Comments on: Pimp Your Brain: 8 Simple Tricks to Improve Cognition, Memory, and Alertness http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/ Serving up health and fitness insights (daily, of course) with a side of irreverence. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:44:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Bach-us http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9776 Bach-us Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:58:06 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9776 The choice to use "pimp" gave me a moment's pause. All of the suggestions for coping with stress and reducing it are very good. I recommend music, art, dance, etc., as means of self-expression. Play an instrument, draw a picture, dance with a music video. Take a course or private study, if possible. It's cheaper than therapy and feels surprisingly like therapy, sometimes. The choice to use “pimp” gave me a moment’s pause.

All of the suggestions for coping with stress and reducing it are very good. I recommend music, art, dance, etc., as means of self-expression. Play an instrument, draw a picture, dance with a music video. Take a course or private study, if possible. It’s cheaper than therapy and feels surprisingly like therapy, sometimes.

]]> By: DopeyLaRue http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9712 DopeyLaRue Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:24:59 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9712 First and foremost...WOAH! Seriously 30-40% NEVER read a book? I am in the book a week club myself and just can't imagine life without my books! To sleep better I won't work out for at least an hour before bedtime, and I sleep with the window open a crack. I fall right asleep and stay asleep until the alarm blasts. I definitely stress with the best of them. When I find myself in this mode I take a deep breath and write a list. I know not everyone is a list writer, but actually seeing it all written out shows me that it isn't all that bad! I am choosing to ignore that bit about switching from coffee to water...even though I know you are right ;) First and foremost…WOAH! Seriously 30-40% NEVER read a book? I am in the book a week club myself and just can’t imagine life without my books!

To sleep better I won’t work out for at least an hour before bedtime, and I sleep with the window open a crack. I fall right asleep and stay asleep until the alarm blasts.

I definitely stress with the best of them. When I find myself in this mode I take a deep breath and write a list. I know not everyone is a list writer, but actually seeing it all written out shows me that it isn’t all that bad!

I am choosing to ignore that bit about switching from coffee to water…even though I know you are right ;)

]]> By: Abraham http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9707 Abraham Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:39:14 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9707 Here's a good tip for stress. I mentioned at a parent's meeting one night at my children's school and more than a few people told me how much they appreciated it. http://www.abrahamwilliams.com/2006/08/stress_07.html Here’s a good tip for stress. I mentioned at a parent’s meeting one night at my children’s school and more than a few people told me how much they appreciated it. http://www.abrahamwilliams.com/2006/08/stress_07.html

]]> By: LabRat http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9706 LabRat Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:33:32 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9706 Stress: I have two major stress-management techniques, aside from getting enough exercise and sleep, which are definitely key. Without enough exercise I build it up like gunk in a coffee machine that never gets cleaned, and without enough sleep minor matters seem like something huge and overwhelming. 1)I have pets. Not exactly a solution for everybody, but the major advantage of pets is that they ALWAYS live in the now; you have to switch gears to deal with them. The extra advantage of the dogs is that I can go play with them for an hour and quite rightly feel that I have done something good and necessary for them- and I had to disengage my anxieties about nebulous abstracts to do it. 2)I developed a mental protocol to deal with persistent worries. I go through a step-by-step analysis of: 1)What is wrong, 2)Why that's something to worry about, 3)What can I do about it? By the time I finish with three, the worry feels "dealt with" enough that I can much more easily shove it aside and go do something relaxing instead- even if the answer is "nothing right now". Stress: I have two major stress-management techniques, aside from getting enough exercise and sleep, which are definitely key. Without enough exercise I build it up like gunk in a coffee machine that never gets cleaned, and without enough sleep minor matters seem like something huge and overwhelming.

1)I have pets. Not exactly a solution for everybody, but the major advantage of pets is that they ALWAYS live in the now; you have to switch gears to deal with them. The extra advantage of the dogs is that I can go play with them for an hour and quite rightly feel that I have done something good and necessary for them- and I had to disengage my anxieties about nebulous abstracts to do it.

2)I developed a mental protocol to deal with persistent worries. I go through a step-by-step analysis of: 1)What is wrong, 2)Why that’s something to worry about, 3)What can I do about it? By the time I finish with three, the worry feels “dealt with” enough that I can much more easily shove it aside and go do something relaxing instead- even if the answer is “nothing right now”.

]]> By: jeffliveshere http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9699 jeffliveshere Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:33:07 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9699 Sara-- I appreciate the acknowledgment that 'pimp' is troublesome as a loaded term to some of us. Sara–
I appreciate the acknowledgment that ‘pimp’ is troublesome as a loaded term to some of us.

]]> By: Sara http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9690 Sara Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:49:18 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/brain-tips/#comment-9690 Wow, everyone, thanks for the awesome tips! Keep them coming! Mike OD, couldn't agree more about the sugar. Jeff, you know, I appreciate your saying something about the headline. We debated it a bit as it has entered the slang cultural lexicon but the original meaning - and as you say, the very real nature of the word - isn't so pleasant. Thanks for speaking up. What do you all think? I'm happy to change it to "hacks" or something else. You know there is actually a blog called "Pimp Your Work" that is all about work and computer hacks. Hmmm....thoughts? Wow, everyone, thanks for the awesome tips! Keep them coming!

Mike OD, couldn’t agree more about the sugar.

Jeff, you know, I appreciate your saying something about the headline. We debated it a bit as it has entered the slang cultural lexicon but the original meaning - and as you say, the very real nature of the word - isn’t so pleasant. Thanks for speaking up. What do you all think? I’m happy to change it to “hacks” or something else. You know there is actually a blog called “Pimp Your Work” that is all about work and computer hacks. Hmmm….thoughts?

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