How is your brain these days? Stressed, overloaded? Well here are 10 ways to improve your brain health.
A lot of us are concerned with the size of our biceps or the girth of our waist. Having a fit body is important. However, keeping your mind in shape is critical to enjoying your life at the highest level. Brain health might not be something that is seen on the outside, but it’s important on the inside. Give your brain the attention it deserves. We have put together 10 ways for you to improve your brain health from exercise to supplements that will help your brain be healthy and alert.
Here are 10 Ways to Improve Your Brain Health
Keep your mind healthy, active, and in shape with these strategies:
1. Exercise regularly
Roughly 30% of your brain’s volume is composed of blood vessels. It’s important to keep your blood moving! Exercise will get your blood flowing and help to control your blood sugar. High blood sugar is harmful to blood vessels. That’s why so many diabetics die of heart disease or stroke at a relatively young age.
Daily exercise increases the heart rate and that then pumps more oxygen to your brain. This helps aid in the release of hormones. These hormones provide a perfect environment for the growth of brain cells. Now, who doesn’t want lots of brain cells, right?
2. Read each day
Reading requires a lot of your brain. It’s not easy to transform symbols into words and meaning. Spend some time each day with a book that makes you think. You might learn something useful, too.
Avoid reading the same types of books regularly. Read well-written articles. Read the classics. Try a new science fiction novel. How about a book on theoretical physics? Reading the sports page every day doesn’t count. The same goes for romance novels by your favorite author. Mix it up.
3. Eat well
A healthy diet will help preserve your brain function. Do a little research on the best diet for longevity and attempt to make a few changes to your eating habits. A few, small changes each month will go a long way toward keeping your brain healthy.
There isn’t one food or food group that is going to do wonders for your brain health. But, foods are linked to better brainpower as shared in a Harvard Brain Study. Also, a healthy diet can help with mood fluctuations. Your brain tells you what mood to be in, so feed it well.
4. Meditate
Meditation is powerful for several reasons. You’ll learn to focus like a Tibetan monk. You’ll also learn how to relax. Both are wonderful for your brain. Meditation is hard work. It’s like a decathlon for your mind.
Find a good teacher in your area and meditate in a group. New to meditation? You’ll make some new friends, too. Not sure about group meditation? Grab a meditation for beginners DVD and do it in your own home. Practicing a little self-care is great for your mind and soul.
For Christians, instead of Eastern meditation, spend some quiet time with Gods, praying and reading the Bible. It’s a great way to start out your day, especially if you’ve recently been wondering how to strengthen your Christian faith. Acknowledge His presence. Let the Lord handle your burdens. Give Him praise for all He gives you.
It will set your mind toward positive thinking and lighten your stress, both of which are healthy for your brain.
5. Challenge yourself
Learn something new. Learning to paint, speak a new language, or dance are a few great examples. Learning something new forces your brain to create new neural pathways. Your brain’s ability to change is referred to as its “elasticity.”
This can be very challenging at first. If you’ve been living the same day repeatedly for several years, learning something new is similar to going jogging for the first time. It’s painful, and you don’t get too far. Be patient and give your brain a chance to wake up.
6. Do something that requires a lot of brainpower
It might be solving cryptograms or writing a computer program. Take a multivariate calculus class. Study chess. Push your brain to the maximum. When your brain gets frustrated and feels like you are overloaded, that’s because you are soaking in new knowledge.
Think back to being a kid and having to learn to tie your shoes, or ride a bike. It was hard at first. Once you mastered it, then you didn’t remember how hard it was to learn. As we learn things, we tend to forget the process it took to learn them. Isn’t a brain amazing?!
7. Remember the past
As we grow older, it’s more challenging to remember facts from the past. When you can’t remember something, avoid giving up. Take all the time you need to remember. You might finally remember the name of your high-school English teacher while you’re mowing the grass. Keep at it.
A great way to make sure as you age, that your past experiences are not forgotten is to write things down. Start a journal of your life, so others can know all about you. As we age, many memories are lost. Journal now, for future storytelling. Journaling is a great way to pass down history from one generation to the next.
8. Get out and socialize
Spending too much time alone has been shown to increase the likelihood of developing dementia. Have an active social life and spend more time with others. You’ll enjoy your life more, too. Take in a movie with friends, or go out for dinner. Invite friends over for a game of cards or just to visit. Maybe even find local community things to join in on. Many communities offer exercise classes, crafting classes, or other learning-type classes. This is a great way to not only meet others but engage your brain as well.
9. Brain-engaging apps
There are many fun phone apps these days that test your brain. Memory training apps, or puzzle apps. While sitting on your phone for hours isn’t ideal, if you are scanning Facebook all day. However, using your phone for good things like getting your brain engaged is a good thing. There are lots of fun apps to choose from these days.
10. Supplements for Brain Health
Using specialized supplements to help your brain stay healthy might be something to check into. Many supplements offer help for things like focus, energy, clarity, and help for sleep. Sleep is very important in brain health. A person’s brain needs that rest period to heal. There are many studies out there showing the effects of quality sleep. Use something to help your body and brain shut down. CBD is a great supplement to help your body and brain.
Final thoughts on 10 ways to improve your brain health
There are many benefits to keeping your mind in tip-top condition. You’ll enjoy better mental health and preserve your mental faculties longer. Keeping your mind healthy requires attention. Challenge yourself to learn new information and skills. Your brain is highly elastic. Give it a chance to use that ability. As a person ages, brain health is more and more important. Using these 10 ways to improve brain health can be a great start.
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