The neuroscience of performance and change
The field of neuroscience can support us in dealing with the unprecedented and disruptive changes to the way we live and work. By understanding how the brain works, we can perform and adapt in the new world of working and living.
Massive job cuts creating uncertainty and increased workload, working remotely amongst home schooling or caring for elderly relatives, loss of customers and clients, personal loss of freedom, health, social support and financial stability are just a few of the most prevalent challenges facing most of us today.
Throughout this, we need to perform our roles and adjust to this new way of living and working as well as support others to do the same.
Research around how our brain works can help shed light on the impact of this but can also offer some simple strategies to support us. These include:
- Reframing: regulate emotions, create gratitude, see challenges as opportunity versus threat
- Brain-breaks to recharge, have insights and stay calm under pressure
- Connectedness on a more personal level with colleagues
- Develop new high-performance habits through neuroplasticity
Our brains are wired to constantly scan the environment to detect any “threats” for survival. The amygdala, a primitive part of our brain is responsible for the fight, flight, freeze response. A looming deadline, negative email, more in the inbox or uncertainty for what the day will hold, can all trigger the amygdala and the survival response. At this time, blood flow heads away from our pre-frontal cortex (the conscious thinking part of our brain), to the heart, lungs, limbs for the fight, flight freeze response. Once we are in a “threat state” ie feeling frustrated, nervous, worried, overwhelmed, anxious, angry or concerned, our peripheral vision narrows, we have less insights, we are risk averse, less connected to others and problem focused. Whereas, when we are in a reward state, we are in a “performance state” – broader vision, more insights, able to take risks, connected to others and solutions oriented.
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