This Will Boost Your Brain Performance
Sometimes the best way to achieve more is not to do more, but to be happier.
I guess you don’t need scientific research to convince you that happiness is a good thing. But did you know that happiness can make you more productive? According to research by the University of Warwick, the productivity of study participants who were made happier (with funny movie clips, for example) rose by 12%.
That’s some good news, right? Sometimes the best way to achieve more is not to do more, but to be happier.
Engage in new experiences
One of the best ways to have more happiness coming your way is to experience new things, such as meeting new people, learning a new skill, and traveling to a new destination.
As explained in the Brain World Magazine, your career success is dependent on engaging in new experiences, “since people become bored and unmotivated if sufficient new challenges are not offered, and even our closest personal relationships break down if they succumb to predictable routines. “
That’s because, when we engage in fresh experiences, the “pleasure centers” of the brain are activated, resulting in a flood of dopamine throughout the brain (Dopamine is a chemical that contributes to feelings of pleasure and satisfaction).
Therefore, the next time you’re tempted to get your coffee at the usual coffee shop around the corner, make a U-turn, and try something new. And if you’re serious about giving your career a power kick, seek out a new and challenging project.
Know who you are
Sounds easy, right? As with all good things that look too simple, there’s a catch. While new experiences will have a positive effect on your career and overall life, they aren’t something your brain will necessarily look for.
In her book Ultimate Confidence: The Secrets to Feeling Great About Yourself Every Day, Marisa Peer explains that “we are all programmed to re-create and seek what is familiar to us, and we seem to feel most secure and comfortable with what we know even if it’s not good or right for us.”
If your brain perceives a new challenge at work more as a potential pain (I could fail and lose my status/job; I won’t have time for my private life any longer) than pleasure (I’ll learn new things and land that promotion faster), it’ll try to keep you away from the challenge.
The extent to which you will look for new challenges depends a lot on your personality. Some of us are mostly focused on novelty and adventure, while others are mostly focused on staying safe—on minimizing losses and maintaining the status quo.
Neither of these ways of looking at the world is better than the other. When launching a new business, it’s great to see opportunities all around, but you also don’t want to overlook risks and throw your cash out the window.
What’s important is that you know who you are. Are you a novelty seeker by nature? Then you’re on a constant lookout for new and unique experiences. The dopamine rush resulting from these experiences will keep you motivated to succeed and learn more. But if not balanced by some necessary routines, you may start missing direction and structure in your career.
Are you rather staying on the safe side? Many people don’t like the idea of injuring and embarrassing themselves by trying out new things. If that’s you, then you know that from time to time, you need to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and towards more adventure.
