Brain On! by Deb Smolensky

Brain On!
by Deb Smolensky

ISBN-13: 9781637556641
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Amplify Publishing
Released: August 8, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
As incredible as your brain is, it hasn’t been upgraded since the beginning of time. Your brain is designed to keep you safe (thank you!), but it’s up to you to expand your operating system to be happy and productive in the office and at home. Fear is the default when you’re not intentional about how you use your brain. This translates to overwhelm, distraction, burnout, and other workplace stressors. In Brain On!, Deb Smolensky serves as your coach to retrain your brain through mental fitness strategies that will help you navigate the ever-changing and uncertain world in which we work


My Review:
Brain On! is about being more aware of how we're reacting to people and situations. The author's goal is for everyone to stay calm and ration and avoid being emotionally hijacked. Made me think of Spock. The advice was very focused on a business setting, and the last third of the book was specifically for leaders, the HR department, and the company culture. The leaders are told that emotions are contagious and that you can remove obstacles for those under you or trigger your workers to shut down, so you need to be constantly "brain on." No pressure there...

I was disappointed that how the brain works was described only in very general terms. She mentioned dozens of books whose ideas she was passing on but didn't refer to scientific studies. This book was also not about mental fitness but self-awareness. Her basic premise was that you're usually 'brain off' (sometimes described as responding to situations as if under threat or controlled by your primitive brain or your subconscious is driving your responses or being overwhelmed or emotionally hijacked) while you want to be 'brain on' (driven by your thinking brain, rationally analyzing at the situation, focused, and energized by what you're doing). The varying definitions of brain off made some of her statements seem absurd, like you can't use your thinking brain at the same time as you're in the threat response, yet you're supposed to use your thinking brain when feeling anxious to see if you have a rational worry.

The first third of the book was about why you need to be 'brain on' due to external and internal obstacles at work, etc. The next part was a detailed, step-by-step description on how to set doable goals so you can stay focused and be productive. She also pointed out how to look for your strengths and what you like to do so you're energize and enjoy your work. A short section talked about "brain fitness" but contained a couple questions to ask to see if you're brain on or off and a phrase to repeat to get 'brain on' again, suggesting naming the emotion you're feeling, and some breathing exercises to calm and focus yourself. She also suggested tips like get a good sleep, take a 20 minute nap, take breaks to move around or talk to a friend. The book wasn't really what I expected or needed, but it might be useful to business leaders.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.