As you wake up in the morning, your brainwaves (the electrical activity in your brain) start to shift from a slow to a faster pace. You jump out of bed and quickly find yourself wrapped in the activity of the day. In a way, your brainwaves (mostly beta wavelength when you are fully awake and focusing on tasks) match your hurried physical movements of grabbing breakfast on the run, asking the kids to hurry up, answering emails on your smartphone as you go and cruising through traffic.
You may take a few deep breaths and in doing so, a few fleeting thoughts turn up reminding you that perhaps, slowing down a bit would bring you to your destination in a calmer and more collected manner.
You ignore these signals. After all, who wants to be calm when there is so much to do. You are just starting the day!
You may find the above scenario familiar. It is likely that many people around the world will find it familiar too and - unless you are a brain scientist - you may have never viewed your daily routine through the lenses of brain activity.
This area of research that goes back to the 1920’s has increasingly become a “hot topic”, in particular since the appearance of several slick and easy-to-use portable EEG devices which have recently entered the marketplace.
Neurofeedback experts have now proven that when we slow down and the brain is able to produce more alpha brainwaves, we perform, think and feel better.
Alpha activity has been linked to the enhancement of creativity, problem solving and feelings of relaxation and reduced stress. This is powerful information that can certainly improve the way we work, solve our problems and enhance how we relate to others.
As we explore the key to great leadership, I want to invite you to join our i4 Live Retreat, where we will explore today’s neurofeedback technology, the latest research on brain performance and some of the secrets for better living.
