I so love this article by BrainFit.
Beautiful article on multi-tasking. People just never seem to understand why I tell them not to do it, seems it is a big thing in the business world.
Multitasking is not essential for productivity and it takes a toll on brain health and performance. Learn how to stop multitasking and be more productive.
And it was all about getting them to build a business plan…. in 3 days…as entrepreneurs.
25 kids, 4 boys and 21 girls gathered at The Circumference in Surulere to do what they had never done before – put together a Business plan.
In 5 teams of never previously met members, a social bond was nurtured and team members strove hard to succeed as one.
Some kids already had hobbies like baking and crafting, and some had starting selling their products at the slightest opportunity but nothing serious yet. Some didn’t even believe they could sell what they make. Then there were the kids who didn’t even know what they could do, not to talk of selling in a business.
We know the future seems like one with no distinct type of career like the days of old when we had everyone striving to be doctors, lawyers, architects or engineers. You will need to be very innovative and be a thinker to survive in the future.
We used our Minipreneur Book by Olanrewaju Oniyitan (Check out my previous blog post on the training workshop).
The topics taught included pitching to sell, taxes, e-commerce, operations management, banking and of course doing business the halal way, as we only got Muslim kids to register and actually pay for the bootcamp. We had the Group Head, Non-Interest Banking at Sterling Bank (the only indigenous bank to offer non-Interest banking in Nigeria), Dr Bashir Oshodi come talk to the kids about “What Investors look for in a business”.
There are aspirations for another ChildPreneur bootcamp during the next holidays as parents have made enquiries but only time will tell.
A big thank you to the kids who were awesome, respectful, cooperative, and best of all, very intelligent and willing to learn.
If your child wasn’t at this first edition, then they definitely missed…. Watch out for subsequent ones… Hopefully 😉
Yes! It’s here and plans to stay…
So… Like I said in the last post, it’s time we stop ignoring our cognitive health, we should take that extra effort to also keep our minds working sharp and alert from now till old age.
Let me quickly talk about them as I have been asked what they are, very brief though, check out the website for more lengthy info from global researchers as we don’t have access to that here. The 6 Thumbs “Up” are:
Now that you know our 6 Thumbs “Ups”, I hope you will put in more effort to improve on each one as I am trying to do. It’s really not easy, especially if you already have a crazy routine but it’s doable. Stick to it…and you will get the desired results.
And by the way, keep checking us out on the blog. We have lots of things planned. #naijacognitivehealthblogger.
Have you ever put your glasses on a surface in a room you are in and didn’t leave, and 5mins later, you can’t seem to remember where you put it?
Or came in with the car keys, dropped it on a surface, went to get a drink, only to get ready to go out again and you just can’t remember where you dropped it?!!
By the way, you aren’t over 40 yet! Well for those who ask me what I mean by cognitive wellness… Can you guess what it is now?
The term “Cognitive Wellness” isn’t new on the world stage but it is definitely a rarity in Nigeria. We are currently all hyped up about wellness but only in the physical body category. Everyone is loosing weight, trying to eat with different diet plans for different body chemistry types.
I am on the skinny side and really don’t do all that stuff; yes, I am an organic and healthy eating “somebody” but that was it until I started forgetting where I put my glasses or car keys within minutes of using them. Then I realized I needed to do something fast as I wasn’t getting any younger and my brain was definitely not going to stop forgetting if I continued to ignore its own Wellness.
As a lady whose first degree was physiology, I knew the body and brain worked together and if I was going to fix the issues I had cognitively, I would also get ready to do a lot of bodily and lifestyle adjustment, the solution had to be wholistic.
I also know that I am not alone in this phase of forgetfulness so we, at The Reading Gym Nigeria, decided to focus on Cognitive Wellness for our adult clients and believe me, it’s a big package. Yes, we will have the occasional book reads but we are going to also work on our lifestyle and hope for the best.
I’m so excited about our “6 Thumbs of Cognitive Wellness” and will be talking about that in my next post.
Till then, bye.
OH dear! I should have posted this about a month ago. The minipreneur book workshop I attended was awesome and a must share.
Despite the pouring rain and scary rain reviews, I was able to get to the venue a bit late and not so much was missed.
Lanre, the lovely lady and author of the both was so easy to flow with as she explained what being an entrepreneur was and how to get our children to bring out the entrepreneurial spirit in them
She has a unique style of teaching that is easy for children and adults to follow. I can tell you I jotted down notes, plenty lines were filled in my notebook as I scribbled on like an effico.
Then we had the fun part, our group discussions: Primary teachers and secondary teachers. We were to come up with a business plan based on what children loved. Sort of what we could build from a habit that children loved doing.
Of course, I was in the primary group 😁. So we chose TV because children would do anything to watch TV. Very interesting session, we were actually able to come up with lots of professions.
It was kind of like taking a bad habit and squeezing out the positive side, and nurturing it without actually killing the creativity, talent and imagination the child might have.
The secondary school group below👇
After the discussion, then came the group presentations… I liked my group’s presentation, it was obvious we won. But the day wasn’t about winning, it was about helping the future leaders of tomorrow to think outside the box because the future will definitely be more challenging than we have it now.
I definitely recommend this book to parents and schools. It’s so easy to read and understand, and the children will love the activities Lanre discussed. Even adult would pick one or two things to help build their business ideas. We are definitely going to add it to our bookstore list👌.
