Forget your smartphone; your brain is the best tool you’ll ever have. And as such, it can be very much worthwhile taking the time to keep in tip-top condition. As with every other part of your body, your brain won’t automatically remain in perfect condition. Over the years, it’ll begin to show signs of aging, which will make you less cognitively able than you used to be. The good news is that there are ways to keep your brain sharp, none of which are all that difficult to incorporate into your regular life.
In this post, we’ll run through some of the most effective methods. You can think of these as being the mental equivalent of weights that you would lift in the gym.
Get Moving
The first tip isn’t actually the mental equivalent of working out in the gym…it is literally working out in the gym. Studies have shown that regular exercise is nearly as good for the mind as it is for the body. In one report, brains were found to be more adaptive and elastic following exercise. In addition, exercise can also help to keep a host of conditions that negatively affect the brain — such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels — at bay.
Challenge Your Mind
Your brain is ready to work, but it can’t do that if you’re not actively giving it something challenging to do. One effective way to put your brain through its paces is to work on challenges. For example, you could make a habit of starting your day with a crossword puzzle, which are handily available online. Sudoku is another popular way to put your brain to work. Basically, anything that forces you to dig deep and really think will be effective. Plus, these games aren’t just useful as a brain exercise — they’re also a lot of fun, too. It’s a win-win situation.
Rethink Your Diet
It’s an inconvenient truth that ‘you are what you eat’; alas, it is true. If you’re eating fast food or other nutritionally-vacant dishes, then you can’t be too surprised if your brain isn’t quite as sharp as it could (and your waistline won’t be, either). You can help your mental and physical conditioning by eating good-for-you foods that are full of vitamins and minerals. Most any food labeled as ‘healthy’ will have a positive impact on your mind, but for the most impact, look at fatty fish, nuts, vegetables, and plant-based proteins.
Cut Out Alcohol
You can’t have everything in life. If you’re drinking a lot of alcohol, then your brain power is going to take a hit. In fact, that’s something that you probably already know if you’ve ever overindulged and had to deal with a hangover. At that point, thinking about anything can be a challenge. Long-term drinking has a similar impact, it’s just less noticeable. Not that you need to be drinking a lot to feel mentally slower than you otherwise would. To feel that in full effect, look at giving up alcohol for a single month. In all likelihood, you’ll find that you’re thinking — and looking — sharper than ever before.
Read More
The internet is a highly valuable tool — but when it comes to boosting your brain power, it’s probably not the best. You don’t really have to use your brain if the answer is just served to you on a plate. Rather than reading online, look at putting up a book and learning that way. This works on two different levels. First, you’ll be taking a much deeper dive into the subject than you would if you were to just read, say, a blog post on the topic. Second, it’s a slower activity that helps to strengthen your brain. Flashing images and buzzing sounds — like the ones found on the internet — can be inciting to your brain, but they’re not necessarily good for your brain.
Listen to Classical Music
Looking for an easy way to give your brain a boost and appear cultured? Then look at playing some classical music through your home speakers (ideally loud enough for the neighbors to hear). Studies have long suggested that playing classical music to unborn children can help to get their intelligence off to a good start. Studies have also shown that it can help to improve concentration levels in adults. So while it probably won’t nudge your IQ up, it can provide the ambiance needed to do the activities that will.
Let Yourself Become Bored
Your brain doesn’t have an unlimited supply of power. If you’ve been using your brain (say, by doing any of the things on this list), then it’ll need to wind down. The problem is that many people don’t give their minds the chance to do the equivalent of sitting down. Why? Because they’re continually picking up their devices and engaging in their minds in non-value-adding activities. It’s recommended to give yourself space to become bored and restless, rather than automatically looking at your phone. Your brain will get the rest that it needs, and once you’ve gone through the “I’m bored” feeling, you might find that you’ve come up with an idea that you wouldn’t have thought had you been scrolling through Instagram.
Head into Nature
Researchers don’t know why — and likely never will know for sure — but spending time in nature seems to be extremely good for us. It helps to boost your immune system, raises mental mood, and can also have a positive impact on your brain structure. Plus, it’s just fun: there’s much to enjoy about going for a long hike in the great outdoors with your friends! So if you’re looking for an all-good, all-natural way to give your mind what it needs, look at planning a trip to the great outdoors.
Meditation
Meditation has been around for thousands of years, and with good reason — anyone who practices meditation will tell you that it can have a profoundly positive impact on their lives, even if they’re not fully able to express why it’s been so helpful. You’ll be calmer, happier, and healthier if you make meditation a regular part of your life; and that’s not us that’s saying that, but hundreds of peer-reviewed studies. In addition to helping with general life wellness, meditation can help to increase brain size and power. Plus, it’s remarkably easy to do. All you need is a quiet place, a comfortable chair, and ten minutes.
Invest in Sleep
You’ll know yourself just how slow your mind can be when you’re tired. It’s one of those things that’s essential. You might be able to make it through the day if you’ve not had a healthy breakfast, but if you haven’t slept, then you won’t be doing any meaningful work once you get to the office. Sleep is the time when your mind really rests, and it also uses that time to do any repair work that has to happen, too. Hopefully, you’re already getting 6 – 8 hours of sleep each night, but if you’re not, then look at making some changes. For instance, improving your bedroom, avoiding caffeine/alcohol, and turning off your devices an hour before bedtime will all help.
Learn a New Skill
The brain does begin to fade a little as we age. However, it’s more what we’re doing that counts the most. When we’re younger, we’re continually learning new skills and putting our brains to work. When we’re older, we tend to do things on autopilot. As such, one recommended way to keep your brain sharp — and also just to make life more interesting — is to learn new skills. There’s no shortage of things you can learn. And now, thanks to YouTube tutorials, it couldn’t be easier. If you have a bit of spare time, you can learn just about anything.
Avoid Stress
Now, telling you to avoid stress is probably something that you don’t need to hear. Everyone knows that stress is bad! But it’s worth mentioning anyway. Your brain won’t perform as well as it could if you’re feeling stressed. In fact, most mental health conditions also impact brain performance. If you’re struggling with stress, then look at investing time into activities that have been shown to counter stress. Yoga, meditation, and exercise have all been shown to keep stress at bay.
Write it Out
Writing out your thoughts and feelings has been shown to bring a wide range of benefits. Not only will it help to regulate mood — and decrease stress — but it can also help you to improve memory. Just the act of writing it out can strengthen the memory part of your brain.
Socialize!
Finally, one fun and enjoyable way to keep your brain sharp is to socialize. We’re fundamentally social creatures, and the more we socialize, the more we tend to benefit. Through socializing, you’re naturally using your brain since you’re exchanging ideas and have to formulate responses. If you’re not currently as social as you’d like to be, then look at joining a sports team or starting a new hobby.
