Friederike Fabritius: "Fun, Fear, and Focus: The Neurochemical Recipe for [...]" | Talks at Google

I. Have. Heard that people at Google are extremely. Smart talented, and. Very good with numbers, I'm. A neuroscientist, I love to see for myself that's really true so I'd like to ask ten people to come over here we're going to do a little competition, and put this to a test, please. Otherwise. I'm. Just going, to take the first row so if nobody dares you guys here already doomed so. Five. People over here five people over there. Okay. Five. People, that's five people good two. People here we need three, more. Okay. Here's. What we're going to do um. We're going to work in two competing teams I'm, going, to start with the first team over, here and you guys are not supposed to talk to each other you just watch them and wait, that they make a mistake okay. I'm not, as good with numbers so I need your guy's help if anybody makes a mistake let. Me know could, you please form a circle. Natalia. Will be in the middle so, all. You, have to do is to, count to 100. Okay. Can we just give it a try, one. Three. Four, five six, seven, okay okay you can count. Since, you're so super-smart, supposedly. I would, like to introduce three, simple, rules okay, the first one is called the, evil number seven so. Don't, say any number that has a seven, in it like 67. Or, 87, or something like this don't, say any number where the multiple, of where, that is a multiple of seven such, as, 77. Or, 49. Don't. Say, any number were the two digits. Add up to, seven such as in 52. You. Guys are supposedly, smart right, so. When. Such, a number, comes up and it's your turn and let's take you more in the middle so that you're not confused, as a participant. Great. So. When. Such a number comes up what. You should be doing is, instead. Of saying the number you, swirl around your own axis, can you do it like, this and. When you're back here facing the others you clap your hand can you do, it once and then. The, third rule is your team must reverse, directions. Okay. We. Just try, it quickly, so you go first. One no you say. You. Say one. Five. And. Then you'll reverse directions. Okay. You got it other rules clear, please. Watch them I'm not such a number person, so ready. Set go one. Two. Three, four, five, six. 11. 12 13. Okay. Let's give them. Okay. Just. Stay here for a moment now, don't, talk don't outsmart. Me don't make up any smart strategies, please let's see if you can do any better, we're. Taking marina in the middle so. You're just hide, here okay. Okay. Ready, set go one, two, three, four. Five, I. Think. You, can all go back to your seats. Again. So. What. Did we just experience. Here why was it so, hard to, count to, 100 and, why, would that matter to you, right. Who cares if they can't count, to 100 I will tell you why I will give you a closer look at how the brain works to.

Understand, What just happened, and also. To, help you understand, how you can use that knowledge to improve your performance okay. At any time feel free to interrupt, me and to ask questions I love questions and, I love to be challenged, so if something. Is unclear or, you have a little question just raise your hands and you, will get a microphone and you can ask right away so don't wait to the very end I'm flexible, so, use. The. Action the, possibility, to ask right away so if, this, is the head and, you. Can see it from the side with. The eyes here. And this, is your brain there's. A part of the brain called, the prefrontal. Cortex. PFC. That's. The part of the brain that makes you successful, that's. The part of your brain that you use for complex, decision-making. Rational. Thinking, planning, ahead for the future that's. What you need in order to be, a, high-performing. Person. Researchers. Found that. Already. At age five you, can see if children have well-developed, prefrontal, cortices, and what they did is they made an experiment, where, they had people or. Children. Sit down in a chair in, a laboratory setting and they said you can get one marshmallow now and they, put it in front of them or you can wait for 15 minutes and then you. Can get a second, marshmallow if you manage to wait, for, those 15, minutes. Well. Then the research has left the room and left the kid alone with a marshmallow, for 50 minutes you would see some kids that would run for the marshmallow and just eat it get it over with right and some, others they would turn, around, ignore the marshmallow, or put it under the table so they didn't have to see it or play with it and throw it in the air crazy. Things happened, but. What research has found that the kids that were able to wait, for, just 15, minutes to get a second, marshmallow were. The ones that were way more successful later, in life they, had their. Earned more money they, had better jobs, that had better health they, were happier, overall, so, success, in life is correlated. With how well your prefrontal cortex, is functioning, because, it's your prefrontal, cortex, that helps helps you to make executive. Decisions and. It helps you to have executive. Control. When. We did this little experiment, over here, and, I, introduced, the rules with, the evil number seven and. Swirling. Around and. Not seeing the number and then reversing, directions, this. Was a task aimed. To. Test. Or to freak out your prefrontal cortex. You had to use your prefrontal, cortex, to manage these different, rules and to do these calculations, in, your head, the. Problem, is as we know the prefrontal cortex, fails. Very. Quickly, right. And we could all see it here. So. We. Like to think of ourselves as, rational beings, we think that we are so smart and we're always in control, of things and, we are so, rational but that's not how our brains work but, in order to be successful in, life and in order to be innovative, and in order to create new ideas, and to be high-performing. You will need your prefrontal cortex. So. I will show you today how you can improve your prefrontal cortex, but before that I will show you which other brain areas always run over the prefrontal cortex because.

