6 Simple Changes That Will Make Your Brain Work Better
Spend some time taking care of your brain. You'll be amazed at the results!
That 3 lb. organ between our ears controls everything we do. We depend on it for literally everything from deciding which TV shows to watch to keeping us breathing. Yet most of us spend more time and energy trying to look good than giving care to our brains.
Taking good care of your brain may the single most powerful thing you can do if you want a healthy, happy, and productive life. Like every organ in the body, you can create optimum conditions for your brain to work at its best. Which could lead to one of the most creative, successful, and life-changing things you do.
1. Get enough sleep.
That 3 lb. organ between our ears controls everything we do. We depend on it for literally everything from deciding which TV shows to watch to keeping us breathing. Yet most of us spend more time and energy trying to look good than giving care to our brains.
Taking good care of your brain may the single most powerful thing you can do if you want a healthy, happy, and productive life. Like every organ in the body, you can create optimum conditions for your brain to work at its best. Which could lead to one of the most creative, successful, and life-changing things you do.
1. Get enough sleep.
There's plenty of evidence that not getting enough sleep impairs brain function. Keep that up for enough years and you can actually change your brain's DNA to make you more vulnerable to depression. Even in the short term, though, lack of sleep diverts the pathways in your brain.
So insist on a schedule that allows you plenty of sleep time, even if it means you can't make that early-morning flight or late night performance. And leave time during the day for the occasional 10-minute nap which won't make up for your sleep deprivation, but will improve brain function in the short term.
2. Eat the right foods.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids and flavonoids have been shown to improve brain function. You can find omega-3s in walnuts, eggs, and leafy greens among other foods. And flavonoids are in coffee, berries, leafy greens, and dark chocolate.
Avoid high-fat, high-sugar, and highly-processed foods that can spike your blood sugar or overload your system. Choose foods in their natural states such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Eat low-fat meats. Drinking plenty of water will also help your brain function and entire body. You can set yourself up for success by keeping a water bottle and a piece of fruit at your desk or in your bag.
3. Get moderate exercise.
Like eating the right foods, regular exercise improves both your brain and the rest of your body. Fortunately, you don't need a program of hours-long daily workouts to make this happen. Regular, moderate exercise, such as body weight exercises one day and walking two miles the next day is plenty to boost both your brain and your mood.
You can also use short periods of exercise to help you at specific points throughout the day. For instance, if something really upsets you, spend 60 seconds running up a flight of stairs or jumping up and down in your office. That brief burst of exercise will satisfy the flight-or-fight response that happens to the best of us.
4. Make time to clear your mind.
Research shows that regular meditation not only improves brain function but also increases happiness. Even five minutes in the middle of your work day will make a big difference.
But if you can't or don't want to make time for meditation, you can still some of the same benefits by taking the time to clear your mind on a regular basis. Taking time to stop and breathe, and stare out the window (which in itself has brain benefits) is helpful. So is taking a walk, which can be a form of meditation, and adds to brain function both as moderate exercise and because it gets you outdoors and into daylight.
5. Learn something new.
If you've always wanted to take up skydiving, playing the ukelele, study a foreign language, or perform improv, now is a great time to actually do it. That's because learning something new, such as a new language or a new performance technique, actually creates new pathways in your brain. If you can spend an hour a day on your new hobby, you'll see the greatest brain improvement, especially if you spend all that time learning. But anytime you learn anything new, you're helping your brain stay more flexible.
6. Poop regularly
Proper digestion is so important to have a healthy brain. When we have problems at the stool the bad stuff backs up and poisons our system. Eliminating daily if not 2-3 times a day is a healthy habit. Good bacteria that live in our guts are responsible for making neurotransmitters. Those are the feel good and functioning hormones in the body and brain.
There's plenty of evidence that not getting enough sleep impairs brain function. Keep that up for enough years and you can actually change your brain's DNA to make you more vulnerable to depression. Even in the short term, though, lack of sleep diverts the pathways in your brain.
So insist on a schedule that allows you plenty of sleep time, even if it means you can't make that early-morning flight or late night performance. And leave time during the day for the occasional 10-minute nap which won't make up for your sleep deprivation, but will improve brain function in the short term.
2. Eat the right foods.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids and flavonoids have been shown to improve brain function. You can find omega-3s in walnuts, eggs, and leafy greens among other foods. And flavonoids are in coffee, berries, leafy greens, and dark chocolate.
Avoid high-fat, high-sugar, and highly-processed foods that can spike your blood sugar or overload your system. Choose foods in their natural states such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Eat low-fat meats. Drinking plenty of water will also help your brain function and entire body. You can set yourself up for success by keeping a water bottle and a piece of fruit at your desk or in your bag.
3. Get moderate exercise.
Like eating the right foods, regular exercise improves both your brain and the rest of your body. Fortunately, you don't need a program of hours-long daily workouts to make this happen. Regular, moderate exercise, such as body weight exercises one day and walking two miles the next day is plenty to boost both your brain and your mood.
You can also use short periods of exercise to help you at specific points throughout the day. For instance, if something really upsets you, spend 60 seconds running up a flight of stairs or jumping up and down in your office. That brief burst of exercise will satisfy the flight-or-fight response that happens to the best of us.
4. Make time to clear your mind.
Research shows that regular meditation not only improves brain function but also increases happiness. Even five minutes in the middle of your work day will make a big difference.
But if you can't or don't want to make time for meditation, you can still some of the same benefits by taking the time to clear your mind on a regular basis. Taking time to stop and breathe, and stare out the window (which in itself has brain benefits) is helpful. So is taking a walk, which can be a form of meditation, and adds to brain function both as moderate exercise and because it gets you outdoors and into daylight.
5. Learn something new.
If you've always wanted to take up skydiving, playing the ukelele, study a foreign language, or perform improv, now is a great time to actually do it. That's because learning something new, such as a new language or a new performance technique, actually creates new pathways in your brain. If you can spend an hour a day on your new hobby, you'll see the greatest brain improvement, especially if you spend all that time learning. But anytime you learn anything new, you're helping your brain stay more flexible.
6. Poop regularly
Proper digestion is so important to have a healthy brain. When we have problems at the stool the bad stuff backs up and poisons our system. Eliminating daily if not 2-3 times a day is a healthy habit. Good bacteria that live in our guts are responsible for making neurotransmitters. Those are the feel good and functioning hormones in the body and brain.
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