‘With her trademark charismatic writing style, Helena offers in her book a whole range of practical tips for team leaders, based on the best available science, on how we can communicate with colleagues to promote a productive and positive working environment.’
Ben Bruton
Partner, Winston Strawn LLP
‘Helena has done a wonderful job in making the complex science of the brain and how it works understandable and useful for everyday living. What Helena shares in the book helps us understand and answer why….’
Regina Godvin
World Account Manager, Givaudan Flavours and Fragrances Inc.
‘Working with Children and Young People on a daily basis I need to understand how their brains work and why they behave the way they do. Helena's book does just that. It's extremely insightful and is a useful tool for me to use to excel in my role.’
Jane Grieve
Children & Young Persons Police Officer, Essex Police
‘An easy yet insightful read explaining how to keep learning and stay receptive to new ideas, whilst providing helpful tips for a healthier brain.’
Denise Jagger
Pro Chancellor, University of York & Director Bellway PLC
‘Helena has captured the most difficult subject to comprehend and made it possible for everyone who reads her book to understand the brain and use it for everyday life. The book has helped me to transform myself and my business. I can't thank you enough!’
Erick Kervaon
General Manager, Bingham Riverhouse Hotel
‘As a psychotherapist I have found this book an invaluable tool as it explains the functioning of the brain in such a clear and concise way. Helena has managed to write about the brain in a style that is easy to understand, and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about this fascinating subject.’
Tracy Northampton
UKCP/BACP Accredited Psychotherapist
‘I can't think of a better time to explore ways in which we maximize our ability and in so doing, take greater control of our destiny. This book can get us there.’
Eileen Redmond-Macken
Private Banking, Investec Bank PLC
‘Helena is hugely talented in simplifying our understanding of our most complex organ: the human brain. This book is supported by a multitude of examples from scientific research. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in the psychology of human behaviour and in understanding what influences our perceptions and the way we interact with others.’
Karim Smaira
Founder and CEO, Genpharm Services
‘Such a brilliant book, both interesting personally but above all of practical value in business. I applied several of the insights and seen tangible results. For example, we reversed the order of our wine list as a result of the section on anchoring, and wine sales jumped 15% overnight.’
Simon Thomas
CEO, The Hippodrome Casino
‘I cannot recommend this fascinating book highly enough! Presented in a clear, logical and accessible way, it has enabled me to understand the most complex organ in my body to new and enlightening depths. It also offers a host of practical ways to apply evidence-based neuroscience to our personal lives in order to enhance our communication and relationships with others, as well as to improve our own mental and physical well-being. I'm already reaping the benefits - read this book and so will you! Rachel Walker
Clinical Scientist, Independent Vascular Diagnostics Ltd
This edition first published 2020
© 2020 Helena Boschi
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Boschi, Helena, author.
Title: Why we do what we do : understanding our brain to get the best out of ourselves and others / Helena Boschi.
Description: First Edition. | Hoboken : Wiley, 2019. | Includes index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2019001150 (print) | LCCN 2019011756 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119561545 (Adobe PDF) | ISBN 9781119561538 (ePub) | ISBN 9781119561491 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119561545 (ePDF)
Subjects: LCSH: Self-help techniques. | Brain. | BISAC: SELF-HELP / General.
Classification: LCC BF632 (ebook) | LCC BF632 .B647 2019 (print) | DDC 153—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019001150
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © nicoolay / iStock.com
Helena Boschi is a psychologist specialising in applied neuroscience.
Helena is a business practitioner turned practical neuroscientist and has spent many years in listed multinational companies working in sales, marketing, talent management, organisation design and leadership development. She is uniquely placed to bring the world of neuroscience to the business context in a pragmatic and relevant way, using her knowledge of what businesses and business leaders need. Organisations worldwide now use Helena as a speaker and an educator to help them understand and benefit from neuroscience that explains why we do what we do. She works closely with her clients to shape new thinking and design creative learning initiatives, particularly in the areas of leadership and team development, intercultural communication and organisational change. Helena is particularly passionate about improving physical and psychological wellbeing in a world that is placing increasing demands on our biological and cognitive resources.
