Five ways to train your brain for career success (2024)

Posted October, 2022

National Train Your Brain Day is celebrated annually on the 13th of October and encourages awareness of the power of the mind. In addition to controlling your mood, memory, and motor functions, your brain guides your work performance and affects how far you advance in your profession. As you can see, it’s a no-brainer that doing these five things can keep your brain happy and healthy while also maximizing job success.

Learn Something New

While healthy bodies are essential, exercising our minds is just as critical. Fortunately, you can exercise your brain just like a muscle by being dedicated to learning. Learning new skills will give your memory a workout and help you adapt to new situations with confidence.

Make a pact to learn something new every week by registering for our monthly career webinars or taking a free online course at Boston University.

Exercise Regularly

Blood flow is essential for the brain to stay alive and creative. Frequent exercise and movement increase blood flow to the brain, which can improve your productivity at work. Simply stepping away from your desk for a 5-minute walk every hour helps keep you healthy and productive.

Social Support and Mentorship

Humans are naturally social creatures, but our professional lives can be isolating. Strengthening your relationships not only improves your mood; it can also benefit your professional career by expanding your network within your professional community. To get to the next level, look for a mentor to help enhance your career development and leadership skills. Register for BU Connects to network with Terriers in your industry, and search through the thousands of alumni who have volunteered to be mentors.

Read a book

Reading has been shown to boost intelligence, and it allows you to think more clearly, respond more efficiently to problems, be a better speaker, and expand your knowledge and vocabulary.

Check out your local library for free access to books, e-books, audiobooks, newspapers, magazines, movies, and more. BU alumni can also access online articles, books, and journals from the BU Library.

Harness your creativity

Get inspired and keep your creative juices flowing by harnessing art and creativity – you can draw, paint, sing, play an instrument, write a poem, or any other form of creative outlet. Practicing creativity in your personal life allows you to become a more creative thinker at work, improving your ability to look at problems from varying perspectives.

The mind can transform practically any constraint or condition into a positive, and it all begins with a few small steps and a desire to thrive. Take advantage of this day to train your brain for career success!