Lifestyle Changes You Can Start Now To Improve Your Brain Function

You’re feeling forgetful. You missed your friend’s birthday party last week, and now you can’t find your car keys to save your life. Is there something wrong with you or are you simply getting old?

Chances are, the answer is neither. As we live increasingly fast-paced lives, it becomes more and more important to do proactive things to guard our brains. So, if the doctor has already given you a clean bill of health, maybe it’s time to figure out some lifestyle changes that will improve your brain function so that you can live a better life.

1. Try a diet that’s more brain-friendly: The Mediterranean Diet has been proven time and again to not only help you to retain your brain function as you age but will improve your brain function when continued over time. Why does it work? Because the Mediterranean Diet is rich in the right kinds of foods that contain healthy fats and antioxidants. They cut out all those foods that inhibit brain function such as processed foods, sugars, and dairy.

2. Learn a new language: While at first glance this might seem to be a good idea because it acts as a brain teaser to stimulate your brain in new ways, there’s a lot more going on than that. Several studies have proven that learning a language forges new neural pathways, increases brain elasticity, and helps you to process new information more quickly. A further study from the University of Edinburgh has shown that being able to speak more than one language slows down the kind of loss in brain function that’s associated with growing older.

3. Take up music: Like learning languages, learning how to play a musical instrument acts in many of the same ways on your brain. But there’s also some added benefit in better skills related to hearing and listening. The biggest benefit though comes from connecting the physical act of playing music with the hearing and appreciation of music and the connectivity between different parts of the brain that results from that action.

4. Consider exercise: We’re not talking about physical exercise here (though that’s always beneficial) but the kind that comes of challenging your brain to remember things. The idea is simple: by practicing remembering things, you find that you’re able to remember more and more in proportion to the amount of practice you put in.

While some of these changes seem drastic, the benefits are huge. Learning new things and practicing your memory skills can only be seen as beneficial. And wouldn’t you want to eat in the way that gives your brain the most optimal environment for growth? Commit to change, and you’ll soon see the positive benefits that come of working to improve your brain function.

 

 

The 5 Habits You Need To Change To Boost Your Brain Power

Habits can be wonderful things. While most people think of habits initially as bad things you need to conquer, good habits are the ones keeping you on track, like reminding yourself to brush your teeth every morning or to drink water throughout the day.

Did you know there are habits you can add easily to your daily routine that will boost your brain power? Let’s look at five changes you can start making today and get you on track to creating the best version of yourself.

1. Sleep

This one should almost go without saying. Sleep is how you recharge and prepare yourself to face the new day. What you might not realize is sleep is what helps you to process your day. Without deep sleep and the dream state, you would never be able to deal with whatever trauma you went through during your waking hours. By getting enough sleep, you’re hitting the reset button on your brain, allowing it to work through the rough stuff so you can start the next day with a clean slate.

2. Get Up When the Sun Does

Pay attention to Circadian rhythms. By starting the day at dawn, you’re putting your body in sync with the world around you. People who are out of sync are those who experience all manner of problems, from obesity to depression. To keep your mood stabilized, start the day early, and go to bed when it gets dark.

3. Use Fish Oil

If you’re not into eating a lot of fatty fish in your diet, a fish oil supplement will give you the Omega-3s so crucial to your good health. That is what’s needed to repair your brain cells, with the added benefit of guarding you against memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

4. Practice Mindfulness

You might already know meditation will help you reduce stress, and give your brain a break. Were you aware meditation is also responsible for stopping loss of brain cells and even reversing the effects of aging? Meditate for at least 5 – 10 minutes every day to see a positive benefit.

5. Do Weird Stuff 

To grow new connections in your brain and keep your neurons firing, you need to challenge it regularly. Take up a hobby, learn a language, or try something new for a definite jump start to get your brain going. Even doing the same old routine in an alternative way can have a positive benefit. So, brush your teeth with the opposite hand or try going a different way to work to jump-start the process.

As with any habit, the key is to do these things every day for the best benefit. Boosting your brain power is very simple. Commit to building new habits starting today. After all, there’s no time like the present!

 

Effective Brainstorming

 

The pressure to come up with ideas can be overwhelming. Constant content creation seems to be a requisite of the workplace these days. There's a demand from your boss to find new ways to improve the workplace, your college lecturer wants to see a different approach than anyone else has shown, or you're an entrepreneur and you recognize that without flagging yourself as someone who stands out different to the rest, you're going to sink among all the other "me too" product creators.

Can you create a mental spark of new ideas as simply as you see a spark when you touch two wires together? The answer is - you can.

The first thing you need to do is quit thinking of ideas as things that just happen. You've heard of brainstorming, right? That's a situation where people decide to cognitively generate ideas. They make the decision that they will create ideas within a time frame - not that they will sit around the office for days, weeks or months waiting on some mysterious Muse to appear and give them a sign.

How do we brainstorm effectively?

First, write down all known facts and assumptions about the subject at hand. Then for each fact or assumption, ask "what if...?" Take the opposing view in your question.

