leadership

5 Strengths of the Female Brain and How to Maximize Them

UNLEASHING THE POWER OF THE FEMALE BRAIN

One of the most fascinating areas of research in the last decade has been that of brain research. Psychiatrist and author, Daniel Amen has been at the forefront of  it all. In addition to pioneering the use of the brain spect to diagnosis and treat patients, he has authored numerous books all designed encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle that protects the brain.

In one of the largest brain imaging studies ever done, he compared the scans of 46,000 male and female brains and looked the at blood flow and activity patterns. Out of 80 areas tested, females were significantly more active in 70. These differences help us understand some of the unique strengths and vulnerabilities of the female brain and give us important clues on how to optimize it.

What are some of the strengths of the female brain?

Because of the increased activity, females often exhibit greater strengths in the areas of:

• Empathy
• Intuition
• Collaboration
• Self-control
• Appropriate worrying

Unfortunately, this increased activity also makes women more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, which they suffer from twice as much as men.

Putting those strengths to work:

1. Women are natural care takers and often prioritize caring for others before caring for themselves. Neglecting self care can steal our own health and make us sick. Create a balance between empathy for others and self-care.

2.Tapping into  your intuition can help you gain insight and solve problems faster. Trust your intuition and recognize the power of it.

3. Women value relationships so using collaboration is a natural strength. This is one reason why women often make great bosses. Find ways to use collaboration to solve conflicts and build community.

4. Women have an active pre-frontal cortex and consequently strong self control. When coupled with a healthy lifestyle and healthy decision making it is a win/win.

5. Appropriate worrying means that some anxiety is good if it keeps you on track and focused on problem solving. Find natural ways to keep your anxiety under control, such as exercise, positive self-talk or meditation.

Want to learn more about the female brain? Check out Daniel Amen’s book: Unleash the Power of the Female Brain: Supercharging Yours for Better Health, Energy, Mood, Focus, and Sex

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