Ways You Can Use Neuro-Associations to Increase Productivity

First things first: What is neuro-associations? Neuro-associations are the links that are created between what you experience AND the emotions and thoughts connected with it.

Our brain is constantly making new neuro-associations, whether we are aware of it or not.

Experiences that elicit ‘positive’ emotions, such as happiness or joy, ‘fire and wire’ a positive neuro-association in your brain.

On the other hand, if your experiences elicit ‘negative’ emotions such as sadness, guilt, or anger, your brain will ‘fire and wire’ a negative neuro-association alongside it.

So, when it comes to your productivity, efficiency, and habits, it’s less about what you’re doing and more about who you’re being while you do it.

How To Use Neuro-Associations to Increase Productivity

Identify (and ‘override’) current neuro-associations that are KEEPING you from optimal productivity and well-being.

You need to become aware of (and then eliminate) experiences that are perpetuating those ‘negative’ neuro-associations in your brain. Here are a few ways to do just that:

Become aware of any activity that:

• Causes you to force yourself, persuade yourself, or talk yourself into doing things that you don’t want to do.

• Elicits feelings of guilt, shame, blame, comparison, or perfectionism alongside it.

• Physically, mentally, or emotionally puts you in a state of stress or pain.

• Causes you to belittle, criticize, or negatively judge yourself in the process.

• You are doing because you think you “should” or because you think you’re “supposed to”.

All of the above experiences cause your brain to engrain NEGATIVE neuro-associations alongside any habit, making future follow-throughs harder and more painful to continue. This sabotages your productivity.

Create NEW neuro-associations that your brain will enjoy.

Creating an experience that your mind, brain, and body enjoy relaxes the nervous system. This induces pleasure, connection, emotional safety, and feelings of love – all of which will ‘fire and wire’ a POSITIVE neuro-association alongside the activity.

When you take something challenging and make it an enjoyable experience, this massively increases your chances to do it again in the future. That’s because now, your brain isn’t resisting it. It WANTS to do it.

Here are a few ways you can force your brain into its relaxed state AND start creating positive neuro-associations on command.

1. Transform Your Environment:

Is the room you are working in feeding your energy and creativity? Or is it taking away from it? We underestimate how much impact our environment can have on our mood and energy levels. But changing your surroundings is one of the easiest ways to increase productivity.

Your sensory system is taking in everything from furniture, paint color, to the amount of light shining in. Create newer, brighter connections in your brain by working in an environment that lights you up inside.

2. Transform Your Internal Environments:

What are you ‘feeding’ yourself as you go about your daily life and actions? Are you feeding yourself criticism and negativity? Or are you feeding yourself inspiration and love?

3. Meditate Before, During, or After You Dive In To Your Activity Or Work:

I never resonated with ‘typical’ definitions of meditation that were introduced to me. So, what did I do? I created my own! I invite you to do the same thing.

Use music, movement, essential oils, or anything you can to calm your nervous system. These help in creating a state-change in your sensory system. Come back to your breath, tune into the present moment, and just be. THAT is all you need to do.

4. Instill A Morning Ritual That Grounds You:

Most people I talk to check their smart phones first thing in the morning, or jump straight into their ‘to dos’ for the day. This is the OPPOSITE of relaxation to your brain. What can you do to ensure you start your day off relaxed and grounded?

It doesn’t have to be some huge undertaking either. As little as 60 seconds first thing in the morning is enough to activate that relaxation response in your brain and increase productivity.

5. Instill an Evening Ritual That Calms You:

The same is true at night. Don’t go to sleep with all your worries or stresses on your mind. Perhaps you can do a ‘mind dump’ and get everything out of your brain and on to paper before bed. Create a playlist that relaxes you and chills you out.

The sky is the limit. But whatever you do, you have the power to influence your sleep and your middle-of-the-night vibes. Remember: neuro-associations are always being created in the brain, whether we are aware of it or not.

6. Find Human Connection:

Don’t go through life alone. Connect, cuddle, hug, laugh, experience joy, make love, have orgasms, or do anything that produces that love and ‘safety’ hormone oxytocin.

Anything that removes stress, causes relaxation, or helps you to operate from the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system could be the thing that pushes you over the productivity ‘tipping point’.

The key to increase productivity is all about influencing who you’re being while you go about all the ‘doing’ in your life. Try it and see for yourself.