We already talked about essential oils, now let’s talk about my favourite way of using it. Diffusion
Aromatherapy is a scientific process where natural oils are gotten from plants ie leaves, bark, flowers, roots, stems, etc to enhance the psychological and physical well-being of human beings.
The aroma from the oils helps to stimulate brain functions which in turn acts as a form of healing therapy. This promotes relaxation and other health benefits.
Essential oils can also be used topically (be very careful with dilution ratios) and though not yet a fad in Nigeria, aromatherapy has already gained momentum as a form of alternative medicine used for various purposes including mood enhancement, pain relief and improved cognitive functions.
We all learnt about diffusion, at some point, in school, and in this particular case, what the diffusers do is to disperse the oils round a room or the whole house.
The whole place is filled with natural aromas. There are several techniques and devices which can be used as aromatherapy diffusers, examples are:
• Steam diffusers
• Candle diffusers
• Ultrasonic aromatherapy diffusers
• Lamp ring diffusers
• Fan diffusers
• Terracotta and sandstone diffusers
• Electronic heat diffusers
• Essential oil nebulizers
There are numerous benefits to diffusing:
1. Purifies and humidifies the air.
2. Make the room smell pleasant.
3. Relieves stress, fatigue and pain
4. Helps with respiratory issues and breathing easier.
5. Better relaxation and improved sleep.
6. Improves cognitive functions.🙌🙌🙌
7. Mood enhancer.
8. Keeps you and environment cool.
9. Best choice for therapeutic effects of aromatherapy.
10. Help with insect repelling.
So…. , are you interested enough to get one for yourself? If so, then make sure to:
Pssst…. We plan to stock up some, stay tuned😉
Congratulations to Mrs Amusa, Mrs Ajikobi and Mrs Balogun (Saudi Geh).
Hope you guys enjoy and love your prizes. Can’t wait for my sister’s hangout at COLD Stone 😉
This is the trending topic on our Instagram handle.
Yes, reading is mostly about books! But….
One of our main aims @thereadinggymng is to make your reading experience a seamless one. That’s why we have created our Reading Accessories Collection. It’s not only bookmarks that serves as an accessory to books. 😉 We have many accessory ideas to share with you.
I love EOs. I utterly, utterly love them. And my two main brands are Plant Therapy and Edens Garden. You really need to be careful where you source your EOs, there are many processes to getting pure grade authentic essential oils and there are things to look out for when choosing a brand. That’s for another day.
Today? Let’s talk EOs for mental clarity and focus. 🙇🙇🙇. I will start with 5 oils to aid focus and clarity.
5 Favorite Essential Oils for Mental Clarity:
Though Sage should be used with caution. With rosemary, even a whiff of the smell from the herb🌱 gives the same result. 🌹🌹🌹
Any of the above essential oils can be used singularly to help enhance your brain power and boost your mental clarity; however, if you want to get fancy and up the effectiveness, blend three of them together in a mix that’s pleasing to your olfactory system – or add one or two to another of your favorite essential oil (lemon or lemongrass, too, help with your energy levels – so don’t forget those)!💆💆💆
You can also buy a synergy blend, a synergy blend is just a mix of different single oils, be sure to read the combo on the label though. 🛀🛀🛀
You can apply EOs by diffusing (my favorite), topical (massage) and usually mixed in a carrier oil, or just add a few drops into your cream.
Please, if you are just starting with EOs, you need to do enough research because some are too strong and could actually harm your skin when used wrongly. 🚫🚫🚫
So which ones do you use? What are your favourite brands?
So we ended Ramadan nearly 3 weeks ago. As usual, it was a spiritually uplifting period and it’s always a bit sad to see it go because the body gets so in tune with the routine.
Our challenge was a fun filled family activity and here are some of our highlights below:
We had 16 families and 75 participants but can only choose 3 winning positions. We promise to give the mums treats (they did all the hard work) and a home decor item.
The big treat for the first position is a visit to Hi-Impact Planet Theme Park with 4 tickets and rides.
The second and third positions will have a smaller but girls hangout treat. Who will it be? Are you hoping to be the one?
Check our Instagram handles and Facebook for the announcement this Friday.
Stay Tuned……
So we wanted to get mums busy and kids reading this Ramadan, and birthed our Ramadan Read-A-Thon 2017. We hope to get Muslims reading and learning more about Islam by borrowing books from us. Free delivery included too.
There are 16 families and over 70 participants in this first season of the Ramadan Read-A-Thon. They are all based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Everyone gets a package of books, mini journal, log sheets, Learning Roots Ramadan Activity Bumper pack, and other documents. And the books were efficiently sent via EMS, Nigeria (They have really revamped our postal services).
Mums seem eager and are really being diligent with their tasks.
But I think the most exciting part of it is our “Tree of Good Deeds” 😁
We have to put up leaves on our branches for every good deed we do each day. The deeds are written and picked at random. No good act, no leaf for the day. Let’s hope these tree trunks will be colourful at the end of Ramadan bi ithniLlaah 😁😁😁
And the ultimate prize??? 👇👇👇
An increased knowledge of the Deen and improved relationship with our Lord. Then let’s not forget the improved bond between parent and child. It is a very good opportunity to get closer to our loved ones, to seal and stamp the affection we have for one another .
Then….. We have tickets for a family of four to Hi-Impact Planet Theme Park.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTYwVCegr9f/
May the best family win👍👍👍
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"Taking part is all that matters."-Sian Atkinson, 2015.
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