How To Prime The Brain To Become More Productive - Edition 8

How do you prime your brain to become more productive? Can you? Ok, that sounds weird I know, but let me explain.

What is priming? Phycology today says it's 'activating particular representations or associations in memory just before carrying out an action or task. For example, a person who sees the word "yellow" will be slightly faster to recognise the word "banana." This happens because yellow and banana are closely associated in memory.'

How can you apply priming to help you become more productive? What if I told you that priming the brain with positive thoughts before negotiating a business deal or tackling a difficult situation could lead to a better outcome for all parties involved?

When you prime your brain with positive thoughts before a difficult task or situation, you decrease the amount of cortisol and increase the amount of serotonin and dopamine secreted by your brain. This shift leads to reduced anxiety, an increase in creativity, and it makes you feel more confident.

You can practice different forms of priming from saying out loud positive affirmations, striking power poses, going for a walk, recreating an environment that made or makes you feel confident, powerful and capable and/or doing something that relaxes you like listening or watching something motivational or that makes you laugh.

So, next time you’re about to walk into an important meeting, think of a time you laughed so hard you could hardly catch your breath and say your affirmations. Prime your brain with the outcome you'd like to achieve. Chances are you will feel more confident, think clearer and the meeting will go better than expected.

When your colleagues ask you how you prepared, ask them to accompany you on a walk so you can teach them about the power of priming and positive psychology.

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