Whilst there may be more apps and tools than ever before to help us be a more efficient startup owner, it also means our brains have never been busier too!  Almost 90% of people working in startups found them to be a competitive and pressured environment, with over 80% admitting that long hours were to be expected. With this, can come signs our cognition is struggling to keep up-such as brain fog, forgetfulness, and lack of sleep! To scale your startup, understanding your brain is crucial. Here’s how you can work on your cognitive health to grow your business.

Assess your strengths and weaknesses

Everyone’s brain has different strengths and weaknesses, so tracking your cognition puts you back in the driving seat, provides reassurance, and allows you to work with your brain. Understanding which things you find easier (whether that’s following verbal instructions or visual processing) and things you find more difficult, means you can adapt accordingly.

Get enough sleep

Getting a good night's sleep is key for keeping your mind clear. Yet startup founders are twice as likely to wake at 4am than non-CEOs. Some might brag about not needing sleep, but experts have found that those who don't sleep enough often find it harder to think clearly and use words clearly, which is crucial when you’re a business owner. Practice good sleep hygiene: try to go to bed and wake up at a similar time each day; keep mobile phones out of the bedroom and limit caffeine before bed.

Exercise in your lunch break

Caring for your body means caring for your brain, too. Research has shown that people who keep active tend to have healthier brains, and movement even helps us to make decisions. Can’t get to the gym? When time is tight, but you still want to give your brain a little extra punch, aerobic exercises like jogging or cycling are all great, and moving for a 20-minute session of getting your heart pumping can work wonders! We also know combining socialising with exercising does amazing things for the brain, so why not socialise with colleagues outside of the office with a brisk lunchtime walk or hitting the gym together?

Stock the office with healthy foods

In the startup stage, you’re probably spending a lot of time in the office, so make sure it’s stocked with healthy foods. What really matters for your cognitive health is that you're filling up on the good food that keeps your body and brain happy.

Think a fridge packed with fruit and vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, strawberries and avocado, nuts, and seeds. Opt for tasty seafood options such as fresh Wild Salmon, vibrant Rainbow Trout, and Halibut and wholesome oils for dressings such as rich olive oil and versatile canola oil.

Reduce stress

Have you noticed that you sometimes perform better when you're a bit stressed? Perhaps it fires you up! There's a sweet spot where a little bit of stress can help the brain work its best, especially when we're doing tasks that rely on gut feeling rather than deep thinking.

When the pressure is on, it can be just what we need to get those creative juices flowing or to solve a problem with a fresh perspective. Deadline dancing and dopamine-seeking brains will often find themselves performing better at this optimal stress level!

However, it's not always so straightforward, and too much stress for start-up founders is not a good thing. For tasks that need sharp concentration or remembering lots of details, too much stress can actually make things worse. And if you're really, really stressed? That's no good for your business or your health.

Whilst you can’t banish stress from running a startup, actively being aware of it and finding ways to manage it, is really crucial.

Our startups rely on our cognition so make sure you’re working on your cognitive health by sleeping smart, eating well, tackling stress, getting enough sleep, and finding time to exercise.

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