Exercise Your Brain

Similar to every topic in my blog, how one chooses to use my advice is subjective and unique to each person’s interests and resources. I quickly realised after having completed Uni years ago that I needed to exercise my brain in more ways than just on the 9-5(ish) job. Again, this may not apply to everyone, but most jobs don’t offer the range of topics that humans need to expand their knowledge entirely.

You may have a very narrow perspective of the world if you only surround yourself with people who (literally and figuratively) speak your language. In a similar vein, it can be limiting to expose yourself to the same content (news, media, etc.) every day. Have you ever thought about how much you can learn by listening to news podcasts about one topic, but from two different party affiliations, for example? I encourage everyone to get comfortable being uncomfortable by branching out and being open-minded to learning about the other side of an argument.

Very fortunately, I was privileged to be in a position to start thinking about graduate school upon earning my undergraduate degree. I realised I wasn’t ready at that point, but it was always on the back burner before I took the leap and earned my MBA recently. During that gap I started seeking inspiration and information elsewhere. Below are some tools that I used then and now continue to embrace, but please let me know if you have recommendations for me! I am ALWAYS on the hunt to learn.

1. Podcasts: I will admit that I am a bit obsessed with podcasts. Some people can’t do anything without music, I can’t brush my teeth without a podcast. I enjoy a balance of fun health-related podcasts, history lessons, and interviews with industry academics/professionals to explain their areas of expertise. Below are some of my go-tos. Please note that I am not endorsing nor siding with any of the more political selections. Like I said, I try to listen to all sides, even if I struggle with the perspectives.
   • To Inspire:
     • Hurdle with Emily Abbate: Interviews with athletes and wellness professionals
     • How I Built This with Guy Raz: Interviews with founders of everyday brands we have all likely encountered
   • To Teach:
     • The Liz Moody Podcast: Interviews with health and wellness professionals, providing tangible tips and takeaways to improve your life
     • History Extra Podcast: Interviews with history experts to explain specific and impactful historical global events
   • To Update:
     • The Daily: New York Times daily news brief diving into a significant timely global current event, with a primary focus on the US
     • Global News Podcast: BBC News daily news brief on major global topics
   • To Expand:
     • Lex Fridman: Interviews with industry experts to discuss important and difficult topics
     • Jordan B. Peterson: Often controversial interviews from a conservative perspective
2. Books: Don’t assume you’re not a reader because your mind wonders and you can’t focus enough to ever finish a book. Similarly, try to avoid making a dismissive claim that you don’t enjoy certain genres without having given them a chance.
   • I didn’t think I would ever enjoy reading until age 22 when I found myself laughing out loud while reading Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood – a cheeky memoir poking fun at Catholicism and her life as the daughter of a priest. Yep you read that correctly. If you know an ounce about Catholicism, you know that priests cannot get married and have children…but there are some loopholes. Tell me you’re not interested now?! I digress, though. My goal here is not to sell copies (though go find one), but to prove a point. I didn’t discover my LOVE of reading until diving into this strange recommendation by my brother-in-law, Kyle (I owe you something, dude).
   • From there I dove into classics like Great Expectations, thrillers such as Karen Slaughter’s Blindsided (thank you, Emily), non-fiction like Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (kudos to Mama Cray), and even Russian literature, including Tolstoy’s The Kreutzer Sonata. Sometimes, my good people, you need to let yourself try things completely different from your norm. Open up your mind to literature and you will see how far it can expand, how much you can learn, how much richer life can feel. All by simply opening up a book and letting your mind focus on a new world.
   • I understand how overwhelming choosing your next (or first!) book can be, so I listed some of my favourites below. Please feel free to reach out with questions, or share some of your own suggestions!
     1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
     2. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
     3. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
     4. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
     5. The Lost Weekend by Charles Jackson
3. Apps: Okay I will admit that the only app I used to deepen my knowledge is Duolingo. This is only because I am not cool and hip. But we all know there is an app for everything, so think about what you want to learn and start investigating. From meditation (Headspace) and fitness (Nike Training Club) to memory enhancers (Brainscape) and general knowledge (MasterClass), there are unlimited open source tools to learn.
4. Written News Briefs: Over the last 5 years it’s become extremely important to me to keep up with global news. I make every effort to read each of the below briefs. I take advantage of my commute to work on the tube and lunch walks to ensure I am maintaining an understanding of the important worldly updates. There are so many out there, so pick what works for you!
   1. The New York Times: Expansive global news updates, expanding into a few topics and listing articles for others
   2. BBC News: UK-first, but global coverage when influential
   3. Quartz: VERY brief headlines, global with a US-focus
   4. The Marketing Brew: Exciting marketing-related coverage sent 2x a week, more focused on the US
5. Conversation: This section is less about specific tools/titles, and more a general recommendation: invite differences in opinion. Don’t let it scare, intimidate, or anger you. Learn to discuss topics outside of your comfort zone or knowledge base. Be kind and open to new ideas. I promise you, when you stop to consider other people’s interests and viewpoints, you will grow as a person. Think about those moments when you listen to someone and zone off because you’re not sure what they are talking about, or frankly don’t care. Acknowledge that feeling and challenge yourself to listen even harder! You will be surprised by how much you may learn and how much more engaged you’ll feel socially.
   • Now, consider the same idea in reverse. When you’re discussing a topic with someone and it doesn’t seem to resonate with them, offer them the benefit of the doubt. Are they really not interested, lost in the conversation, or just distracted by their own thoughts? Either way, help them out. Don’t give up or get frustrated. Everyone deserves a chance, and I am sure you’ll both grow as people if you offer each other just that.

Now go engage that big brain of yours!

Bea ❤