By: Dr. Brynn Winegard for Talent Bureau

I’m thrilled to introduce my new book, The Working Brain, which delves into my MERIT Framework for peak cognitive performance during the workday. MERIT stands for Move, Eat, Rest, Interact, and Think. These are the collectively exhaustive five levers largely under each of our control that effect each of our brains, no matter its typical functioning. Here’s a quick guide:

Move

Physical activity boosts every brain’s function and productivity. Encourage short, regular movement breaks during the day – like ‘movement snacks’ – as well as a deliberate movement routine each week. Active employees are happier, healthier, and more capable.

Eat

Nutrition plays a crucial role in cognitive performance and mental wellness. Do what you can to provide access or encourage healthy snacks and meals to keep energy levels and blood-sugar steady throughout the workday. Also, while alternatives are nice sometimes, plain, fresh water is important for all working brains – the brain loses liters of water each workday and needs to be replenished.

Rest

Adequate rest and sleep are essential for optimal brain functioning. Promote a culture that values rest, daytime working hours, and discourages overworking or messaging during the evenings/nighttime. Working adults need somewhere between 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night.

Interact

Social interactions and a sense of social support stimulate the brain and enhance happiness, motivation, productivity and overall performance of employees. Social support is especially important for neurodivergent individuals to feel a sense of belonging and commitment. Do what you can to foster a collaborative environment where team members can easily connect and share ideas within one another. The more socially connected to and support by their colleagues employees feel, the better work they do, the more engaged they are, and the more mentally well they report feeling.

Think

Encourage focused, deep-thinking periods. Designate quiet times or spaces for uninterrupted work to help employees concentrate better and focus more. How some people focus and ‘get into the zone’ will be different than for others: some like to play music, some need to be alone, others like a bright space, some need a particularly clean and undistracting space etc. Do what you can to ensure employees have what they need to facilitate their own focus for some hours each workday.

By understanding and embracing neurodiversity, leaders can create more inclusive, productive, and innovative workplaces and teams. For more insights and practical strategies, be sure to check out The Working Brain or invite Dr. Brynn Winegard to speak, so you can explore how the MERIT Framework can revolutionize your approach to employee engagement, productivity, and performance.

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