Because of our genetic coding, there will naturally always be one hemisphere, brain region, or sensory organ that will lead and be preferred because of neurological dominance. However, you can and should develop the other hemisphere, brain regions, and senses to process information and perform equally.
Unfortunately, our world has always had a dualistic approach, suggesting one thing or the other. You are either left hemisphere or right hemisphere oriented, expressive or receptive, rational or emotional. This produces a limiting view of who we are. Dualism does not accommodate the concept that you are a whole-brained person who can do whatever is expected of you. The better perspective should be one of inclusiveness—you are left hemisphere and right hemisphere, expressive and receptive, rational and emotional. One region may lead because it is dominant, but the other region can function as effectively as the dominant region. When all brain regions are firing on all cylinders simultaneously, there is a multiplication effect that optimizes your brain’s performance to enable you to get the most out of your brain.
Your brain has the potential to help you do whatever life requires of you. It has unlimited potential in terms of what you can learn, think, and create. Sometimes a person may not appear to act like someone with unlimited potential, because there may be an absence or lack of drivers that optimize their performance. To optimize your brain performance and enable all hemispheres, lobes, and brain regions to function simultaneously as one functional whole-brained system, you need to provide it with the right physical and mental stimulation and create the right conditions to thrive. There are eight drivers—brain fitness, sleep, stress, diet, mindset, movement, cognitive skills, and physical environment—that can negatively or positively influence your brain’s performance. To get the most out of your whole brain, it is essential that you know how these drivers influence your neurological design and learn appropriate skills to optimize these drivers.
Brain fitness is about utilizing all brain regions simultaneously as one functional three-dimensional unit. You are not born brain fit. It is something that you need to develop and maintain through regular physical exercises and mental stimulation. Lack of brain fitness will result in alternating between hemispheres rather than processing information simultaneously, causing you to think, learn, and process information longer, slower, and harder. Optimizing your brain fitness will result in ease of learning, thinking faster and smarter, and processing information more effectively.
Your brain fitness skill set consists of a combination of physical cross-lateral exercises and mental activities that help produce neurotrophins and neurotransmitters, activate mental integrative states, and promote cerebrospinal circulation on a daily basis.
During the ATD 2017 International Conference & Exposition, the topic of brain fitness will be presented in the form of an innogizer called the Brain Boogie, which will explain the complex concept of brain fitness in an understandable and enjoyable way. Join us on Monday, May 22, at 4:30 p.m. to experience what brain fitness is all about.
