9 Ways to improve and maintain your Brain
As we get older our brain functions start to decline. While aging is a fact of life, the levels of decline and the time it takes can be reduced dramatically. Here’s some ideas of what you can do to help yourself.
Keeping the brain working well allows us to achieve academic goals, but more than that it also effects our life and career in general. As we get older our brain functions start to decline. While aging is a fact of life, the levels of decline and the time it takes can be reduced dramatically. Here’s some ideas of what you can do to help yourself.
Do some physical exercise
It may be strange that tips on improving mental health start with improvements to physical health but the two go hand-in-hand. Your brain needs oxygen and a good blood flow to work at optimum capacity. The good news is that it does not need to be a vigorous gym session; some moderate aerobic activity a few times a week will give measurable results. Try Brisk walks, swimming, gentle sports, dancing and such like. Exercise also releases chemicals into the body which are known to stimulate brain functionality.
It’s good for the heart and it’s good for the brain. If you haven’t exercised for a long time and are worried about starting then go and have a word with your Doctor. In most cases your GP will think its a good idea. They’ll probably tell you to lose weight too.
Keep the brain active
Just as the body requires frequent exercise so does the brain. Read, play mental games, memory exercises, computer games, trivia quizzes (plug: I wrote QuizzyFactor.com – it’s free to play). Have a game of bridge, chess. Do some mental maths. Make sure it is challenging.
Learn a new skill
What really stimulates the brain is having to learn a new skill. Learn to speak a foreign language. Learn to play a musical instrument. Try to do something non-trivial that you have never done before. You don’t need to accomplish great levels of success, you just need to have a go.
Eat the right foods.
This is sometimes easier to say than do as research into which are the right foods is often contradictory or sometimes flawed. But we do know that too much red meat, processed food and food high in saturated fats and sugar are not good for us. Having at least one day per week as meat-free can help the body and the brain.
Good foods to help brain and memory functions are purple berries, beans, nuts, fresh fruit and colourful vegetables. There’s a lot of talk about oily fish and Omega-3 being good for the brain and fighting against dementia. Get out in the Sun for for Vitamin D. Be aware of high-priced food supplements of dubious benefit.
Don’t poison your body
Smoking damages the brain, so if you smoke then stop now and your brain may be able to recover. A small amount of alcohol may be of some benefit, but excessive drinking means that your liver cannot process all the alcohol and the alcohol will move raw into the bloodstream and directly onto the brain. Long term heavy drinking will cause damage. Drink carefully!
Reduce stress
Chronic stress causes premature brain aging. It’s not easy to simply stop worrying about things, but it is important to try. Learn to switch off the computer and mobile phone, give yourself a few hours peace and quiet. Try yoga or meditation. Immerse yourself in some different activity for a while, do some cooking or listen to some music. Watch a good film. Read a book. Play a game.
Have a laugh with friends
Laughter has a wonderful effect on the entire body. You can actually measure laughter in the brain. It’s the best way to de-stress. Develop a good sense of humour and have a laugh with friends.
Get a good night’s sleep
Besides refreshing the physical body, sleeping is essential for healthy brain development. Adults need about 8 hours sleep every night, not just occasionally. Leave the laptop downstairs and get a good nights rest.
Have regular medical checkups
Your body is a miracle of biological evolution and is amazingly complex. One small chemical imbalance can cause serious problems. To keep your brain and memory running at peak performance you must maintain this equilibrium. Some medical disorders can destroy this stability and make our thoughts sluggish and our memory foggy. Sometimes only a bloodtest will highlight these problems, most of which have simple solutions. So now and again get yourself a medical.