It's A part of our brain that was only fully developed. You. Know at age 18, or 21, for, you maybe some of you guys here don't, even have a fully developed prefrontal, cortex, and if I look at the audience, it's, a part of our brain that is. The newest, from an evolutionary perspective, and. It's, also the one that takes longest, to grow so. You know I have five kids at home under the age of six and they, do crazy, stuff, and, I still stay, relaxed. Because I know it's just that their prefrontal cortex. Is not working. Fully, yet so. Which, other brain parts, run over the. Prefrontal cortex there. Are many other, areas that, influence, it but I'd like to highlight one, today, that, we could see in our little exercise and that really determines much, of what's going on in our lives. It's. A part of our brain called the, basal. Ganglia. What, are the basal ganglia that's. Where, your, habits. Are stored that's, where your mindsets, are stored that's where you believe system, is in so if you think that brexit, is a good idea or that voting. For a certain political party is a good idea that's probably stored in your basal, ganglia, on your brain when. You have lots of experience. It goes into your basal ganglia if you think about the little game we did. It. Aimed also, at your basal ganglia because what did you do that you learned at age 2 or 3 or 1. Counting. All of you know how to count it the better you know how to count the, more it is represented. In your basal ganglia. Once it something is in your basal ganglia you don't get rid of it anymore once, you know how to ride a bike or once, you know how to count you can't unlearn, it once it's there you're stuck with it okay and it will overrule, everything. Else in your brain so you need to be aware also, of habits, you create because they can be very stubborn, to, illustrate this, if you think about it the first time you learned how to drive a car maybe. At your first driver's, license, that, was really, something.

That Required, a lot of attention, you had to focus on the wheel you, had to focus on pushing the brakes you, had to focus on shifting, gears there was a stop sign oh there's my, drivers teachers, is talking to me oh what a distraction. Right you're totally. Getting shivering. This. Is because, you drove with a part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex you, have to use your prefrontal cortex, for it driving, because you had to think of all the rules and that's something you had to do consciously. So. You, did have to pay a lot of attention to, that process later. On a couple, of years later you drive with your basal ganglia, you, can probably you. Know get. Up in the morning, half asleep and get yourself to work in your car I'm not suggesting that's, a good idea I'm. Just saying you probably do a lot of things while you drive people talk on the phone people. Talk to the person sitting next to them people eat on the car people put on makeup in the car people text. While driving and you know that's leads, to a lot of mistakes but, you can get from A to B without. Even noticing what you did because it's in your basal, ganglia, the brain is a lazy couch potato, it, likes, to make things easy for it whatever you do with the prefrontal cortex takes, up a lot of energy, there's. Something, that psychologists. Call ego, depletion or, decision, fatigue after, a long day of heavy, thinking. And paying. Attention, to things you're. Just done with it right, you don't want to think anymore you just want to watch next lakes or something like this you don't you. Don't you, have used up all your willpower, at the end of a long day, so, the prefrontal cortex is not an unlimited resource and, research that gets deeply, it easily that gets distracted, easily, and that gets run over by, the parts of the brain very, easily, okay. So today I just wanted, you to know just talk about the prefrontal cortex but, to make you experience. How easily it gets knocked out so, if you want to be successful in, life and if you want to be successful at your jobs and high-performing, you need to find ways to, make, the, prefrontal, cortex, function. Properly, and, there's three things we, need in order, to put, you, know in order to make our prefrontal cortex, happy and these, are the things I would like to show you today are you, ready for that okay. So. Here it goes. If. This performance. And. I don't mean, you know how much money you make or if other people think you're smart or you, know, things. Like that I'm thinking, about how. High performing. Is your, individual. Prefrontal, cortex, at this given moment okay. So this is measuring. Performance, of, your. Prefrontal, cortex, over here and. Here. We have stress. Level. Basically. Here. You would say you're in a coma sleep, and over, here you would be close to panic attack and in between there's, many different, circumstances and, situations, you could be in, usually. Let's, say somebody, here calls, you up and says you, know we have this new initiative at Google. We. Don't know yet. If we're going to go through with it it's just a new idea. Maybe next year we're going to have a meeting, about, this but we don't know yet who's going to sponsor, it so could you please put, together some PowerPoint, presentation. For this and some ideas. Doesn't. Sound very good does it so you're going to sit at your desk and you're probably going to clean up your desk and procrastinate. And do other things but your, highest performance, will not be on, this job this, is true for all kinds, of routine, jobs such, as doing, your expenses. Checking, your emails, you. Can do a lot of things just with your basal ganglia, right you will just go through the motions, no effort. Required and, the performance, of your prefrontal, cortex, will be very low. So. Now, let's imagine that. You're. Supposed, to give a presentation, in front of your CEO I know you have your Christmas party tonight, and you can now receive an email this very moment telling you why, don't you give a spontaneous, speech, tonight presenting.

