Five Ways to Boost Your Brain & Consequently Your Career

By Vicki Salemi Comment

When we read this piece on Fortune, it made complete sense.

Recent studies show how brains change and adapt with a “use it or lose it” mentality. As they demonstrate how to bolster yourself against Alzheimer’s and cognitive impairment down the road, they simultaneously provide career boosting tips, too.

Let’s take a look…

1. Never stop learning. Seriously. The more education you have, research says, the less you’ll likely to suffer later on. Here’s why: Highly educated people usually have mentally stimulating jobs. And when you continue to learn new skills, it’s good for your brain and your career! Just think about all of those promotions.

2. Immerse yourself in another culture. Parlez-vous francais? Although French or Spanish come to mind, the piece suggests pursuing mental jumping jacks by learning to speak Russian, for example. The new alphabet will provide mental gymnastics in a very good way.

In addition to foreign languages, volunteering overseas gives you the opportunity to bend your comfort zone and pay more attention to your environment.

4. Manage stress. The next time you’re enduring a stressful situation, be thankful you can manage it through exercise, meditation and laughter. Excessive stress kills neurons, says Alvaro Fernandez, co-author of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness.  “Excessive stress, no matter whether induced by external events or by your own thoughts, actually kills neurons and prevents the formation of new ones.”

5. Have a lot of friends. It’s to your advantage to have a broad network of pals. Social engagement boosts brain health and along the lines of a career, think of all the networking opportunities it provides!

Research says that regularly interacting with a wide range of people contributes to “both short-term performance boosts and the buildup of cognitive reserve.”