing.  During this time, I think about the day’s activities, any meetings on my calendar for the next day or anything else that comes to mind.  The other nice thing about this mindless time is that I am using a different part of the brain because I am not looking at a computer screen, reading, etc.  

Recently, I found another time that could be considered mindless, but it is a great time to think.  It is during our commutes (driving).  Our brains have driven for so many years that it has become a habitual process.  For the last week, I have not listened to the radio in my car.  I literally put a sign on my radio that says “NO”.  Instead of listening to music, I think on my way to work about my day, contemplate topics for the day’s meetings or think about what tasks I need to complete.  On my drive home, I review the day…what went well and what can I change.  There have also been commutes that I just drive in silence without my brain processing anything, which allowed my brain to refresh.  Out of habit the other day I went to turn on the radio and I stopped myself.  Through this process, I have discovered that I stay calmer driving (which is a very good thing with Austin drivers!) and I allow my inner self to process.  Since implementing this change, I have seen a change in myself in many different ways.   

When are those times that most people would find mindless, but you find great solace in those times for processing information?  Use them to your advantage to process and improve your memory.

You can't change who you are, but you can change what you have in your head, you can refresh what you're thinking about, you can put some fresh air in your brain. - Ernesto Bertarelli

Mindless habitual behavior is the enemy of innovation. - Rosabeth Moss Kanter