You Know your. Latest. Results. At work we'd love to hear more about this it should be 5 to 10 minutes and you, know just prepare something really fun and energizing, for, people engage, them and afterwards. We're going to write to you and this. Will influence the bonus you get. Ok, something, like this, their. Chances. Are that your, performance is going to be down here because, you might be so sweating. And terrified. Everybody's, watching, you all eyes on you ok and then. Maybe right, before, you aren't on it you realize that all of your numbers are wrong or that you, know something. Is not working out with your presentation, when. We are in extreme. Stress, ok, when, we experiencing. Stress our prefrontal. Cortex. Shuts down, this. Is what happens your, brain will go into a fight flight, or freeze and, this will lead to the fact that our brain just shuts down not, all parts of the brain but, the prefrontal cortex will. Shut down because evolution, Ares, from, an evolutionary perspective, if, you. Have to. Fight. Bear. In the forest you. Don't, want to think of ten different creative, solutions, of how to fight a bear you can either fight or flight. Or freeze and, hide under a bush or something like that so. Under. Stress the prefrontal cortex shuts. Down when we're, very bored our prefrontal, cortex, does not feel motivated to, work and then in both cases it's, your basal ganglia, doing the job when we're bored we just go, and click it to our habits we do the things we always do we go through the motions other, people, might even think, you're performing. Well because. If you have good habits then you can go through a lot in life just with your basal ganglia right, it all depends on what kind of training you had and what's in there, if. You're. Very stressed your brain will also, rely, on your basal ganglia, because, your prefrontal cortex, doesn't work properly anymore then you also have to rely on instincts. That's, why in professor professions. Like firefighting. And, the. Police, and, medical, doctors who work in emergencies, they train people a lot, psychologists. Call this overtraining. Over. Learning, because, they want to make sure that people have the right kind, of action. Stored and their basal ganglia, so in the military, for example you, train how to pull the trigger a hundred, million times so, that when the emergency situation, comes up and your prefrontal cortex, shuts down you, know exactly what to do and you make the decision within, milliseconds because, the prefrontal cortex is slow but, your basal ganglia are quick and they, work without you not even noticing. They just go on out of pilot ok, but, this, is where you want to be with your prefrontal cortex, right if you want to be innovative, if you want to come up with new ideas if you want to create something new and exciting, in your company, you, have to engage your prefrontal cortex. As. You. Can see, there's. An inversed you correlation. Between stress, level, and performance. If. There's. Too little stress, you. Will just do business, as usual, people might even go and to bar out people.

