Peak Health Wellness Insights Issue 25
Mental Resilience
The impact of music on cognitive performance
Listening to music has multiple benefits to overall health and especially mental health. However, a new study shows that listening to music while learning is not universally beneficial. Specifically, in people who have a high need for external stimulation (people who tend to get bored easily), cognitive functioning is impaired by listening to instrumental music while engaged in a mental task, especially if that task is challenging. On the contrary, those with a low need for stimulation, have dramatically improved cognitive functioning when listening to instrumental music and performing both simple and complex tasks.
Sleep
The best alarm sound for morning alertness (also here)
New study on the most beneficial alarm sound for morning alertness has found that a musical melodic alarm noise is associated with increased morning alertness.
Nutrition
When you eat is just as important as how much you eat
This latest study shows that our biological clock influences how we metabolise food and whether we will burn more fats or carbohydrates. When we sleep, for example, our body is meant to burn fat. This means that late night snacking interrupts this process, causing more fat to be stored. Therefore, to manage weight, it is recommended to skip late-night snacking and leave a decent break between the last meal of the day and breakfast.
Fitness
Exercise and its impact on our immune systems (also here)
Research suggests that regular and frequent physical activity enhances immune competency and regulation and heightens response to bacterial and viral antigens. Additionally, regular exercise also delays immune system ageing, helping to keep us healthy longer. This overturns the myth that acute strenuous exercise will suppress our immune systems putting us at risk of getting sick. In fact, recent research shows that acute strenuous exercise helps to redistribute immune cells to the lungs, gut and parts of the body most vulnerable to germ invasions. However, it is important to note that ramping up exercise if you haven’t been practicing it consistently can have a transient negative effect on the immune system.
Productivity Tip
Be intentional about the way you spend your time and prioritise ‘deep work’ over ‘shallow work’
More here: https://doist.com/blog/deep-work/
Habit Hack of the week
Focus on environment, belief, and behaviour
It is impossible to displace old habits if you only change your environment, only your beliefs or only your behaviour. You must address all three.
Similarly, to build a new habit you must align these three items, which in turn will make you feel more rewarded after the habit and eliminate any internal emotional conflict that might discourage you.