5 Key Ways To Improve Brain Performance
Your brain is the most important organ in your body. You absolutely cannot function without it and if your brain is running slow, so are you. How then, can we make sure our brain keeps working for us? As we age, diseases such as dementia threaten our golden years.
The good news is that just like any part of your body, a care routine can be put in place for your brain. Read on for 5 key ways to improve brain performance.
Stimulate Your Mind
HealthHarvard.edu says “Through research with mice and humans, scientists have found that brainy activities stimulate new connections between nerve cells and may even help the brain generate new cells, developing neurological "plasticity" and building up a functional reserve that provides a hedge against future cell loss.”
Basically, stimulating your mind is like working out your body. Challenge and flex your brain, and it will get stronger. Watch TV all the time, and your brain will get weaker. Challenging your mind can also boost your mental health and make you feel more in the moment. Following your old habits day in and day out will make you depressed and barely present at all.
Hit the Gym
You may think that exercise is for the rest of the body, but the brain benefits as well! Improved blood flow brings more oxygen to brain cells so that the brain can have more energy. The oxygen-rich blood also spurs development of new nerve cells and increases the connection between brain cells. So, no more excuses. Make time for the gym and you’ll be glad you did!
The Mediterranean Diet
For years now nutritionists have touted the benefits of The Mediterranean Diet. This diet refers to the food and lifestyle of people living in the Mediterranean. The food of the diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and olive oil. The Mediterranean lifestyle promotes physical activities such as dancing and walking from place to place.
Your body is only as good as the fuel it gets. Your brain is part of your body. If you keep your body well fueled, it will thank you with higher power performance. You can still have French fries every now and then if you must but think about what you’re missing out on.
Keep up with your Mental Health
Anxiety can increase blood pressure and hurt the immune system. It can also cause insomnia as you use your powerful brain to agonize over what you did or didn’t do during the day. Depression can cause you to not even care what kind of performance your brain, or any other part of you gives at all.
These mental health issues and their hindrance to your overall performance are good reasons to keep up with your mental health. Prioritize sleep and self-care, don’t ignore your emotions, and reach out for help, professional and unprofessional both, if you need to.
Reach out
Strong social ties help you in every walk of life. You probably met your significant other through a friend. Jobs are more often scored due to who you know rather than what you know. It has also shown that those with strong social ties have lower chances for dementia, lower blood pressure, and higher life expectancy. So, reach out and make a friend!
These five pointers are just the beginning and like anything, increasing your brain performance takes practice. You have to commit to these lifestyle changes, but once you do, you’ll find the benefits far outweigh the setbacks. Increased brain performance means better focus, more positivity, and less mental health risks.
The good news is that just like any part of your body, a care routine can be put in place for your brain. Read on for 5 key ways to improve brain performance.
Stimulate Your Mind
HealthHarvard.edu says “Through research with mice and humans, scientists have found that brainy activities stimulate new connections between nerve cells and may even help the brain generate new cells, developing neurological "plasticity" and building up a functional reserve that provides a hedge against future cell loss.”
Basically, stimulating your mind is like working out your body. Challenge and flex your brain, and it will get stronger. Watch TV all the time, and your brain will get weaker. Challenging your mind can also boost your mental health and make you feel more in the moment. Following your old habits day in and day out will make you depressed and barely present at all.
Hit the Gym
You may think that exercise is for the rest of the body, but the brain benefits as well! Improved blood flow brings more oxygen to brain cells so that the brain can have more energy. The oxygen-rich blood also spurs development of new nerve cells and increases the connection between brain cells. So, no more excuses. Make time for the gym and you’ll be glad you did!
The Mediterranean Diet
For years now nutritionists have touted the benefits of The Mediterranean Diet. This diet refers to the food and lifestyle of people living in the Mediterranean. The food of the diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and olive oil. The Mediterranean lifestyle promotes physical activities such as dancing and walking from place to place.
Your body is only as good as the fuel it gets. Your brain is part of your body. If you keep your body well fueled, it will thank you with higher power performance. You can still have French fries every now and then if you must but think about what you’re missing out on.
Keep up with your Mental Health
Anxiety can increase blood pressure and hurt the immune system. It can also cause insomnia as you use your powerful brain to agonize over what you did or didn’t do during the day. Depression can cause you to not even care what kind of performance your brain, or any other part of you gives at all.
These mental health issues and their hindrance to your overall performance are good reasons to keep up with your mental health. Prioritize sleep and self-care, don’t ignore your emotions, and reach out for help, professional and unprofessional both, if you need to.
Reach out
Strong social ties help you in every walk of life. You probably met your significant other through a friend. Jobs are more often scored due to who you know rather than what you know. It has also shown that those with strong social ties have lower chances for dementia, lower blood pressure, and higher life expectancy. So, reach out and make a friend!
These five pointers are just the beginning and like anything, increasing your brain performance takes practice. You have to commit to these lifestyle changes, but once you do, you’ll find the benefits far outweigh the setbacks. Increased brain performance means better focus, more positivity, and less mental health risks.