Love What you do you might get compliments. For your work but it's a bit boring and irrelevant. And. You just do it but it's you. Know nobody cares about your work and over, here you might have a situation with, too many deadlines, too many people wanting, stuff from you bad, bosses who, you, know follow, after you and give you bad feedback all of the time things, like this can really wear down your prefrontal cortex, so, how can you get up here. When. We reach peak performance. We. Lose concept, of time if you ever had a moment it to work or in your free time when. You really were performing. At your best it could be in sports it could be in music it could be in arts that could even be at your job, you. Lose a concept, of time you're, fully present, here now and, you, love what you do, usually, this is associated, with joyful. It's, a joyful experience research. Shows also that when we're in this state. Of mind we. Are five times, as productive, five. Times as productive that's, a lot you could save a lot of time if you know how to get there whenever, you want it whenever, you need it rather, than spending, most of your time here or here, for, your most strategic. Tasks for your most important, decisions, for the things that truly matter you. Should know how, to get here and there are three things you need. And. I, call them fun. Fear. And. Focus. Why. Should, you have fun at work aren't you paid to, work you know shouldn't that be what. You receive for your hard work. Isn't. That enough, research. Shows that when people have fun at work a, neurotransmitter. Called, dopamine is. Released in. Your brain I will write it here for those of you who want to remember that so you have the dopamine. Okay. And the, dopamine is a real. Brain, booster, dopamine. Is a neurotransmitter that. Links, into the reward system of your brain and will make you think faster. It will make you learn faster. And it, will make this a very joyful experience. If. You think about it it's not by. Coincidence that. Most, famous, people in, who, excel, in some area really love what they do, because. When you're really good at something then, dopamine, is released and, it makes it even better so if you want to have more fun at work this is not just about having, free, food and all of the gadgets you enjoy here at Google at the after work party, kind of fun you're going to have tonight it's, more about do, you truly love what you do are, you really good at what you're doing you. Know fun, related. To the tasks that you perform. Every day so. My advice to you would be to find a job where you can be really the best in class not, something, where you're kind of doing okay ish. Seek. Something where your talents, can shine and then, you will get burst of dopamine, that will help your brain, to perform much better other. Ways to get more dopamine are to for, example work with surprise, and novelty, every. Time we get surprised, our brain, releases, dopamine every. Time something new happens, our brain reacts, by eliciting, dopamine, so, but. Little exercise, we did here, a few minutes ago I also did this in order to get you out of a rut you come to listen to a talk but I wanted you to also do something you didn't expect to be doing because this will give everybody a burst of dopamine, and it will make you retain, better what, I tell you today jokes.

Are A good way to get, dopamine. Burst, when people laughed when. People last the, brain releases, dopamine so, if you want people to learn well and to perform well at work it might pay off to have somebody really funny at the team, maybe. Somebody, not really, high performing. Person, not so. I'm. Serious. Funny. People boost, everybody's, performance. So. You, know if you have this fellow who's not adding. Much value, but making, jokes keep that guy on the team okay. From. A brain perspective. Laughs a really, boost, performance. So. That's the fun the. Second thing is the fear, I don't. Know if you have experienced, that but I have a friend and she went to a Bob Dylan, concert and, what happened, is that she hated it why. Did she hate it because he was playing new songs she never heard before she, wanted to hear the songs of, she knew and loved to sing along and instead, he was going totally, experimental. On, stage and she said I, didn't. Know the stuff you were singing, it was okay, why, did Bob Dylan do this he was upsetting, his audience, nobody. Loved the, concert. People hated, it well. Otherwise I guess he would have been bored to, death if. You're Bob Dylan, and you've been doing the same thing for 40 years you don't want to play the same songs it, goes out of your ears your ears will explode if you hear that song one more time I don't know I'm not Bob Dylan but I guess. That's what's good what was going on in his mind you need to try new things you. Need to push the boundaries most, people, when, you ask them how, can you reach best performance, they say this, happens, when the challenge, meets, your skillset no. That's not true this happens when the challege, exceeds. Your, skill set you need to be slightly over challenged. Okay. Find a job you're really loved and then push yourself to the boundaries get, over the top do things that are a bit too difficult for you do. Things that, are a bit scary, if you're never scared at your job something's, wrong with you you, need to be sometimes a bit nervous you need to, try new things you need to experiment. If you're always staying in your comfort zone your. Brain will react by going into your basal, ganglia because, when we have a slight level, of fear, our, brain, releases. A substance called, noir adrenaline. And noradrenaline. Is, a positive. Stress. Hormone. Okay. Might. Not be the prettiest, flip chart you guys have seen but. So. Here, it is for those of you who want to write it down so you, need the dopamine, but you also need the noradrenaline, when there's no challenge, when there's no deadline, when nobody cares about what you're doing you. Will underperform, you. Will go into basal ganglia mode so, push yourself, if you find yourself too, comfortable in your role you might want to quit your job or go. On a job rotation or try something new if.

