Sort Your Brain Out: Boost Your Performance, Manage Stress and Achieve More

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OPTIMISE AND ENHANCE YOUR BRAIN We all know that we’re capable of more than what we’re already accomplishing. But what if we discovered the tools we need to get the most out of our brain and achieve unheard-of mental performance? CHANGE YOUR HABITS. UNCOVER NEW LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE. With expert guidance from accomplished neuroscientist, Dr. Jack Lewis, you’ll discover how to unlock the hidden potential of your brain. Using simple tools and techniques you can use each day, Sort Your Brain Out will show you how to: [list] [*]Utilise the principle of neuroplasticity to transform your daily life [*]Harness straightforward strategies to learn new behaviours [*]Turn these behaviours into lasting habits and new skills [*]Understand the latest developments in brain-enhancement [*]Create better strategies for team innovation and problem solving [/list] You owe it to yourself to squeeze every last drop of ability from the astonishing organ between your ears. Sort Your Brain Out is your roadmap to mental performance improvements you never imagined. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents What This Book Is All About Introduction A bit about us Where adrian’s coming from Where Jack’s coming from Your Amazing Brain When it comes to high performance, what does your brain look like? Flying Start BOP1: Water – Start every day by rehydrating your brain BOP2: Exercise – vital for brain health (and for holding onto your marbles) BOP3: Stress – Get a grip on cortisol to manage your stress levels BOP4: Get out into nature, go soak up some rays BOP5: Caffeine – Great for brains (but morning only is best) Old Dogs, New Tricks Rewiring needed Bring it on! Finding flow Chapter takeaways Cyber Heads Brain for sale – no longer needed I want it now! External brain reliance Will technology ruin our brains? Staying in to play Multitasking? The buzz and bleep of modern living Brain training ourselves to distraction? Chapter takeaways Gone Fishing (for Great Ideas) Dunking Why is dunking so effective? Perfect timing Enhanced creativity Where in the brain do creative thoughts actually come from? Using novelty to jolt you out of set-piece behaviours Switch it up Inputting data to feed the Eureka moments Night shift Rest and play Go jump in a few puddles! Chapter takeaways Perception Is Everything Now you see it, now you don’t Your permanent blind spot Wiring up the senses Division of labour Bottom-up and top-down brain pathways Do I know you? Mind the gap Impacts of context and expectations on perception Chapter takeaways To Do or Not to Do Icebergs of hindsight Got a hunch? Reward line What do you fancy for dinner? Updating the system Emotion-flavoured decisions Push and pull Danger zone: excessive buy button activity likely Losses loom larger than gains The price of impatience Chapter takeaways Food for Thought Don’t wait for the leptin Eating for two (kilos of gut bacteria) Fat filled and sugared up Sugar-coated vandalism No vacancies Best brain fuels The importance of when, not just what, you eat Chapter takeaways Born To Move: “Sitting Is the New Smoking” Do it for your brain’s sake Consistent high performance Unsung benefits Your natural opiates and cannabinoids Enter the iceman Molecules of movement Exploration mode Better out than in Return of the iceman Chapter takeaways All Aboard the Stress Express! Stress is not the enemy Stress heads Cortisol the motivator Postponing battle Who’s driving your train? “Trying” to get to sleep? Sixty crucial minutes Bedroom detective Chapter takeaways “Smart” Drugs Everyone’s on drugs! On top of the world Not so smart drugs in schools Whistle while you work Nootropic drugs: big dilemmas, grave outcomes The original smart drug Full of beans Brewing for survival Changing perspectives Fixing up the wear and tear Chapter takeaways Get Yourself Connected Help, i need somebody! Mind readers Emotional broadcast Facial feedback Rapport radar Loneliness kills Grooming and gossip You disgust me! Nurture your networks Being more social Diversity pays dividends Two buckets Chapter takeaways Mind over Matter A spectacular sham Optimism bias Placebo power Secrets of happiness Beware the news Mind-wandering: vice or virtue? Attention! Mind management Helicopter ride Optimal prime Chapter takeaways Hold onto Your Marbles Over the hill Putting the brakes on 1. Reduce free radicals 2. Keep your blood pipes clear Brain attack Brain-bolstering activities Building cognitive reserve Alzheimer’s disease versus alzheimer’s dementia What exactly is cognitive reserve? Redundancy in the brain Chapter takeaways What’s Next? The crystal ball of brain tech What could possibly hold anyone back? The feedback we received and the impact it had Repetition rules Photo albums Believing is seeing? Appendix: Brain Tube Maps for Easy Reference Acknowledgements About the Authors About the Illustrator Index EULA