My Brain – A review at the end of the year

Back in August I came back from my holidays thinking about my brain, and in particular the increasing need for people who are right-brain focussed.

I did some online tests (here, here) and discovered that I my brain is quite well balanced between the left and the right. I also decided that balance wasn’t the only issue – brain fitness was the real issue:

• What type of brain do I need to be happy?
• What type of brain do I need to remain employable?
• How ‘strong’ is my brain?
• Is it possible to change your brain orientation?
• Is it possible to ‘train’ your brain?

This lead to a short diversion into considering the link between hand orientation (left or right handed) and brain orientation. The conclusion – it’s more complicated than that.

I decided that I need to set myself a goal and chose – remembering names. It’s always been something I struggle with. But I didn’t want to just create a technique for remembering I wanted to use it as a test for brain health. At the time I was assuming that brain health was a valid concept. Having read Making a Good Brain Great by Daniel Amen I concluded that it was indeed possible to make a brain “better“.

From this point I have changed a few things in my daily routine:

• I’ve cut right down on caffeine. I really like the taste of coffee so I’ve switched to decaff.
• I’ve created a quite place routine. It doesn’t happen every day but it happen regularly enough.
• I’m doing more exercise. Most days I do something, even if it’s just a 30 minute walk. I try to get to the gym three times a week and manage it most weeks.
• I’ve been eating more fruit. The main way I do this is to have some fruit in my cereal at breakfast, but I’m also drinking more smoothies.

Each of these things has made a contribution to a definite feeling that I’m clearer headed than I was before. I’m also more motivated to get things done. My tolerance to trivia has also become resurgent.

As for my test, I have no proof, but I think I’m getting better at remembering names.

The plan for next year is to deal with some of the things in my life that cause anxiety because stress isn’t good for brain health. I feel better placed to deal with them now. I think my next reading may well be the Chief Happiness Officers new book and workbook. I’ve also decided that I need to find room in my schedule for a creative outlet that doesn’t involve a computer – I quite fancy wood sculpture for some reason (my great grandfather was a carpenter so perhaps it’s in the genes). My fitness routine is OK but it also needs a goal so I think I’m going to try and plan in between 5 and 10 Saturdays when I’m going to walk up a mountain I’ve never walked up before.

These are not resolutions, I’m just thinking aloud. Resolutions only work if you plan the small steps that get you to the goal and I haven’t done that with any of these yet.

I’ve grouped most of these posts under the “My Brain” category.