You're Getting too comfortable you, will go and to bar out and your, brain will think why. Should I, engage my, prefrontal cortex. It costs, me a lot of energy and, attention to, engage my prefrontal cortex, the brain will only do it when, it's really necessary and, if there's no challenge if, there's no fear, your, brain will not go, through all of this effort so you need to be slightly over challenged. To. Achieve that. Yes. A question, regarding. The fear in distress, well, I'm not an, expert in this issue at all but. That. Orman. Is, a. Good one when, we are a bit nervous or. With fear but. Is it associated also, with cortisol. Like, it happens at the same time and is it because, I've heard that cortisol is not that good for, your performance, so then I would. Like to know your. Opinion, about it yeah, cortisol. Is, also, helpful but it's not a good thing, cortisol, is a negative, stress hormone, so, what happens with cortisol, is that if you have that over longer period, of time in your body you. Will, go into burnout a part, of your brain called the amygdala, which is processing, negative information will grow your. Prefrontal cortex, will shrink, your hippocampus for learning, will shrink as well so, cortisol. Has a very damaging. Impact. On our brain but, when it's cortisol, released cortisol. Is released when. There's. Chronic, stress over. A longer period of time so let's say you have an awful, boss who, treats you badly if you, live in a dysfunctional relationship, if. You go to your, job every morning and you feel that you hate it that. Will give you a level of cortisol, when you feel so overstressed, that you can't sleep anymore it's the cortisol, hindering. You to to go to sleep your, adrenaline, gives you a positive push. Okay. So it gives you a kick cortisol. Will, slow, things down for you so, this is the matter of whether it's a short term stress here, I'm speaking about short term stress which is good or. Whether it's a long term stress and then the month number one protection, factor, for, cortisol, is actually. Autonomy. If, you think about it big, bosses, and large organizations that. Work many hours but, they're not as stressed as the people at the bottom who maybe work 9:00 to 5:00 because, when we can influence the situation, that's. When our brain makes sense of the situation it doesn't matter whether you work up to, 3:00 a.m. because. Your boss told you to do that or whether, you work up to 3:00 a.m. because it's your company, and you chose to do that if you feel that it's there's a purpose associated with it so if you want to avoid cortisol, try, to take as much control, of the situation, as you can rather, than being a victim go, into a more active role to to fight this situation, okay. So. That's. The noradrenaline, and the fear part what. About focus. Imagine. Some. You know some. Athlete, in the middle of a match. Like. Johnny Saxton, or imagine. Serena Williams, playing a tennis match and then, in the middle of the match she's, pulling out her cell phone she says I just need to take the call hold, on a moment or I need to check my emails, people. Would hate that their fans would be appalled, people, would be shocked but, in the business world that's how people behave all the time, constantly. People, are multitasking. People, are constantly, checking their emails, people. Are hardly ever focused. Right. And. Research. Shows that when. We multitask we make 50% more, mistakes, and we. Take 50%. Longer to complete the task, research. Also shows that today's, teenagers, have the attention span shorter. Than the one of an average goldfish. Attention. Span is going down our brains are plastic we're, adapting to new situations, and if you're constantly multitasking. You're not getting better at it your attention span is actually going down because your brain says I never need focus. Prolonged, attention, right I never need it so why should I develop, that skill but. It's impossible to, reach peak performance, if you're not fully focused, because. When you're fully focused, and present. In the moment your, brain will release a substance, called, acetylcholine. Let. Me write it down here for. You. As. We, saw him that little exercise, we did in the group this morning, you. Really, had to focus on, keeping the seven out of the game right you really had to focus on these complex calculations. Your prefrontal cortex, will only work when you're fully focused, it requires, attention, it's, impossible. To get and to flow if you're, not focused, so what. Should you do about it I mean there's many ways to go one of them is for example to eliminate, distractions, from the onset, because our prefrontal cortex, is a limited, resource if, you.

