by Matt Weik
About seven years ago when I worked for a supplement company, I came up with a formula which we now consider a “nootropic.” I took various ingredients (in powder form) and made my own formula which worked amazingly. I found huge value in the benefits you can achieve through nootropics not only from a physical performance level but also what it could do for the average working American. I was told I was nuts and such a product would never take off as the craze was stimulants. Fast forward to today and people are buying nootropics like hotcakes, even gamers!
While many people are loving the benefits from supplementing with nootropics, I think an even greater percentage of the population would find it advantageous to use nootropics during the workday. Why? Well, let’s discuss.
What are nootropics?
In a nutshell, nootropics are cognitive enhancers. Some people even refer to them as “smart drugs.” However you define it, the main purpose of such supplements is to improve memory, focus, creativity, cognition, mood, stress reduction, and motivation. These products can be used by athletes and the general public alike in order to see some pretty amazing cognitive benefits.
What benefits can be had from a work perspective?
1. Creativity
Have you ever been in a funk where you just seem “off” during the day? Your creativity is shot and you can’t break free from it? Supplementing with nootropics can help bring back your creativity and allow you to stay productive throughout the day. While not something you may need every day, it’s great to have when you are in a pinch and need to finish a project or task.
2. Focus
We have all lost focus at work at some point. Heck, some of you might lose focus every day. When you really want to dial it in and get laser-focused on a task or project, nootropics can be a huge help. Take what seems like a scattered-brain day at work and tighten up on the reigns to pull yourself back.
3. Mental Energy/Motivation
Long hours can cause you to lose your motivation and mental energy. Rather than grabbing the nearest energy drink, opt for nootropics instead. While some nootropics do contain caffeine like what is found in an energy drink, it’s generally less on the stimulant side of the equation and more on the brain functioning side. Nootropics can boost cognition and motivation to help you meet the deadline you are facing on a client project.
4. Memory
Where was I going with this one? *pops some nootropics* Oh yeah, I remember! All joking aside, nootropics can drastically help improve your memory. This can give you an edge over your co-workers, can allow you to remember key bits of information needed to complete your job, and can help you piece things together such as with pattern recognition.
5. Stress Reduction
When we suffer from too much stress, it allows free radicals to attack our body. In order to combat the imminent damage, nootropics can go in (with the help of antioxidants) to seek out and destroy free radicals before they can attack our cells. Not only that, but nootropics can (themselves) reduce your stress levels as a whole by altering chemicals and hormones in the body which can allow you the ability to feel a sense of calm and relaxation. The reduction in stress can also help reduce any type of anxiety as well which is something many people suffer from, especially in a high-stress environment like what you would face at work. The reduction of stress thanks to nootropics can even help improve logical thinking.
6. Strategic Thinking
Sometimes projects at work can resemble a puzzle where you need to strategically look for and certain things in order to move forward with completing the picture. Strategic thinking can combine multiple facets of what we spoke about above such as aiding with memory, learning, and even higher-order cognitive thinking and processing. Nootropics can help put all the puzzle pieces together and allow you to strategically solve complex issues or tasks at work. When faced with a task that seems extremely daunting and your employer or your business is expecting you to step up and deliver, nootropics can certainly help.
