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Follow on Google News | Brain Exercises Boost Business PerformanceIf you are doing a tough job in the office where success depends on your ability to remember and manipulate information, working memory provides the key to performance according to one of the country’s leading occupational psychologists.
By: DOP Press Office “Working memory is our brain’s post-it note. We use those little yellow slips of paper not only to jot down important information, but also to work with it, like when we use them to write down and cross out a to-do list. In the same way, working memory allows us to make mental scribbles of information we need to remember and think about,” said Dr Alloway, Director of the Center for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan at the University of Stirling, and a member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, British Psychological Society (BPS). In the workplace, people use working memory to stay focused during a meeting, to creatively solve a complex problem, to respond to questions thoughtfully or even to recall the name of an important client when distracted at a meeting. Those who are better at remembering and working with new information do better in business, according to Dr Alloway. “They tend to have higher paying jobs because they are better suited to adapt to the challenges before them. Able to make clearer judgments, they can more quickly come up with appropriate solutions. They are able to make better decisions under stress and overcome frustration, and are less likely to be overwhelmed,” But what can we do actually improve our working memory? There is a lot of exciting evidence of our brain’s plasticity: that it can actually change – shrink or grow – depending on what we do. For example, there are studies that show taxi drivers brains ‘grow on the job’ as they build up detailed information they need to navigate around a city, said Dr Alloway. If you want to start seeing improvements, you need to do something practical. Dr Alloway gives these tips to help unlock the working memory and do better in your job: BRAIN EXERCISES BOOST PERFORMANCE IN THE BOARDROOM/2 1. Crossword puzzles Research shows that people stay sharper and more mentally focused when they pick up a pencil to do a daily crossword. Never done one before? Start with an easy one and keep challenging yourself with progressively harder ones. 2. Sudoku Puzzles like sudoku are mini workouts for your brain: they train you to think quickly and will result in faster reaction times and memory functions in a range of daily activities. 3. Doodling We usually associate doodling with not paying attention but in fact recent evidence suggests that doodling can help us stay on track. When we are bored, perhaps at a long meeting or in a dull conversation, we are more likely to daydream, which will distract us from what we need to listen to. However, doodling can stop daydreaming without affecting our listening skills and, as a bonus, we are more likely to remember the information. So get out your pencils, just don’t let anyone see you! 4. Brain training Brain training computer games are at an early stage of development and can result in better working memory and IQ. But be cautious, as the program may just be training you to perform well in the test and not actually improve job performance. One program that has been shown to make a difference in the real world is Jungle Memory. This training program, endorsed by the Psychological Corporation, trains working memory and in clinical trials has been found to improve literacy and numeracy. ENDS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Vyvyan Kinross, Division of Occupational Psychology Press Office. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8580 9785. EM: vkinross@silverfoxtraining.com.; NOTESTO EDITORS 1. Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan at the University of Stirling, UK and a member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, BPS (www.pow-bps.com) 2. The Division of Occupational Psychology is part of the British Psychological Society. The Division has over 3000 members, approximately half of whom are Chartered Occupational Psychologists. Members apply the science of occupational psychology to help organisations maximise the performance and well-being of their people. You can find out more at http://www.bps.org.uk/ Ref: bps/workingmemory/ # # # Division of Occupational Psychology represents over 3000 chartered and other occupational psychologists in the UK End
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