Are Going to spend all of your energy, suppressing. The urge to check your phone let's say it's on your desk while you work on something and then you just, write a book that told you that multitasking, is bad and then you decided to check it less you're always good to look at and think no okay I check it later get. Rid of it okay put it somewhere else I I, know, that many. Executives. Are now doing what is called a meeting of one, when. We get in the meeting with other people, we always schedule, time we, turn off, the phone we don't check you know we really focus, on that meeting but, you should be just. As. Critical. Rigorous. When. You have a meeting with yourself, if you really have to put an important presentation together if you really have to solve an important, question take. Some time lock, your door don't, let people walk in on you you know I don't know if you have an open office policy. Or something like this put. Something in front of your door so that nobody can get in it's nice to be social, but, research shows that when people have too much open office spaces, collaboration. Communication, actually, decreases, do, you think it would go up but it actually goes down because people are hiding, because. It's impossible to focus if you constantly, have your colleagues, in here so, find a way to, truly focus on your work but I I would, like to let you in on a little secret. Most. Books will tell you, that, you. Know eliminating. Distraction. Is the right way to improve, focus or that you should go to a mindfulness. Training, course and learn meditation and. Do yoga, something. To train up your inherent. Ability, to focus that's. Good but. It's not really working because people, know, that multitasking. Is bad and they keep doing it anyhow why, do they keep doing it anyhow because, we're addicted to our phones if, you think about it every time you get a new email or, something happens, there's social media, your brain thinks oh there could be something new and relevant going on I need to check that out and then you get a burst of dopamine, and you get a burst of noradrenaline, because there could be something relevant, for you and, when. We are bored at work and, then lit up tired and, a bit you. Know not fully motivated, you. Might just as well pick up your. Phone to see if something news going on in order to get a quick burst of dopamine, or, when. You're very stressed, and, you. Want. To escape from that situation your phone could be an escape strategy, from rather than focusing, on what's going on around you you focus. On your phone and what happens is that every time and your email comes up or something new happens, you get this burst of dopamine, and they link it to the reward, circuit in your brain and you get addicted to it and you need more and more and more as you can in teenagers, drug use has gone down but, phone use has gone up so, it's a new drug basically.

In The freight in the brain. Multitasking. And the, use of mobile devices is treated, like an addiction if you look at people's brain while they're looking at their phone it's, like a brain and love or a brain, on drugs, so. I. Want. To invite you to. Create. A work environment that is more fun and where, you have the right level of fear and then, focus, will come naturally. Pay. Attention to that you will see that these things are correlated to each other when. You have fun at work and when there's truly something at stake when it's challenging. Your. Focus will be there immediately yes. They they, I had a session with executives. Who they were working on glass we. First wanted to do a fire walk but then the university, building wouldn't allow that so then we did a glass walk, on real, it you, know it was 70, bottles of glass shattered. 70, bottles of wine shattered. On the floor and people were walking over at barefoot. Nobody. Was multitasking while, doing that everybody. Was focused, trust. Me I've seen people, everybody, was really paying attention, while walking because. You. Don't want to hurt yourself so you have a certain level of fear and it was kind of fun because it was new and unexpected, not something you do every day right. Oh let's, walk on glass today so, people, had fun people, had fear and everybody, was focused, we. Didn't even have to tell people to focus focus just happened, so if you find yourself having trouble with focus, improve. The level of fun improve. The level of fear and it will come naturally. Thank. You. You. Have any questions, so. You're kind, of talking a lot about like delaying, or postponing, gratification. What. Are some of the more specific. Things that, people could do to try and be better at that. To. To delay, gratification yeah. Because that's what, your kind of thesis is there yeah, well find something you truly love and practice, it research.

