| Achieving and maintaining intellectual alertness is | | | | greater person. |
| essential today. The challenges facing humanity plus | | | | 2. Relax |
| our own daily survival issues demands the best of us. | | | | Tension and negative stress lowers the functioning of |
| Being mentally sharp, alert and focused is a must if we | | | | your brain. Your intellect suffers if it is being pulled this |
| are to survive and thrive. But how do you tune the | | | | way and that by worry and distraction. Copy the |
| intellect so that it is primed to peak performance? How | | | | example of Chilli Palmer and 'Be Cool'. Learning to |
| can you train your brain to function at it's best? | | | | maintain a relaxed state of mind while you go about |
| From your subjective point of view, intellectual | | | | your business will enable you to function with optimum |
| alertness is experienced as a feeling of being | | | | thinking abilities. |
| fully-aware and 'in the zone'. This is a heightened state | | | | 3. Organize |
| of presence and perception. You are fully in your | | | | Throughout the day you experience fluctuating levels |
| senses, alert and thinking clearly. You able to assess | | | | of alertness. This is partly due to the electrical rhythms |
| situations, analyse them, and generate solutions or | | | | of the brain. Allow for this by building regular fuel, rest, |
| creative ideas about them. | | | | and bathroom breaks into your day. Intellectual |
| From the objective point of view, intellectual alertness | | | | alertness requires brain fuel. Look into the best foods |
| is seen as being fully present and on the job. | | | | for your brain, and any supplements that assist. You |
| Employers want to see their employees giving all of | | | | need mini rest breaks from high intensity mental work. |
| their attention to the task of hand. You wouldn't | | | | Every 30 minutes, take a minute to stretch, move your |
| employ a pilot or a bus driver who had a tendency to | | | | arms and legs, take some deep breaths, and get the |
| get easily distracted at the wheel. Nor a machinist who | | | | blood circulating. On the hour, take a 2-5 minute break |
| was clumsy or inattentive to details and safety on the | | | | for water, toilet break or snack. Use reminder tools to |
| factory floor. Being alert means being awake and | | | | restate your intention to be alert and sharp, bringing |
| aware. It means having a fully engaged mind. | | | | your focus back upon your work. |
| 4 Smart Ways to Attain Intellectual Alertness | | | | 4. Upgrade |
| 1. Meditate | | | | Neuroscientists are constantly discovering new things |
| Nothing teaches you more about keeping your intellect | | | | about the brain. They are able to map the brains of |
| alert than practicing awareness meditation. The ideal | | | | high-performers and see similarities in the way their |
| meditation makes the mind itself the object of | | | | brains function. With new technologies in |
| meditation. You watch the mind like a zoologist might | | | | neuro-feeback and brain entrainment they are able to |
| watch zebras grazing on the Serengeti. Observe | | | | replicate those peak performance states in anyone. |
| every little detail of the way you think. Be completely | | | | Take some time to investigate these new brain training |
| honest and open with yourself -- able to observe your | | | | tools and brain wave technologies if you want to find |
| flaws, prejudices and habitual beliefs. Self-knowledge | | | | reliable fast-track shortcuts to intellectual alertness. |
| expands your consciousness and makes you a | | | | |