Offering a range of compelling messages that are backed by science, grounded in the real world and communicated in a style that engages her audiences, Helena is dedicated to encouraging people to take greater responsibility for the long-term functioning and health of their brain and the brains of those around them. She is a member of the British Psychological Society.
If you would like to contact Helena about speaking or presenting, please email her at: helena@chequeredleopard.com
Lansons is a leading reputation management and public relations consultancy advising companies, organisations and governments across the world.
Organisations with the best reputations outperform rivals in a myriad of tangible ways from recruiting higher quality people to succeeding with smaller marketing budgets to exerting greater influence over governments. We believe that every organisation should consciously manage its reputation, not just in times of crisis.
Formed in 1989, we've won over 80 awards for our work. We lead our industry on gender equality, giving back, employee ownership and being a great place to work.
Our approach is to challenge thinking and innovate, helping clients communicate more effectively. Applying neuroscience to communications is an important part of this. That's why we've supported Dr Helena Boschi in bringing this book to a global audience.
To find out more about Lansons visit www.lansons.com.
A huge debt of gratitude goes to the many wonderful people who have encouraged me to write this book and who have always shown so much enthusiasm for and interest in what I do.
First I must thank all the scientists, authors and psychologists who have permitted me to feature their work, as well as those whom I have cited throughout this book. Their work is the reason this book exists. I must, however, issue a cautionary note to the same esteemed community that, in the attempt to provide an easy-to-understand guide to the brain for non-scientists, some of the content may seem over-simplified in places. For this I apologise and hope that the book will be received in the spirit in which it is intended.
I am particularly indebted to Lansons, the reputation management consultancy that has promoted this book and to Clare Parsons and Tony Langham, Lansons' founders, for their continued and positive support. In particular, Suzanne Ellis, Lansons' Director in Communications for Change and Transformation, has shown faith in me and the book from the beginning. Suzanne urged me to write this book and has always been an invaluable source of energy and guidance. During the course of our respective professional engagements and work together, Suzanne and I have increasingly recognised the critical importance of brain health and wellbeing throughout life. Special thanks must go to Emma Read, who has been an invaluable pair of eyes, and Jennifer Ryle for her masterful designs.
Thank you to Annie, Kelly, Caroline and the Wiley team for their professional expertise and insights throughout this process and for working with us all in such a spirit of collaboration. Caroline in particular has given so much of her time to getting this book across the finish line.
I owe a great deal to Denise Jagger, Pro Chancellor, University of York & Director Bellway plc, who has given my work and this book a great deal of her time and who has always been wonderful to work with.
I am also grateful to my fantastic friends, colleagues and clients all over the world, who have inspired me to put what I talk about into writing and who have supported me so much over the years.
Thank you too to Dr Steve Trenoweth for his advice and guidance throughout the whole process. His experience, wisdom and humour are always hugely valued.
Finally, my overwhelming appreciation goes to Stephen, my husband, business partner and best friend. Over the years Stephen has championed me through my PhD, my research and now this book. He has been an unfailing provider of love, encouragement, care and ideas. I really could not have done this without him.
The human brain today is always on. Technology is everywhere, connecting and consuming us. It has transformed the way we think, communicate and even live. We rely on being plugged in to instant information and real-time feedback. We no longer have to wait for anything: technology has enabled us to have it all now. We can shop, read and watch movies and television programmes whenever we want. We are even able to choose a potential partner simply by swiping right. We are increasingly defined by speedy responses and even faster results. Immediacy is what we all now expect and demand.
The ramifications of this modern world are both good and bad. A world without search engines and direct access to data is unimaginable today: we can automate tasks, coordinate activity, exchange information, direct our own education and read others' opinions at the touch of a button. The downside is that we are subjected to the whims of a fickle, virtual network that can validate and endorse, or demean and destroy. Our identity and success are forged by social opinion and follower numbers, where relationships are tenuous and often temporary.
Humans have an amazing ability to transform their environment. We only need to look back over the last 50 years to see vast differences in the way we live and communicate. But as change has accelerated, so too has our drive to innovate. The problem is that the same humanness responsible for all this discovery is simultaneously limited in its ability to cope with the world that we have now fashioned for ourselves.