Shows That people like, musicians who, have to practice, a lot to get better they have a better executive, control because. Let's. Say if you spend all of your day playing video games you get an instant reward, all of the time you know you just push some button and then it's like whew you, know something happens I've kind of disagree with that honestly. It's. Like in many computer games you don't just mindlessly. Mash, on buttons you actually have to think about your skill set develop yourself you have to train you have to look at other people's how they strategize, a lot of things and actually, a lot of research reasoning is being showing that like computer games have been. Increasing. One's ability to focus on and train one selves and getting, any many things to flow which is in. The game but not necessarily, outside, the game well, you can apply it else with him yeah but, I think, you get more instant, reward, in a video game that if you do practicing, the cello yeah. Right, I agree with you that in the moment when you play the video game you are in flow you have the fun you have the fear you have to focus for sure but, if, you do things that give you no gratification. In the beginning, such as learning to play an instrument or. Reading. Long, books, with. More than 100 pages right. Then, what, happens, is that your brain will, get used to not get everything right away but a lot of it has to do with parenting if your parents brought you up to work for things then, you probably will continue to do that later in life as well so when you have kids you should be thinking about not spoiling, them too much or they, will not have that ability to delay, gratification and. Then, you have what we see today that. Many Millennials. Are having, suicidal. Thoughts, and, are very unhappy because. They always got everything from their, I never had to work to get anything. So. You're talking about the. Correlation between performance. And stress so if you were to look at it in the perspective of time as well because for me that dopamine, and, noradrenalin, and. All of the fun of here in focus seems to be, a. Little bit more short-term so, true or how like. How long can you keep going like that it's a short-term thing you, cannot be, all day and flow and you shouldn't be all day in flow because, if think about it when your brain releases, dopamine and, noradrenalin, acetylcholine. It gives, you a brain a quick burst but. Then it vanished, it quickly if you think about negative. Stress hormones, such as cortisol. The hit your body and they can stay forever let's. Say I you, know I give you a positive, you ten things, to think about it say you did great on this and this and this and this and this and this and great job at this and great and great hooray. And they say you have one little area for improvement one, of the thing to work on that's the one you're going to remember we are wired to focus, on negative things. Okay. So what this means is that this, is a short-term thing you should use that if you want to get. Something really important, done and then. It's okay to spend, the rest of the day sometimes, under, challenge sometimes over, challenged, this is something you should use for your most important, moments, if you think about athletes, they, spend a week training, and recovering, and then they just have a one-hour match you, need that for that one hour match and afterwards, your brain will be depleted, what, you see is that when your brain will Lisa stop I mean, when. All of that dopamine is used up you feel kind of like. Exhausted. So, it's a short-term thing, so. Most. Of us don't really, have their offices, here it's an, open plan, and. Basically. If you want to disconnect, what about for, instance listening. To their music and, any. Specific music. Like, oh I. Didn't. Get your questions, question. Is if you want to disconnect. Thus. Listening, to their music help. So. If you want to focus whether, it's good to listen to music well. For. Some people it's good and for others there's it's not research. Shows that this is highly individual. It seems that a little bit of background noise is good, if you want to be creative. Here. I've been, you know here, we've, been speaking about the flow state, and then, music. Can be good if it's not disrupting. You if it helps you to get if it's quieter, than the more, quiet than the people around you, but. If you for example want, to be a, bit, creative and, if you're designing things, and, if you're working in a more artistic way, of. Working, it, could be okay to. Have an office that is like Starbucks, you know with lots of people are running around because, then these distractions. Will give you a brain some impact. To make connections, that you haven't made before so the answer is for some people it's good and for some jobs it's good which you really have to just concentrate, and focus, and. If you're working myristic, aliy it's actually, okay to be a bit more distracted, thank, you so much for the further talk another, question when you provide.

These Talks or the courses. Like the walking on glass. They're, probably tailored, to the group but, they probably run from your own BSG, as well because you do it so often what, do you do to create the final few and focus for yourself. That's. A really good question actually the little experiment, here we did with. What. They're sending up I've only done this once before I always create new stuff for, myself usually. You, know I've just changed it now I made it about the prefrontal cortex in, the basal ganglia I always take in other brain parts, you. Know I changed. My presentations. I adapt them I try, to also for. Me, well. The, fun for me is the purpose because I see that people, get. The benefit, from, what I'm doing so if people tell me oh this was really helpful and write to me a year later than this for me adds. Value to my life. I'm doing the, fear is you know I mean public, failure you know I could be here on stage making a mess and you. Know somebody. Asks very smart, questions, and I could be standing here, you know like in full idiot, this can happen right. And then your reputation is kind of ruined this will be filmed, so there's always a level of fear and focus. Once. I have the fun and the fear comes but a mix things up and what. As it happens for me engagements. Get bigger I get more speeches, with more people, they're more than thousands. You know they started out with small groups and now let's, get these sometimes. Big. Things where I have to design something new. Yeah. Thank. You very much thank you for the questions thank you for the Rika for this great. Talk and I think there is no doubt that we need to train not our bodies. But our brain as well and now we have an instruction, thank, you so much. You. You.

2019-01-22 06:06

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