This document outlines 12 brain rules for optimizing brain function and memory based on Dr. John Medina's research. The rules discuss how exercise, sleep, stress, senses and exploration can impact brain health and memory. Repeated exposure to information through practice and repetition over time is essential for memory consolidation. While multitasking is a myth, stimulating different senses can aid recall. Understanding individual brain differences and providing a safe learning environment also supports development.

1. BRAIN RULES
Adapted from Dr. John Medina’s Brain Rules

2. DO YOU KNOW?
 THE number of children with poor mental health is
rising, with 20 per cent found to be suffering from stress,
anxiety and depression in the latest National Health
Morbidity Survey (NHMS).
 The survey, conducted in 2011, said there were more
children aged between 5 and 15 suffering from mental
health issues or were prone to mental disorders.

3. 12 BRAIN RULES
 How to function more efficiently and take care of our brain?

4. Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.

5. Rule #2: The human brain evolves
 The brain is a survival organ – designed to solve problems constantly
 The strongest brains survive – we learn through problem solving
 Understanding
 Environment – brain functions well in a safe environment
 Constraints in Environment – anti brain environment disrupts growth

6. Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently
 No two people have the same brain, not even twins. Every student’s
brain, every employee’s brain, every customer’s brain is wired
differently
 Regions of the brain develop at different rates in different people
 Everyone have their own Strength & Weakness
 Unity and diversity is key to survival

7. Rule #4: Attention
 We pay attention to interesting things
 Human Brain has attention span of 10 minutes
 Multi-tasking Is A Myth – brain can perform
effectively doing one thing at a time.

8. Rule #5: Memory Span
Repeat to Remember
 Human brain can only hold about seven pieces of
information for less than 30 seconds!
 To remember - need to consistently re-expose yourself to
the information.
 Memories are so volatile that you have to repeat to
remember.

9. Rule #6: Remember to REPEAT!
 It takes years to consolidate a memory. Not minutes, hours, or days
but years. - why PRACTISE makes PERFECT?
 How do you remember better? Repeated exposure to information / in
specifically timed intervals / provides the most powerful way to fix
memory into the brain.
 REPETITION is CRUCIAL to REMEMBER – Learning Curve

10. Rule #7: Sleep well, think well
 While sleeping brain processes information
 Feel Tired? Take a NAP
 One of the reason 3PM meetings may make you
feel unproductive?

11. UNPRODUCTIVE
ZONE

12. Rule #8: Stress
 Stressed brains – UNPRODUCTIVE - HARMFUL
 Brain is built to deal with stress that lasts about 30
seconds –longer period of stress leads to unproductive
performance
 Stress damages memory and executive function

13. Rule #9: Sense
 Stimulate more of the senses
 Brain tends to remember sight, sound, taste, smell, touch
 Smell is unusually effective at evoking memory. Eg: STARBUCKS
BRANDING from the Smell of Coffee
 Better memory retention by invoking SENSE function
 We have the habit of feeling things before buying?

14. Rule #10: Vision
We tend to
remember better
when we have the
power of vision!

15. Rule #11: Gender
 Male and Female brains are wired differently
 Men and women handle acute stress differently
 Men and women process certain emotions differently (Eg: Anxiety
affects Women more than Men and Males are more severely afflicted
by schizophrenia than females)

16. Rule #12: Exploration
 We are powerful and natural explorers.
 Reason why we are able to learn at any age
 Life is continuous learning process
 Learning new skills is good for the brain stimulates neutrons and
senses