Losing Your Memory? Pick Up a Pack of Gum!

Did you know I was the national spokesperson for Wrigley's spearmint gum? In fact, I helped develop the Chew IQ test that distinguished your personality type based on your chewing style. During my time researching as national spokesperson, I discovered that chewing gum has many positive benefits. There's new research out that confirms one of those key benefits that chewing gum can actually improve your memory.  Next time your attention is flagging before a late-in-the day meeting, pop a piece of gum in your mouth to help you stay sharp. British researchers have found that chewing gum improves performance on tasks that involve tuning into audio cues that is listening to somebody talk and retaining key information in short-term memory. In the study, subjects listened to random lists of numbers for 30 minutes,  then were tested on their ability to pick up patterns. Compared with non-chewers the gun group detected patterns more quickly and accurately and their abilities improved as the task progressed. The action of chewing seems to temporarily increased blood flow to the brain, allowing more energizing oxygen to reach brain cells. Personally, I would recommend that you chew the gum before your meeting and then spit it out and put it in a piece of paper in the trash before going in the meeting room so people won't see you chewing the gum but your brain will be supercharged to remember what they say.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Speech Anxiety is a Good Thing

Quick Fix for Stage Fright

Standing in front of an audience with your heart racing, your palms sweating, terrified and wishing you were anywhere else but in front of that audience?

Good news is at hand!

Research from University of Rochester New York suggests that embracing your stress symptoms as beneficial can help you stay calm and collect yourself during your speech. When subjects in the research were encouraged to consider the physical signs of nervousness like sweaty palms and heart racing as natural and even advantageous they were more relaxed and had better bloodflow during the high-pressure speech assignment than those who were not trying to view their anxiety in a positive light.

So reframe your stress.  See it as a good thing.  Use all that energy to give a terrific presentation.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Are Headaches Keeping You from Sleeping?

If tension headaches are keeping you from sleeping there are options.  Researchers say that people with chronic tension headaches who took 3 mg of melatonin daily for three months reported six fewer episodes a month and the headaches they did get were less painful due to the sleep inducing supplement. Most antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds may help counter the inflammatory enzyme that trigger head pain.  So if your doctor says it's safe to take melatonin take one tablet before bedtime to prevent headaches and get a good night sleep.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Ways to Get a Good Night Sleep

Studies show that having a good evening laugh like watching Bridesmaids or the Bachelor after dinner improves your sleep by making the brain release more of the sleep hormone melatonin. You don't have time for a movie and it's time for bed? You could do exercises to release the day's stress.  With laugh exercises breathe like you do when you laugh. As it turns out, by just mimicking the breathing motions of laughter you can relieve stress and improve your circulation, digestion and sleep.

 

Steps for laughing exercise:

1. put your hands in front of your chest
2. put your palms out, and as you push your palms forward twice giving a deep belly sounding HO each time
3. then press your palms down twice saying HA each time

Now turn to your sweetie and notice they are looking at you and laughing and ask them to thank you for helping them fall asleep.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Is Your Smartphone Ruining Your Sleep?

Have you ever wondered why you couldn't go to sleep at night? Have you ever picked up your cell phone late at night to send just one more text?

Latest research shows us that sending text messages and surfing the web within two hours of going to sleep boost your stress levels more than any other pre-sleep activity.  More than watching TV, sending emails or even making love. Researchers suspect that late-night texts or Internet searches ignite alert centers in the brain that interfere with deep sleep. In my book SNAP in the chapter  on text impressions I discuss how those quick shallow decisions of texting and surfing actually extend and deepen pathways to the EGAN centers of the brain sending stress hormones. So read a book late at night and send the text tomorrow.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.