"What if something else could create the same result?"

"What if we didn't have a specific resource, then how would we create this?"

"What if everyone called in sick one day, then how would we minimize the damage?"

"What if I had only 10 minutes to do this - is there a template I could use over and over again to speed things up?"

Always challenge assumptions.

Strip things away

Often, we get caught up in finding new ideas to add to the existing processes we have in place. But it's as valid to think about cutting away ideas as it is creating new ones. You might have two different products in mind to create, and two different websites to market them through. 

But by focusing on cutting out ideas you may discover that there is a core group who require both products - and then build just one website aimed at that core group. Ideas that take away work are sometimes more beneficial than those that do.

Use different discovery tools

Many people swear by mind maps. Some prefer a word processor document - and others prefer spreadsheets. Get away from your comfort level by using a different medium to dump your ideas out into. The process will feel different and make your brain respond differently - and often more creatively.

 

5 Ways To Give Your Creativity A Shot In The Arm

All day long you’ve been wrestling with the same problem. You’ve been through all the obvious solutions, and none of them worked. You’ve come to realize that you need to think outside the box on this one – to be creative. But you’ve got nothing, and you’re fast running out of time to present the answer. Stress rises, and you find yourself well and truly blocked.

In the world of being creative, there’s nothing worse than coming up short just when you need creativity the most. Artists are well-familiar with the phenomena. There isn’t a writer that hasn’t suffered writer’s block or an artist that hasn’t eyed that empty canvas with a certain feeling of dread.

Thankfully there are ways to give creativity a shot in the arm when you need it the most. Read on for some great ideas that will get you going and able to create again!

1. Take some time to de-stress:The more stressed you are, the less you’re able to think, much less think creatively. Our brains aren't great at working out problems when we're stressed. So it's best to take some time off, relax and do something else. Exercise, listen to music, read a book. The solution will be there waiting when you’re relaxed enough to see it.

2. Quit putting yourself down: Hating on yourself when you have a block is only going to make things worse. It’s true that we come to believe what we say about ourselves. Solve this issue by trying more positive statements like: “I am creative.” and “I can do this!”

3. Quit expecting so much of yourself: Looking for perfection is the surest way to fail. Start with looking for a solution – any solution. It could be that your crazy or even silly idea is the jumping off point you need.

4. Try something new: By experimenting with new art, involving yourself in a new sport, or going somewhere you’ve never been before, you engage your brain along different neural pathways and see the world in ways you haven’t before. Now is the time to try that thing you’ve always wanted to do!

5. Keep an idea journal: By making lists of things you find interesting or writing down ideas the second you think of them, you train yourself to spot creative ideas. That should be a physical journal, so you can doodle in the margins and scribble whatever comes to mind. Keep it handy, so you always have it when creativity strikes.

If you use this list as a starting point, you’re sure to find your creative juices flowing once again. Remember that creativity is about experimentation, so adjust these ideas to what works for you. The point is not to give up. Keep trying, and you’ll find that creative spark in no time!

 

 

7 Natural Ways To Boost Your Memory Starting Today

The day is half over, and you can’t get over the feeling that you’ve forgotten something important. You check your calendar, but whatever it is, it was never written down. Now you’re stuck, and you can’t remember what it was.

There’s nothing more frustrating than forgetting. The fact is, we get so busy that it’s very hard to keep track of everything you need to get through a day.

Or is it?

Thankfully there are natural things we can do to improve our memory. And we don’t have to wait to get started. Below you’ll find several suggestions to help you boost your memory right now!

1. Mediate: All day long you’re trying to absorb information. Is it any wonder your brain gets to the point where it can’t hold in another fact? Meditation gives you time to process, and recharge. What’s more, meditation improves your focus, so when it’s time to go back to work, you’re ready for it.

2. Eat better: Some things we eat are called brain foods. Anything with antioxidants will improve brain function, which in turns makes for a better memory!

3. Get up and move: Exercise increases blood flow. Better blood flow carries more of what your brain needs to function (such as oxygen and nutrients). So movement = better memory!

4. Try a brain teaser: Regularly challenging your brain is good for it! By doing things such as crossword puzzles or Sudoku, you start building better networks for the neural pathways. There are tons of apps out there filled with all kinds of mental challenges designed to enhance your memory. So, why not play a game that gives a real positive boost to your brainpower?

5. Take a break: Brains need rest periods too. If you’re finding that you’re losing focus while working, it’s probably time to take a short break. That gives your brain a chance to process and re-energize.

6. Learn something new: By learning new things, you train your brain to process information better, and so you will start remembering more. Picking up a new skill will result in you helping your memory as well!

7. Sleep: It’s a fact of life that a tired brain isn’t going to be working at its very best. Getting enough sleep is probably the simplest thing you can do to improve your memory. By getting 7 – 9 hours of sleep every night, you’ll find your memory will improve dramatically.

Improving your memory doesn’t have to take a lot of time or even forced attention. By using this list, you’ll find that your memory will improve dramatically in just a short time, all without having to resort to great big crazy changes in your life. How easy is that?