Keeping your brain active is a necessity, especially with how the digital world has perhaps influenced a certain degree of laziness when it comes to training our brains. There is plenty to be done in order to give your brain that extra boost of activity. The more you keep your brain active, the more opportunity you give your body to live long and healthy years.
If you’re looking for more ways to keep the brain active every day, here are eight ways to do just that this year.
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1. Play games that challenge
A good way to keep your brain active is by playing games. Online games are a great option when you’re looking to train your game and with the online world being so vast, you’ve got more than just crosswords and sudoku available.
Games like mahjong, for example, might not be something that would ever come across your radar, as it’s a game traditionally played in China. However, the online gaming world provides the opportunity to play this online readily when desired.
Playing games that challenge your brain is fun and it can be a good way of giving your brain that much-needed stimulation. It’s also a good way to waste a few hours at a time if you get into it on a Saturday morning or mid-week evening.
2. Find time to meditate
Meditation is a great way to keep your brain aligned, especially when the world in general can be a little scattered at times. We often find it hard to switch off from all facets of life, whether that be work or everyday goings on in our personal life.
It’s got to be tried to be believed but meditation can prove very effective when you’re looking to quieten the mind and take a moment or two to be present.
This can be challenging for most people to do, often with the excuse of ‘there’s not enough time in the day’. However, meditation is a form of self-care that you should be giving to your body where you can. There’s always time to be made for your mental health, so it’s good to do things like meditation to bring yourself back down to earth - even if just for a minute or two.
3. Journal before bed
Journalling has become recently popular and is perhaps considered the new way of keeping a diary. While journaling can be a little bit more free-flowing in its content, it’s much like a diary entry, where you’re putting your thoughts from pen to paper.
When trying to switch of and relax before bed, our minds can often be racing away. Journaling is a great way of focusing your mind before bedtime so that you get everything out of it in order to have a blissful night’s sleep.
Keep some paper or a journal next to the bed, whether that be in the top of your bedside draw or on top of it. Spend five or ten minutes scrawling down all of your thoughts. Even if the sentences don’t make sense, that’s not the point. The point is to empty your mind and give your brain the rest it needs to switch off.
If you struggle to write, you might want to use an electric device but be wary that blue light can cause the opposite in resting your brain. It’s likely to keep you wired and awake, so it might be best to journal earlier in the evening instead.
4. Improve your diet
Being able to improve your diet is an important one, especially as you get older. Looking after your health and well-being is a combined effort. With the mind and body, if you don’t look after one, then the other is likely to fall apart.
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What you eat is important and it’s not necessarily a case of giving your brain all of the superfoods but eating foods that also bring joy. While some foods are deemed better in nutritional value, food is something that connects us all when language does not. It’s something to be indulged upon on occasion and in moderation.
With that being said, look at how you can improve your diet. Not only is it advisable to eat foods that are naturally better for your brain but you shouldn’t restrict your diet of the good stuff, just because it’s been deemed ‘unhealthy’. Food is food and there shouldn’t be a negative label put on it - regardless of what it is.
5. Don’t forget to exercise
Exercising every day is something that can benefit your brain too. While your brain isn’t necessarily lifting weights, it is getting some mental stimulation when you’re taking part in an exercise class like Zumba or hot pilates for example.
With exercise, it should be fun and if it isn’t currently, then it might be that you’ve just not found what you love yet. Experiment with exercise opportunities, whether that’s taking part in a sports club or trying out some new equipment in the gym.
There’s a lot that can be gained by working out, both in your physical appearance but also your mental well-being too. There’s a lot of exercise that can be found with everyday life too. From running around with your kids, to at-home workouts in front of the television. Get creative with your exercise and keep track of it all for motivational purposes.
6. Learn a foreign language
If you really want to challenge your brain, you should try the ye ol’ New Years resolution that’s often proclaimed by main - learn a new language.
Learning a foreign language is by no means an easy thing to do and for many, it can be too challenging to take on as an adult. That’s why many new languages are often learned in childhood when you have a lot more time and a brain that absorbs everything like a sponge.
However, it’s not impossible. While learning a new language can prove challenging, it’s one that can give your brain a regular boost to it’s activity and health. Even if you don’t become fluent in a new language, learning some simple phrases and conversing in the most basic of ways is often enough.
7. Get some sleep
When it comes to brain health, it’s important to get as much sleep as you can. That means a good several hours of rest will do wonders for your mind and body. With sleep, it helps repair the body, which is necessary for functioning on a daily basis. The more sleep you get, the more rejuvenated and ready you are to take on the day ahead.
Try to get as much sleep as you can, prioritizing sleep over social events where you can. Particularly in the case where you’ve been so busy, that you’ve not been able to take a relaxing weekend off in a while.
8. Top up with supplements
Finally, be sure to top your body up with all the supplements you need. Everyone is different and each and everyone’s body will produce varying nutrients and vitamins for their body. For some, there might be a lack of it, which is where supplements come in.
From iron tablets for low iron to fish oils, there are lots of supplements that would be beneficial for the brain. With that being said, look at what your body could benefit from. Of course, it is advised that you consult your doctor or a medical professional before consuming anything in the form of medication or supplements.
If you’re looking to keep your brain active, be sure to follow these eight tips every day.
