Most people are mindful to look after their bodies, at least to some degree. They’ll avoid eating too much fast food, for instance, or ensure that they build a little movement into their day.
However, not everyone takes the same approach to their brains. Maybe it’s because they can’t see it, so it’s more difficult to say whether it’s in good shape or not. However, your mind is there whether you think about it or not, so it’s best to make an effort to give it what it needs to be at its best.
And happily, we live in an age when we understand more about what our brains need than ever before. In this post, we’ll run through some effective — and often enjoyable — ways that you can support your brain. Let’s take a look.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Think of how slow your mind works when you have a poor night’s sleep. When you’re running on empty, even routine tasks, such as simple calculations, become a lot more difficult. And just think of those new parents who, having had little sleep for months on end, walk around like zombies.
So yes, sleep is important for your mind. It’s when you’re in the Land of Nod that your brain rests, recuperates, and organizes all that you’ve learned during the day. If you find it difficult to sleep, then make some adjustments. It’s usually possible to greatly improve the quality of sleep once any issues have been taken care of!
Work Out
There’s so much to love about working up a sweat. Not only does it make your body fitter and healthier, but it’ll also strengthen your mind, too. One study carried out on animals found that exercise helped to improve blood flow and oxygen to the brain, resulting in greater performance. Plus, exercising can help to prevent many problems that can impair mental capabilities, such as mental stress. In addition, working out can flood your brain with endorphins, the happy chemical, which will make it more likely that you follow good-for-you habits that further benefit your brain.
Meditate
Meditation is a pretty wondrous activity. It can offer so, so much, and it takes such little effort. All you really need is a little know-how and around 10 minutes of time. If you do it every day for a month, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll feel happier and calmer. Plus, your brain will have been given a boost, too. Research has shown that meditation helps to boost self-awareness, focus, concentration, and memory. And who couldn’t benefit from those things? If you’ve never meditated before, then look at downloading an app or following a YouTube channel that’ll guide you through the basics. Once you’ve got started, you’ll likely find that you take a deeper dive into brain-boosting wellness habits, such as breathwork.
Avoid Alcohol
Remember earlier, how we said that lack of sleep resulted in poor thinking? Well, that’s nothing compared with what it’s like to wake up with a hangover. At that point, simply remembering our names can be a challenge. It’s not true that alcohol kills brain cells, but it does make new ones grow more slowly, so it’s effectively the same thing.
You don’t need to have an all-time hangover to negatively impact your mind. Low-level but consistent drinking can also make your mind function more slowly. To see this for yourself, look at giving up alcohol for a month. By the time the month is over, you’ll likely be thinking more clearly than ever before.
Play Brain-Boosting Games
It can be fun to play games, but it’s just a fact that some games are purely for entertainment. They’re not going to bolster your brain capacity in any meaningful way. For that, there has to be an element of critical thinking involved. Simply pushing buttons won’t do anything for you. Happily, there are plenty of brain-boosting games freely available online. Some of the best games for your mind include solitaire, minesweeper, and chess. Make a habit of playing them, and you’ll be gently supporting your brain while also having a good time. Perfect!
Eat Well
We wish we could tell you that you could eat whatever you wanted and that your brain would feel supported, but alas, we can’t. If you’re eating foods of low nutritional value, then your brain simply won’t have what it needs to be at its best. Happily, the food that your brain does need can be pretty delicious. For example, who doesn’t love the thought of eating salmon with vegetables? Sounds delicious to us — and your brain will thank you, too. If you’re not sure what to eat, follow a Mediterranean diet, which has been shown to be pretty amazing when it comes to supporting the mind.
Challenge Yourself
Now, your school days may not have been your favorite time of life, but they did give an obvious advantage: they forced you to use your brain every single day. In adult life, that’s not always the case. If you have a job that you can do on autopilot, then you may never really have to push your mind to think deeply. One way to get around this is to sign up for a course to learn a new skill. There are plenty of options online these days. For example, you could learn the basics of physics, learn a new language, or teach yourself coding. These things may sound difficult, but that’s the whole point. Just by taking these courses, you’ll be keeping your brain healthy and sharp.
Stay Social
Socializing isn’t just fun — it can also be great for your brain. Think about it: when you’re having a coffee with your friends, you never know what they’re going to say. When they do say something, you have to think on the spot to come up with a response. In other words, you have to use your brain. Plus, with your old friends, you may give your brain a workout by taking a deep trip down memory lane.
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