6 Simple Steps To Keep Your Mind Sharp At Any Age

There is a very famous image that shows the evolution of man over our time on this planet; the first image is that of our common ancestors from millions of years ago, to the final image which is that of a Homo Sapiens.

However, in modern times, there has been a humorous update to this image, which is meant to lightheartedly illustrate the fact that we have become very unhealthy as a species, especially with regards to our overall eating habits and exercise routines.

As you can see, the latest version of mankind is depicted as being unhealthy and unfit; this is represented by the obesity of the man in the image, as well the fact that the person is seen consuming fast food. While this particular image focuses on the physical health of human beings, there is another parody version that has been created that speaks to the decline of our collective mental health as well.

As you can clearly see from the image above, the pitfalls of  the technological revolution are being pointed out to us. There is no doubt that technology and science have benefited mankind greatly, but there is also a danger that comes along with these technological leaps and advances…as we become increasingly addicted to our screens and devices - we start to slump, both metaphorically and literally, into a state where our ability to engage with the ‘real world’ becomes more and more diminished.

To surmise, these parody images have been created for a very specific reason. They are based on a classical image which is a very important educational tool, and is surely taught to all young schoolchildren as part of the education on the science of evolution.  However, by highlighting the unhealthy, fast-food eating man, as well as the slumped over man buried in his screen, the message that we are supposed to imbibe is to remember where we have come from. We need to make sure that we do not lose out on our physical and mental health just because of the conveniences of modern life, and the advances of technology and science.

In the modern workplace, regardless of whether we are working from a physical office, or from the comfort of our home, we know that there is a tendency to engage in unhealthy habits. These could range from not keeping regular timings for meals, not getting enough sleep, taking on high levels of pressure, engaging in behaviours like stress eating and snacking, spending too much time constantly staring at our screens, and simply not taking enough time for ourselves to unwind and relax.

This is why modern  coworking spaces are designed in such a way that help employees minimize unhealthy behaviours and maximize good habits. There are snack areas that are loaded with healthy snacking options, partnerships with local exercise centres and gyms to make sure that employees are regularly working out, and various office design elements that make it easy for individuals to recognize that they need to take a break from their screens and just decompress for a while, before getting back to work.

So besides helping your employees to stay fit by shifting your office location to a convenient coworking space, let us look at some of the main behaviors that you can encourage your workforce to engage in. These pointers will help to ensure that they stay fit physically as well as mentally. Overall, this will lead to a level of mental sharpness which creates a win-win situation. Your employees will be happy because they are feeling great and sharp, and your business will certainly benefit from reaping the full potential of your workers' mental faculties.

1. Staying physically active: When we talk about being physically active, we are essentially talking about movement. You must have heard health care professionals talk about how 45 minutes of exercise, between four to five times a week is a must in the modern world. Now, the nature of that exercise is entirely up to one’s personal preferences. There are some people that may enjoy going for a run or a bike ride. There are others that may enjoy playing a sport, going for a swim, or having a workout session in the gym. There are still others who may enjoy instructor lead group classes for things like yoga, pilates, and so forth. So, from a convenience perspective, partnering with a coworking office space that has tie-ups with several exercise centers and sports facilities that give your employees as many options as possible is great.

2. Getting adequate and high quality sleep: When we talk about sleep, it is very important to note that we need to understand that sleep is restful and restorative when it is of an adequate duration, and of an adequate quality. You may be sleeping for 8 hours a night, but unless you are able to enter what is known as the stage of REM sleep, you may find that you are waking up tired and groggy. There are simple hacks that everyone can engage in to ensure that they are getting adequate REM sleep. These hacks include making sure that you do not have any screen time/blue light exposure, at least an hour before your bedtime. You can also speak to your healthcare provider about supplements like melatonin, or you can always opt for natural remedies like chamomile teas and so on.

3. Quitting smoking: It has been definitively established that tobacco use is bad for overall health and longevity. If you are someone that smokes, or you have employees that are smokers and need frequent smoke breaks to get through the day, you need to consider some proactive options to nip this disastrous habit in the bud. Oftentimes, individuals become habituated to smoke breaks, but even a simple strategy like giving employees interesting ways to enjoy a break without having to reach for a cigarette can help to break this deadly habit. This is another place where coworking spaces are very helpful, as there are several break rooms that have a number of fun activities that can serve as a substitute for a smoke break.

4. Having good social networks/interactions/connections: As we have all experienced in the modern world of social media, we are often obsessed with how many times our virtual presence is noticed, how many ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ we get on our updates and posts, and so on. What happens in this process, is that our propensity to pay attention to our human, in-person relationships begins to falter. When this happens, we lose out on a critical component of what makes us uniquely human, namely our physical interactions and connections with other members of our species. We need to guard against becoming too obsessed and involved in the world of our electronic devices and social networks, and remember to maintain the real, in-person relationships that we have.

5. Reducing alcohol intake: After a long day at work, many individuals turn to alcohol in order to unwind and relax. This is not a good option as it is something that has a profoundly negative effect on one’s physical health, mental health, financial health, relationships, and so on. Alcohol also has a very negative impact on something we discussed earlier, namely REM sleep. While alcohol may help some people to fall asleep faster, there is no doubt that the quality of their sleep will be severely impacted. If you or your employees have expressed issues with excess alcohol consumption, make sure that you try and organize informational sessions that not only talk about the dangers of alcohol, but also point individuals in the direction of the help and support that they may need in order to abstain from alcohol altogether. Recovery from alcohol addiction is something that requires a lot of support and employers need to be sensitive about this. Even if you have employees that do not have a drinking problem, but enjoy an occasional drink, you should make sure that they understand the prescribed quantities that are deemed appropriate by medical professionals.

6. Following a healthy and appropriate diet: In today’s world, there are constantly a number of fad diets that are being talked about. Rather than allowing one of these diets blindly, you should consult your healthcare professional, and create a diet that is optimized for you, taking into account any food allergies or sensitivities that you may have. For example, some popular diets may recommend consumption of grains, but there may be some individuals that have allergies to those grains, and therefore, that particular part of the diet is not appropriate for them. Finding the right diet for you, in conjunction with advice from your doctor or healthcare provider, is the absolute need of the hour in the modern world, where food options are virtually boundless. Of course, it goes without saying that whatever diet you find works best for you, it is always best to limit or avoid consumption of unhealthy fast foods.

‍Conclusion

‍We need to be mindful of the two parody images that we saw at the beginning of this article. Behind the humour, there is a very important lesson that we must never forget… we need to take care of our physical, mental, and emotional health. This will allow us to stay mentally sharp, work better and more efficiently, and have more time to ourselves. Remember, employees who have a sharp mind are not only happy and satisfied workers, but also very productive resources. While the list above may seem quite detailed and exhaustive, remember that, as an employer you always have the option to partner with coworking spaces that will help you create the ideal environment for your employees to follow all of the tenants mentioned above. In doing so, you will go a long way in helping yourself and your employees keep your minds sharp at any age.