So whilst you or your organization is introducing ITIL best practice in an effort to 'get into shape' to become more efficient, effective and profitable you might just want to think about yourself and your employees.

 

As you embark on the Service Management journey you will introduce perhaps not intentionally, stress or additional stress to the environment. Exercising and regular workouts in the gym improve attention span, memory, and learning, reduce stress and even delay cognitive decline in old age. In short, staying in shape can make you smarter, which at a time of organizational change could well be beneficial.

 

Some multi-national organizations have already woken up to the impact of stress upon their workforce and as a result now provide awareness and guidance to all their staff.

 

On the subject of exercising, research has found that "Memory retention and learning functions are all about brain cells actually changing, growing, and working better together. Exercise creates the best environment for that process to occur." says John J.Ratey, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (www.johnratey.com).

 

Although researchers aren't exactly certain how exercise leads to better cognitive function, they are learning how it physically benefits the brain. For starters, aerobic exercise pumps more blood throughout the body, including to the brain. More blood means more oxygen and, therefore, better-nourished brain tissue.

 

Exercise also spurs the brain to produce more of a protein called "Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor", or BDNF, which Ratey calls "Miracle-Gro for the brain". This powerful protein encourages brain cells to grow, interconnect, and communicate in new ways. Studies also suggest exercise plays a big part in the production of new brain cells, particularly in the Dentate Gyrus, a part of the brain heavily involved in learning and memory skills.

 

Some of the information above was taken from an article written by Vanessa Richardson, entitled 'A Fit Body Means a Fit Mind'.