By: Stephanie Aanstoos, Account Executive

March is National Nutrition Month, but feeding your stomach isn’t the only thing you should worry about. In the PR industry (or basically any profession), you also need to feed your brain. Being a lifelong learner helps you stay ahead of the game, on top of the latest trends and ready to serve your client’s needs in the best way possible. So, how do you maintain a healthy brain diet? Here are a few staples to establish balance and longevity in your continuous quest for knowledge:

  • Read the news: Make sure you’re caught up on what is going on in the world around you. I think the benefits reading (or watching/listening to) the news are obvious, but I’ll list a few anyway. A steady diet of the latest headlines will help you to become sharper and more competent, while also helping you to generate ideas, have more to discuss with other professionals and to gain a broader range of knowledge.
  • Subscribe to industry publications: Whether online or in print, stay up-to-date on the latest trends in your industry by regularly reviewing the top publications. There’s bound to be a quite a few, so select a small variety and stay in tune to what’s being discussed.
  • Join industry organizations and attend their meetings and events: By becoming active in industry organizations, you are not only extending your network, but also opening up more opportunities to learn from others. Two brains are better than one, so hundreds of brains can’t hurt!
  • Attend conferences: Most organizations have an annual conference which attracts the latest and greatest speakers, exhibitors and sponsors. Attending these conferences is one of the best ways to see what’s trending and to meet and learn from professionals outside of your day-to-day network.
  • Sign up for a seminars and workshops: Sure you have a degree already, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go back to the classroom. Every once in a while, take a class. It can be a refresher course on something you’ve taken before (you’ll find out what’s changed), or you can learn something completely new. I recommend doing both!

Part of the learning process is putting your new knowledge and skills to work. Practice regularly, teach others and test yourself to keep your skills sharp. If you find that you’re forgetting things you once knew, it doesn’t mean you brain is full – it only means you need more practice. Now, get out there and feed your brain!