give your brain a much-needed MOT
Posted on 21/09/2022
It isn’t just your skin that transitions at this time of year, be mindful that our brains, which have been operating on ‘summer mode’ – also face a gear change as we get back from holiday to work, start to lose light and face the changes and challenges of Autumn and Winter ahead of us. Not just for those young enough to be starting a new school or college term, September is a time for new jobs, new budgets, new homes, new targets, new goals and new regimes. At This Works, we have some simple brain-changing step ups for September that can help you face all of its changes and challenges...
Become a morning expert
Whether you are a morning person or not, our wake ups are impacted by darker mornings. Without the stimulation of daylight, finding focus and ‘get up and go’ requires you to dig a little deeper.
Our award-winning morning expert wake up drops have been formulated with a 100% natural Superblend, proven in fMRI brain imaging studies to help sharpen focus and boost morning motivation, so you can be sure you are starting the day in the right headspace.
Quest for Dopamine
Looking to retrain your brain this September? The trans-seasonal step-change of Autumn presents the perfect backdrop to new habits and wellbeing goals, but we are interested in the science that lies behind how you can make these good intentions long-term changes. Falling off the bandwagon by October, as with new Year’s resolutions which are so often gone by February, is surprisingly common. The answer it appears, may lie in the neuro-transmitter molecule dopamine.
So, what is dopamine?
Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter in our body and is used by the nervous system to send messages between the brain and nerve cells. It plays a significant role in how we experience pleasure, but it also affects our heart rate, sleep, mood, attention and pain processing. It’s also related to goal setting and the act of setting a target releases dopamine into your body, motivating you to take action to complete said goal.
So how can we harness dopamine to achieve our goals and improve our motivation and focus as we move into September? This Works CEO, Anna Persaud explains how…
Actively finding pleasure in the everyday...
Motivation for me is about finding something that you can genuinely get lost in – be that a lunchtime Barre class, sorting out your bathroom draws, daily reading or listening to a podcast. Something to concentrate on without it being a chore. Something that is genuinely inspiring to you. And if you can find that, then motivation with follow.
Sex and intimacy also release dopamine...
Making time and space for togetherness each day can increase daytime focus and motivation. Our love sleep pillow spray helps create a cocoon of calm (perfect for switching off and turning you on) with a 100% natural Superblend of Ylang Ylang and Patchouli.
Applying skincare with the palms of your hands
Research by the KAO company in Japan has shown that this process can increase blood flow to the brain’s frontal cortex and consequently activate a release of dopamine. Take the time to massage your skincare into your face, neck and chest – we recommend the Morning Expert range to aid alertness.