Despite a world that is speeding up around us, we remain essentially social, emotional, sensual and flawed beings, hampered by a maladaptive biology. Our brain’s primary role, which is to keep us alive and functioning, has not yet adjusted well enough to deal with a now-constant bombardment of information. Put simply, we do not have the brainpower to deal with the number of inputs we receive.
And while every advance and latest innovation in technology gives us the illusion of greater efficiency and control over our life, this comes at a cost. Our instinct to survive means that we are naturally prone to interruption – we are attuned to switch our attention to anything that may historically have constituted a threat to life – but incessant data means that we can never switch off. We feel obliged to be responsive and productive, we make rapid decisions, we seek immediate rewards and we deny ourselves the space and time to slow down, breathe deeply and build long-term, meaningful relationships.
Our brain deals with this continuous loop of anticipation, uncertainty and anxiety by releasing chemicals to protect us from any potential threat or danger and to keep us alive. These chemicals place us in a state of alertness, tension and stress, which influences our view of the world and distorts our thinking. And we cannot think clearly when we are focused on survival.
Our modern lifestyle is not helping. We are sitting too much, and exercising and sleeping too little. Because our bodies are not active and mobile, we are witnessing an increase in depression, stress, obesity and degenerative illnesses such as dementia.
And so, as technology frees up effort in one area, we need to work harder to manage the fallout in another.
The good news is that we can all develop strategies and techniques to help us lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. Learning about how our brain functions is an important first step.
Ongoing research in neuroscience provides us with valuable insights into why we do what we do. This book presents some of these insights and offers ideas as to how to apply them to everyday life.
The intention is that this book should strike a balance between knowledge and application by combining scientific research with concrete examples as well as illustrative stories. It is designed to be visual, practical and easy to read.
Each chapter is written as a stand-alone guide to a particular brain area and concludes with five tips for improving brainpower in that area. Additional references to specific studies are also provided for those who would like to explore these in more depth.
It is important to point out that, although the chapters are organised under separate, recognisable headings, it would be too simplistic to suggest that the brain works in a similarly clear-cut way. There are therefore inevitably some areas of overlap among chapters, which reflect the extensive activity and multifaceted nature of our brain.
As neuroscience continues to gain momentum, more studies will undoubtedly be published. In the meantime, I hope that this book will whet your appetite and leave you wanting to find out more.
Remember: it is always valuable to ask ‘Why?’
Why do we need to keep our brain in balance?
Why are we emotional rather than rational?
Why do we not remember accurately?
Why can we not multitask?
Why does our brain love (and hate) certain words?
Why do we not see the truth?
Why are we all biased?
Why do we need to reignite our creativity?
Why do most change efforts fail?
Why do we need to manage our stress?
Why do leaders need to learn about the brain?
Why do we need to improve our lifestyle and daily habits?
Chapter 1 provides a quick look at our brain – how it is structured and how it functions – and the chapter also considers male/female differences and the nature/nurture debate.
Chapter 2 explores our emotional brain; why we have emotions and how our emotions affect our memories.
Chapter 3 looks at how memory works in our brain, the different types of memory we store and how to improve our ability to remember.
Chapter 4 discusses our attentional system, its strengths and limitations, and why focus is essential to learning.
Chapter 5 considers the impact and use of language, the power of certain words and the endurance of storytelling.
Chapter 6 offers insights into visual perception, explaining how our brain ‘sees’ and why we are susceptible to visual illusions.
Chapter 7 describes some of the biases that we carry within us and discusses why we have developed mental shortcuts to interpret information.
Chapter 8 enters the world of the creative brain and provides some insights into how to reignite the creative spark that we all carry within us.
Chapter 9 discusses the impact of change on our brain, explaining how habits are formed and how we can minimise the pain of change.
Chapter 10 provides information about what stress is doing to us in today's world. It also describes the different symptoms associated with stress, and offers some methods of handling stressful situations.
Chapter 11 looks at leadership and how effective leaders need an understanding of the brain in order to get the best out of the people they lead.
Chapter 12 offers a glimpse into our modern lifestyle and considers how we should protect our brain against daily challenges, with a specific focus on sleep, exercise and food.