If you are aware of the importance of exercise, then you know how it is important to your long-term health. In this article, I am going to look at how to boost your brain power so that you can make sure you have a sharp mind no matter what your age.
With the incessant stream of media messages and annoying reality TV programs, we are constantly having healthy eating and exercise rammed down our throats.
The problem is everyone is so focused on their bodies that it’s easy to forget about the health of your brain. Yet a fading memory and dimming mental sharpness affect one in three people over the age of 60.
Today I am going to share some little-known, and easy-to-implement techniques and exercises that’ll keep your grey matter in tip-top condition, and I promise it’s not just about sudoku and crosswords.
Left, Right, Or Left?
First of all, you need to understand what the different parts of your brain do.
Put simply, the right-hand side of your brain is responsible for the processing of abstract information. Things like color, music, and shapes. For example, if you listen to a song that reminds you of your Matric dance, it is the right-hand side of your brain that kick starts that memory.
The left side of your brain on the other hand is far more analytical and helps you to process numbers, logic, and speech. So when you’re racking your brain for that withering one-liner to use on your colleague, it is the left side of your brain doing all the work.
Ideally, you need to have both sides of your brain functioning properly to carry out even the simplest tasks from day to day. So, how can you make sure you’re on track for a mentally healthy old age?
How To Boost Your Brain Power
Keep Your Eyes Closed And Shut Up
We all carry out tasks on a daily basis that we do without really thinking about it – like reaching to turn off our alarm clock or filling up the kettle for our first coffee for the day.
The key is to use these everyday chores to make your brain work harder than it usually would.
How?
Well, if you involve your senses in a novel context, your brain will have to go the extra mile to process the information.
So try getting dressed with your eyes closed. You will be amazed at how hard you have to concentrate.
If you usually eat dinner around the table with your family, try doing it in absolute silence.
If you don’t speak, you’ll have to use visual clues to ask your wife to pass the salt and you’ll concentrate more than usual on what you are doing with your utensils.
Shocking your brain with challenging and engaging tasks is a great step to improving your mental health.
Everyone brushes their teeth twice a day so why not alternate the hand you use to brush your teeth every time. Your mind is used to carrying out tasks in a certain way, so by varying your routine, your brain has to work in overdrive to process the information.
This is how to boost your brain power at best.
Multitasking
Is multitasking really the secret to a switched-on mind?
It’s a total myth that only women can multitask. Or is it?
This is the perfect opportunity to find out whilst giving your brain a great workout!
By doing an activity that uses both sides of your brain you’ll be making it multitask in a way it doesn’t often have to.
It’s the mental equivalent of running and doing arm exercises with weights at the same time.
Any activity that involves having to think about something abstract and speak at the same time is what you’re looking for, so talking whilst doing a jigsaw puzzle for example is perfect.
Work At It
Work is a great place to do your brain exercises without it feeling like a chore.
Grab your brain’s attention by breaking your normal routines at work.
Do you work in an office? If so, see if you can swap desks with a colleague for the day. You will be amazed at how a different view will make your brain work harder simply because it’ll be more switched on than usual to your surroundings.
If swopping desks isn’t an option, change how you work. Try to use a dictaphone to make your notes rather than writing them on a list in your usual way. You will be surprised how even the simplest changes can give your brain a workout.
Brain Workout
Giving your brain a daily workout will help improve your memory, increase the speed at which your brain processes information, and make you sharper and more on the ball. And who doesn’t want that?
There are many great apps you can download that give your brain a daily workout in a few minutes a day. You just need to remember to do them.
Here are some resources you can try on your quest on how to boost your brain power. These are affiliate links, which means that if you do decide to purchase something, I will get a small commission, but you still get to pay the same low price.
