Your Brain at Work: Neuroscience Keys for Optimised Mind & Performance

During the expert session, Tharaka Gunarathne engages the audience through interactive exercises using the Mentimeter app, Q&A sessions, and live demonstrations. Tharaka shares neuroscience-based tips for optimizing mind and performance in current times while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and practicing self-care. The audience participates in activities like memory tests and reflection exercises to understand concepts like inattentional blindness and time punctuation. Tharaka also discusses the relationship between brain wave activity, creativity, and productivity, encouraging participants to incorporate Alpha wave activities into their daily routines for improved focus and innovation.

• Embrace a Balanced Brain Wave: Incorporating both focus and relaxation into your daily routine is essential for maintaining creativity and productivity at work. 
• Optimize Your Daily Routine: Adopting healthy habits, such as proper sleep, hydration, nutrition, and stress management, significantly improves overall well-being and performance.
• Cultivate a Curious Mindset: Engaging in Alpha wave activities like meditation, showers, or walks stimulates creativity and relaxation, counteracting prolonged periods of focus during long-term projects.

In this expert session, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Tharaka Gunarathne, also known as Dr. T, leads participants through a captivating exploration of "Your Brain at Work: Neuroscience for Optimized Mind and Performance in Current Times." Dr. T, known for his fascination with the brain's role in quality of life and productivity, kicks off the session by encouraging audience engagement via the Mentimeter app and sharing his background.

He then sets the stage by discussing the profound impact of the current work environment on our attitudes and productivity, highlighting both its advantages and challenges. The speaker promises to share four practical tips to help participants optimize their minds and performance during these transformative times.

Dr. T engages attendees in an activity demonstrating the concept of inattentional blindness, explaining how our focus affects our perception of reality. He then shifts gears by discussing the significance of maintaining a positive mindset, particularly for innovators, and shares five tips to improve overall health and well-being.

The expert emphasizes the importance of managing stress effectively and introduces various techniques to help participants regain control over their emotions and problem-solving abilities. Dr. T also touches upon productivity and motivation, sharing insights on how time punctuation can impact our focus and motivation throughout the year.

Furthermore, Dr. T delves into the role of brain wave activity in creativity and curiosity. He explains that prolonged periods of beta wave activity, which are common in the workplace, can negatively affect creative thinking. To counteract this, he suggests incorporating alpha wave activities, such as meditation or taking walks, into daily routines.

Throughout the session, Dr. T engages participants with thought-provoking questions and provides valuable insights on various aspects of neuroscience that could be applied to optimizing mind and performance in today's fast-paced work environment. He also shares recommendations for further reading, including works by Simon Sinek, Dan Pink, and James Clear.

The expert session concludes with Dr. T reiterating the importance of balancing beta and alpha wave activities to maintain creativity and curiosity in the workplace, emphasizing that a well-rounded approach to productivity could help individuals unlock hidden desires, hopes, and ambitions.

Practical Psychological Safety

Psychological safety, a key driver of high performance, fosters an open environment where team members can freely speak up, ask questions, and challenge perspectives. This session will teach you to define psychological safety, understand its brain-science, use the 4 Step Staircase Model, assess your team's current safety levels, and develop a practical plan to enhance psychological safety, inclusion, and communication.

 

Less Stressed (but more productive)

Stress and burnout are increasingly affecting workplace wellbeing, performance, and company profits. In this practical, science-based lecture, Dr. T will explain the mechanics of stress, how to identify burnout, and effective strategies to combat it, including the Burnout Triangle and the Stress Bucket Model, to enhance both personal and professional wellbeing.

 

You CAN improve your memory

"What’s their name again? Why did I walk into this room? What were my 4 actions from that last team meeting? Where did I put my car keys?! Aaaargh!” We all have ‘memory’ but we all seem to want to improve it. But how? After all, those with a good memory are often more productive, accurate and perceived to be more reliable and trustworthy. In this insightful, fun and massively practical Leqture, Dr. T will take you on a journey into the mechanics of memory, explain why our brains forget and teach you some techniques to radically improve your memory power.

• Very informative and enthusiastic. I left the session with loads of tips that I am ready to try at work and in my personal life.
• Several ways to keep my mind healthy and positive.
• Learned how to reduce stress and control myself under work pressure situations.
• Details about how your brain works, that emotions are contagious, to look after your SWANS to optimise your health and some great reminders of things I knew, but great to have them confirmed again!