Kickstart Your Brain After Vacation - 11 Tips from 3 Experts

Anders Hansen - Brain-Boosting Chief Physician

Anders Hansen, a chief psychiatrist, delivered a highly praised talk on Sweden's P1 radio in 2019. Since the release of his books The Real Happy Pill and Screen Brain, he has become a popular brain expert, explaining how our brains are still optimized for how we lived in the past – before cities, screens, and smartphones. Today's constant stream of information can overwhelm our brains, which actually need ancient basics like physical activity, sleep, and social connections.

Anders' top tips for the brain:

1. Exercise

When we exercise, the heart pumps faster, delivering more blood to both muscles and the brain. This increased blood flow brings more oxygen and nutrients to the brain, enhancing its function, boosting creativity, and improving concentration in the short term.

Over the long term, exercise releases proteins that positively affect our mood, memory, and concentration. The stress hormone cortisol rises during exercise but decreases afterward. Studies show that the more you exercise, the less cortisol is released during the activity, and the more it drops afterward. This means your body responds with less stress as you continue to train, making exercise a powerful tool for combating stress.

2. Sleep

Sleep is essential for the brain to process new impressions and recover. During sleep, the body slows down, blood pressure drops, and brain activity decreases. Meanwhile, memories and new knowledge are stored. The production of stress hormones decreases, and good sleep habits can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and burnout.

Adults need between six and nine hours of sleep per night, varying from person to person. If you feel alert and function well during the day, you're likely getting enough sleep.

3. Social Connections

Historically, humans have thrived in groups where we could protect each other, so seeking emotional support from others is natural. Loneliness and social exclusion activate the same parts of the brain as physical pain.

Anders believes that in 20 years, people will primarily exercise because it has such positive effects on the brain. Forget about six-pack abs – train for your brain!

Jörgen Dyssvold - On the Meeting Brain

Jörgen Dyssvold is a meeting designer with over 20 years of experience planning and producing meetings at all levels. He is also the creator of Meetfulness – the art of creating meetings that achieve goals while having fun along the way.

Jörgen's best tips for getting the brain to perform at its best during meetings:

1. Eliminate Distractions

Distractions and negative triggers disrupt our brain and attention. These can include someone running outside the window, talking on the phone, or an unpleasant noise triggering stress. The smell of freshly baked pastries might create a strong craving for a coffee break, affecting participants' concentration. To focus, it's important to create a meeting space free from unwanted triggers and distractions.

However, a moderate amount of distraction can also be beneficial, depending on the meeting's purpose and nature. Studies have shown that creativity is stifled by both noisy environments and total silence. A slightly distracted brain thinks more freely, so for creative brainstorming sessions, it might be good to create an environment with some background noise or music.

2. Moderate Sugar

A brain working intensely consumes a lot of energy. The brain's primary fuel comes from sugar glucose, which, combined with oxygen, forms a substance called ATP that "drives the brain." However, only small amounts of sugar are needed to fuel the brain, and too much sugary conference snacks can make the brain hyperactive and then quickly tired. The trick is to consume moderate (and preferably unrefined) sugar – choose fruit over cinnamon buns and donuts!

3. Trigger Happiness Hormones

Our brain relies on happiness hormones like dopamine and endorphins. Being bored equals zero production of these hormones, but the good news is that something as simple as applauding, laughing, or listening to music or a compelling story can trigger their production. Plan triggers like playing an upbeat song, showing a funny video clip, or encouraging a spontaneous round of applause during your meeting to keep brains in a good mood.

4. Recovery

Like other parts of the body, the brain needs recovery when it's tired. Sleep alone isn't enough, as the brain is still busy processing the day's impressions, sorting memories, and more. Taking calm (and preferably long) walks in nature or meditating provides the brain with a different kind of rest, complementing the recovery it gets during sleep.

The Dietitian's Tips - Brain Food

We've already established that sugar can both help and hinder the brain. But did you know that these foods can also increase blood flow to the brain and improve concentration?

The Dietitian's 4 Food Tips for the Brain:

1. Avocado

Avocados are incredibly popular right now. They are packed with healthy fats (unsaturated fatty acids), vitamin K, and folate, which help prevent blood clots in the brain and contribute to improving memory and concentration.

Note! Despite this, we encourage eating avocados in moderation as they are resource-intensive to grow and travel long distances to reach our stores. Instead, opt for blueberries or beets, which are grown locally.

2. Blueberries

Blueberries are full of vitamin C and antioxidants. Research shows they can slow down age-related memory changes and improve memory loss. In late summer, our forests are teeming with this blue gold! Combine business with pleasure by organizing a conference activity where you pick blueberries together for dessert in the evening?

3. Whole Grains

The brain's primary fuel is glucose. With whole-grain products, glucose is released into the bloodstream more slowly, keeping your mind alert for longer – focus all day.

4. Beets

Beets contain natural nitrates that increase blood flow to the brain, which is excellent for all brain functions!

Just as Important as What You Say at the Meeting

When organizing a conference, it's equally important to ensure participants get a good night's sleep, brain-boosting food, time to socialize, and perhaps a workout session between meeting sessions!

Our colleagues at Konferenspoolen can help you book conference venues that offer all this and more, and our project managers are happy to brainstorm ideas for keeping your conference participants' brains in top shape.