Cortisol is an important steroid hormone in the body, naturally secreted by the adrenal glands on a schedule throughout the day.

The release of cortisol is controlled by the hypothalamus (pituitary gland) It generally peaks at about 08:00-09:00. Throughout the day, cortisol levels steadily drop and reach their lowest at about 20:00-22:00 to ready the body for restorative sleep.

A cortisol circadian rhythm that is disrupted by chronic stress, both mentally and physically, can impair one’s ability to fall asleep or even stay asleep. Although stress isn’t the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it has been termed “the stress hormone” because it’s also secreted in higher levels during the b...

Dichotomisation, also referred to as all or nothing thinking refers to the tendency to evaluate one’s persona qualities in extreme black or white categories.

Dichotomisation is a cognitive distortion which means it keeps us from seeing the world as it often is: complex, yet full of all the shades in between.

Most of us engage in dichotomous thinking from time to time, but it becomes a cognitive distortion when we do it on a regular basis. Dichotomisation hurts your physical and mental health, sabotages your career and causes disruption in your relationships. 

Certain words can alert you that your thoughts are leaning towards dichotomisation. 

• always
• never
• impossible
• disaster
• furious
• ruined 
• perfect

Practicing mindfulness h...

Mindfulness is a self-regulation practice that focuses on training attention and awareness. It is about brining mental processes under greater control.

Over the years we have seen an increase in the demand for mindfulness training. Just like emotional intelligence and coaching had become very popular in organisations, mindfulness has almost become the new buzzword.

When you look at mindfulness from a neuroscientific perspective, it brings a fresh, yet super dynamic perspective to managing self and others in the workplace.

You learn how the release of neurotransmitters and regulate component bands. You learn how cognitive clarities and cognitive distortions work. It becomes clearer how you understand mindfulness a...

Why does your team need to know about neuroscience?

We are wired to connect. Understanding neuroscience and how the knowledge of neuroscience can benefit your team, gives you a competitive advantage.

A lot of how we connect with others has been lost through online mediums. Our ability to read others, building trust, establishing connections etc. Each one of us has incredible brainpower to connect. We also have power to distance ourselves from our work colleagues. As managers, if we don't pay attention to that, we lose productivity.

Reading an article about neuroscience is good, but completing an entire workshop for your team on neuroscience builds empathy, connectivity and team cohesion at a completely different lev...

Innovation is a mindset, not a R&D budget. The key is in the type of people who join your organisation.

Innovation is also a strategic orientation that should be adopted in your organisation.

Studies show that around 65% of business leaders today still lack the confidence to stimulate innovative thinking. And... innovation has been proven to be a growth strategy.

Adopting an innovative strategy starts with the type of mindset you adopt as a leader and whether you would allow others who are better innovators to lead the way.

Smaller organisations are nimble and can therefore implement innovative ideas quicker. If you are not an innovative thinker, start employing people who are. Think about one new idea that you would imp...

The heartbeat of your company is your clients. Without your clients you do not have a company. The heartbeat of your company is your products that match your clients' requirements. And without that you don't have a company. The heartbeat of your company is your employees who diligently ensure that your products match your clients needs.

The heartbeat is the connection, the link, the causal effect between the these three, and making this work. Keeping the heartbeat of your company means looking after your clients, your employees and ensuring the right product matches your client's needs. It is simple. Keep the heartbeat.

It is time to step-up...

Theres a lot to be grateful for, and no matter how you look at this, it is time to step up.

• connect with your clients
• find new clients
• sell new products
• find new ways of working
• find new routines

You will succeed!

The world of work has changed over time, but nothing prepared us for what we are going through right now. We were almost dumped into a situation that caused a lot of fear and anxiety in most people. We are locked down and the number of global deaths are on the rise. Our team meetings take place on Zoom, Google hangout, Skype,etc. And screen time has gone through the roof.

For those of you who have children...

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