Retrain Your Brain

RETRAIN YOUR BRAIN: The human brain is the most sophisticated structure on Planet Earth. Harness that power with these easy performance-enhancing mind hacks. REMEMBER LONG LISTS: THE MNEMONIC PEG SYSTEM Lists are tricky. When a person can recite all of the U.S. presidents or the countries in Europe, it's impressive. 1 Associate rhyming 2 3 words with numbers: TON Z0 TREE DOOR HIVE Visualize each item on your list with its associated object: 2 John Adams riding a rhinoceros at the zoo. A one-ton George Washington busting out of his vest after too many pancakes. 3 Thomas Jefferson climbing a birch tree. If number rhymes don't work, use shapes, words, or phrases you can easily associate: 1 Tower 2 Нook 3 Bears Horsemen 5 Pointed Star SIX LAZY WAYS TO RETRAIN YOUR BRAIN INTO BEING PRODUCTIVE Sometimes all the willpower in the world isn't enough to get work done. But with a few clever self-deceptions, you'll be writing that novel in no time. Use procrastination to your advantage. TEMPERATURE MY TO-DO LIST: Fluff your to-do list with important, but put off-able items ahead of your very important task. Then throw caution to the wind and skip them. Presto chango! O Walk the dog 77 O Laundry O Eat jelly beans O Reorganize DVDS V Apply for NEW JOB! Use 77 degrees to productivity. Keeping your office bright and warm (77 degrees) can dramatically improve productivity. When temperatures are low employees make 44% more mistakes. Oops. Use the "awww" factor. One study shows that looking at cute images can improve concentration. You knew there was a reason you loved puppies and kittens. MY TO-DO APP OWALK DOs OLAT JELLY BEAN OsoGANZI D OAPPLY POR MEV Turn up your mood! COFFEE TIME! Crank up the tunes to boost your mood and power through a challenging project. 12 1 11 10 Change your scene, man. Stimulate your brain by taking your work on the road. The ambient noise of a coffee shop can actually promote creativity. Relax a little. Take a short power nap (between 15 and 20 minutes) to recharge, improve learning, boost mood, and even prolong your life. Pass the pillows! BREAK FREE OF CELL PHONE CONTRACTS WITH PREPAID PLANS Your current cell phone plan is like a dead-end job-you hate it but it just feels easier to stay put. Change is hard. But there's a whole exciting world of easy, affordable freedom out there! It's time to retrain your brain. No one uses talk minutes anymore. Do you buy televisions if you don't watch TV, cars if you can't drive, or Hammer pants if you can't Hammer dance? Definitely not! So, why are you paying for minutes you'll never use? Break free! Contract plans are like a modern-day debtor's prison; you're stuck paying the same bill forever. Instead, cut your shackles and save your hard-earned money by switching to a prepaid plan. A thief in the night! Studies show that major wireless carriers with contract plans are overcharging for data, and customers never even know it's happening. Your brain has been conditioned to not trust a great deal. With Virgin Mobile, you can get all the phones you want for just $35/month with Unlimited Data & Messaging included. It's time to retrain your brain. Imagine the wealth of possibilities when you switch to Virgin Mobile... round-trip tickets to Australia for you and your best, koala-loving friend. 20 lattes a day. Mmmm, caffeine! life-sized wax replicas of you, because you're so awesome. Sources: • Remember Long Lists of Items with the Mnemonic Peg System, by Melanie Pinola (Lifehacker, 2013) • Six Lazy Ways to Trick Your Brain Into Being Productive, by Thorin Klosowski (Lifehacker, 2013) • Linking Environmental Conditions to Productivity, by Alan Hedge, PhD (Cornell University, 2004) • Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition, by Ravi Mehta, et al. (Journal of Consumer Research, 2012) · An Afternoon Nap Markedly Boosts the Brain's Learning Capacity, by Yasmin Anwar (University of California Berkeley, 2010) • The Neuroscience of Music, by Jonah Lehrer (Wired, 2011) • The Power of Kawaii: Viewing Cute Images Promotes Careful Behavior and Narrows Attentional Focus, by Hiroshi Nittono, et al. (PLOS One, 2012) • How Your Wireless Carrier Overcharges You, by Tom Simonite (Technology Review, 2012) mobile Illustration by Max Hancock