Jenny Brockis - Smarter, Sharper Thinking

First we managed time, then we managed attention, now it's all about performance. In Smarter Sharper Thinking Dr Brockis is tackling possibly the single most important factor in high performance the hardware in our skull. Ranging from workflow issues to lifestyle issues to physiological hacks for optimising our organic super computer, this book is jam-packed with well-researched and highly practical tips and strategies.

Matt Church, CEO and founder of Thought
Leaders Global and author of Amplifiers

This book is a practical roadmap for a healthy, alert and adaptive brain. If we keep our brain healthy, everything else will take care of itself.

Graeme Cowan, leadership and resilience
speaker and author of Thriving Naturally

Smarter Sharper Thinking is an essential read for any leader that wants to ensure they continue to lead into the future with relevance and competitive advantage. Dr Brockis shares her expertise, advice and essential must-dos to adapt and change for higher performance: to lead yourself, your team and your business, and ensure your continued success.

Janine Garner, speaker, best-selling
author, and CEO of LBDG

Dr Jenny Brockis has taken the latest findings in neuroscience and distilled them into a readable, actionable 12-step plan to improve brain health, mental performance, resilience and happiness in the workplace. Dr Brockis deftly explains that high-performance thinking is not hard, but it does require us to look after our brain in the right way. Essential reading for every employer and employee.

Dr Sarah McKay, neuroscientist and science writer

Dr Jenny Brockis lights up the world with her much-needed work on how we can all future-proof our brains. Jenny makes complex neuroscientific messages accessible and practical with her warmth, wit and smarts. An award-winning communicator, Jenny helps business leaders, managers and educators get better results in everything they do, by simply using their brains better.

Yamini Naidu, business storyteller, best-selling
author, speaker and mentor

First published as Future Brain in 2016 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064

Office also in Melbourne

This edition first published in 2019 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

Rossvale Holdings Pty Ltd ATF The Brockis Family Trust t/a Brain Fit 2016

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.

Cover design by Wiley

Internal figures designed by Kate Matheson

Disclaimer

The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

To Tom and Sophie, you are the future.

Dr Jenny Brockis is a medical practitioner, healthy brain advocate and future mind planner. She is the Director and founder of Brain Fit and author of two previous books, Brain Fit! and Brain Smart.

A self-confessed nerd, Jenny is a lifelong learner. She graduated as a Nightingale Nurse (St. Thomas' Hospital London), then as a doctor (MB ChB Bristol), FRACGP, with further postgraduate qualifications in Lifestyle Medicine, Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, the Neuroscience of Leadership, and has undertaken training in Mindfulness Meditation.

Jenny is an expert in brain fitness, which she defines as what it takes for individuals and organisations to stay brain healthy, eliminate poor thinking skills and boost mental performance. Her goal is to make brain fitness as well known and understood as Jamie Oliver has made healthy eating.

Passionate, eloquent and inspiring, Jenny's keynotes and workshops provide cutting-edge insights into how neuroscience provides the perfect pathway to navigate our complex, complicated and busy world. Never content simply to go with the status quo, Jenny is dedicated to her quest to promote the development of a brain-friendly culture that nurtures and develops all brains at work.

When not speaking, writing or researching, Jenny enjoys spending time with her husband and two young adult children, travelling the world and challenging her longstanding fear of heights.

Like crafting an Oscar acceptance speech, writing the acknowledgments for this book has been almost harder than writing the book itself, because there are so many people to thank. Each deserves their own special recognition for their contribution, for which I am forever deeply grateful.

This book would never have seen the light of day without the input, advice and wisdom that only a magnificent mentor can provide. Matt Church, it was tough love on occasions, but you provided what was needed to lift, nurture and develop my ideas. Thank you for always expecting more, for raising the bar, and getting me to do the work.

Tiffany Turpin, your editing ability to help turn what was originally a complete dog's breakfast into a decent first draft was much appreciated.

To the Wiley team, Chris, Ingrid and Peter, thank you so much for your support and guidance throughout the process. To Lucy Raymond an especial thank you for your initial belief in this book, that allowed the dream to become a reality.

Jem Bates, thank you so much for making the editing process such a constructive and enjoyable process. Your ability to sharpen up my writing and condense ideas into a more reader-friendly format has been invaluable.

Kate Matheson, for once words fail me. You have such an amazing brain your breadth of knowledge of the English language, your razor sharp wit and creative talents appear to know no bounds. Thank you for all your input into the book, brilliant design work for the graphics and most importantly, your friendship.

Then there are all those supporters in the stands, the people who have contributed both directly or indirectly to the birth of this book. To my fellow speakers and world class presenters on our Showcase journey in 2014: Yamini Naidu, Janine Garner, Lynne Cazaly, Angela Lockwood, Jamie Pride, Natasha Pincus and Marcus Bird thank you. To Janine, who never failed to remind me that a Yorkshire lass never leaves the house without her big girl's pants on. To my fellow thought leaders Jason Fox, Gihan Perera and Mike House thank you. You all continue to inspire me in my quest to share my message around the planet.

Cath Sutherland and Claire Savage, your friendship, support, fireside chats and raw chocolate treats have meant so much.

The one person without whom I would never have started this new journey and transformation from GP to professional speaker and author is my wonderful husband John, who has always believed in what I do and provided unconditional love and support; from always being there to pick me up from yet another late night flight back into Perth, to quietly just getting on with cooking dinner and sorting out all the other things going on at home, when he knows my I'm just finishing this means I'll be more than a little while longer working in the back office.