The business of so-called smart drugs is a multimillion-dollar industry worldwide. Whether they work for you can be subjective. But there are guaranteed ways to boost your brain power without resorting to potentially harmful substances. Here are some well-documented ideas.
Exercise Your Mental Faculties
Your brain is not a muscle, but it does work like one in that it needs exercise. The less you engage your brain, the less effective and lazy it becomes, and it doesn’t stay as sharp as you age. You can read about nootropics at HealthXWire, and they may be for you. But if you want a more natural way to engage your brain, there are some exercises you can try. Puzzles such as jigsaws and crosswords are proven to help. But you can also play cards and learn new skills.
Boost Your Brain Power with Fats
What has fat got to do with the brain? Well, your brain is actually 60% fat. But not the kind of fat around your belly. Brain fats are made up of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid. And it needs a constant influx of omega-3 fats to function at peak performance. The best part is you only need to eat delicious food to feed your brain what it needs. Foods rich in omega-3 include cold-water fish like salmon, organic eggs and dairy, and leafy greens.
Stay Away from Harmful Substances
Anything you consume has an effect on your brain. This includes food and drink but also harmful things like tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. Any of these is proven to have a severe impact on immediate neurological function, causing more damage over time. For instance, some recent studies even concluded that smoking over a long period actually lowers your IQ, and the effects are worse the younger you start. Stay away from all of these for optimal brain health.
Practice Emotional Mindfulness
Emotions can get in the way of everything in your life, especially negative ones. Anger, for instance, can prevent you from thinking clearly. This isn’t something you need when trying to complete a college dissertation. When you need optimal brain function, you need to be emotionless to engage all logic and reasoning, like Spock. The best way to do this is to be emotionally mindful by writing in journals, meditating, and learning to observe your feelings.
Look After Your Physical Health
Mental exercise is excellent for keeping your brain sharp. But physical health also plays a key role in this too. Good overall health will help your brain stay engaged because negative emotions are reduced. And physical exercise is proven to help with these. Consider these:
- Get at least 15 minutes of physical exercise or movement per day.
- Eat a healthy diet that promotes brain health, such as the Mediterranean diet.
- Go out of your way to lower your blood pressure by staying healthy.
- Keep your blood sugar levels in check to avoid issues such as diabetes.
- Be aware of the risks of high cholesterol and try to avoid increasing it.
- Increase your intake of antioxidant-rich foods such as dark chocolate and berries.
- Take up a hobby that gets you outside and moving, such as wildlife photography.
- Buddy up with a friend so you can both do a physical activity together.
- Keep on top of any prescribed medication for chronic conditions.
Your physical health directly relates to brain health. Any issues going on in your body, especially to do with blood or organs, will affect your mental clarity and, therefore, cognitive function. It may not be immediately apparent, so lifelong care for your general health is the best prevention.
Try Not to Damage Your Head
This might sound like an obvious one, but try not to damage your head. Damage to the head, such as a concussion, can have severe negative consequences for the brain, especially if they are sustained and multiple. For example, make sure you wear the best protective gear available if you enjoy boxing or any other contact sport. If you take part in sports, then schedule regular health checkups once per month so your doctor can check for any signs of brain impairment.
Stay Socially Active
A lot of research has been going on into the effects of social isolation, and it turns out that cognitive function actually decreases if we don’t stay socially active. Of course, some people don’t like mingling. and this is fine. But you need at least one person in your life that engages you on a social level, such as a best friend or romantic partner. No social connection increases the chances of dementia, raises blood pressure, and can even lower your life expectancy.
Video Games Can Boost Your Brain Power
As mentioned earlier, puzzles can help your brain stay sharp, especially as you age. So you might want to start playing video games because a well-designed video game is a big puzzle; you just don’t see it. Of course, there are actual puzzle video games. But even AAA titles such as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are puzzles. You have timed platform jumping, unique combat, and actual puzzle rooms to keep your brain engaged rather than blindly button-mashing.
Filter Your Mind
On an unconscious level, your brain takes in everything around it, including sounds. But visually alone, we are subjected to between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day on average, and there is a constant stream of data to your brain. The brain will filter 99.9% of this noise, but even that 0.1% can make it hard to concentrate. The best way to reduce distractions is to make your environment pleasant, with music, comfort, and even aromas that you enjoy as you try to work.
Summary
Exercising the mind will help keep it sharp for when you need it and over the long term. Staying away from drugs and alcohol is guaranteed to help. But you must also keep yourself in good physical health as well. For your mind, social engagement and filtering out noise will help.
Contributed Content
