How to help your brain work effectively?

The brain is the most dependent part of the body and yet most of us spend time and energy caring for the other parts of the body; putting little effort into looking out for the brain. Taking good care of your brain is the most important thing you can do if you want to remain healthy, happy, and productive. It is known that every organ in the body creates an optimum condition for your brain to work at its best; which gives you the most creative, and successful years of your life.

All you have to do is to commit to these changes and you will be good to go;

• Get enough sleep

Always remember to have enough sleep every day; there’s evidence to prove that not getting enough sleep impairs brain function. It is common for most people not to get enough sleep as they prioritize their work to their health. Keeping up with such a schedule on daily will change your brain’s DNA and make you vulnerable to depression. Hence get involved in a schedule that allows you to get plenty of sleep and also occasionally take a 10-minute nap. This will help improve your brain function in the short term.

• Eat the right foods

Eating the right foods most especially those that are high in omega-3fatty acids and flavonoids improve your brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids contain foods such as eggs, leafy greens among others while the flavonoids foods include coffee, berries, and dark chocolate among others. Also avoid high fat, high -sugar, and highly processed foods that can increase your sugars or overload your system. Endeavor to eat foods in their natural taste, and have yourself a bag of nuts. This will help you improve your brain functioning.

• Do moderate exercise

Research indicates that doing physical exercise helps your brain in many ways. Exercising helps in lowering blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, helps in blood sugar balance, and reduces mental stress which can help your brain and your heart.

• Learn a new skill

Learning a new skill seems an extreme sport but it helps you strengthen the connections in your brain. It has been proven that learning a new skill can helps in memory function in older people. If there’s anything you have always wanted to learn, this is the time for you to learn that new skill.

• Take a new route

Often at times, we are always practicing the same routine every day and somehow our brain becomes a little redundant. It is always a good practice to change your routine every once in a while, to prevent it from being dull and on the same trail every day. 

• Make time to clear your mind 

Regular meditation not only improves brain function but it increases happiness as well. Even just for a few minutes, it creates a big impact. Clearing your mind doesn’t necessarily mean doing something else, sometimes you just have to take time stop, breathe, and stare into thin air. This kind of activity is very helpful, especially for the brain. 

• Avoid smoking

Research has confirmed that regular smoking causes dull mental performance. Therefore, you need to avoid any kind of tobacco because it not only causes brain inefficiency but also damages the brain.

• Improve your blood sugar

You can improve your blood sugar by eating right and having regular exercise. It is known that diabetes is an important risk factor for dementia hence you will need to improve your sugar levels to avoid any brain issues. In case your blood sugars are still high, seek medical attention to achieve good control of it.

• Take some time off

It is important to take time off your busy work schedule and rest your brain. If you are used to working every day don’t fear to fall behind but fear to lose your brain along the way. Taking time off improves brain functionality and makes a big difference in productivity. Also, have regular vacations to keep your brain in proper shape. 

• Drink water often 

Keeping the body busy causes it to become dehydrated which brings about brain shrinking from the sides of your skull. Drinking water improves your brain by increasing your blood flow and oxygen to the brain; which improves concentration, cognition, balances moods, emotions, reduces stress and headaches. 

• Avoid alcohol

Excessive drinking is one of the major risk factors for dementia. Dementia is a term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities. Excessive alcohol causes difficulty in walking, and blurred vision among others. Hence it is advisable to limit your drinking to at least two drinks a day to avoid brain damage.

• Care for your emotions

Most times people who get anxious, depressed, exhausted, or sleep-deprived tend to have a poor score on cognitive function tests. It is important to always balance your emotions and not let one override the other. Good mental health and restful sleep are important goals to keep your brain effective.

• Look out for your blood pressure

Having high blood pressure in your midlife increases your risk of cognitive decline in old age. To keep your pressure as low as possible ensure you use lifestyle modification. Remember to stay lean, exercise regularly, reduce stress, and limit your alcohol consumption. With this, you will be able to keep your brain as effectively as possible.

• Build social networks

Building strong social networks is associated with low dementia, low blood pressure, and longer life expectancy. It is important to interact with people because it challenges your memory and forces your brain to grow. 

More than anything else, we need to keep the brain as effectively as possible. Keeping your brain effective comes with a lot of hardships that you will take time to build. The best approach to this is to take one step at a time when giving your life a makeover. The trick is not in how fast you get your brain to be effective but how your brain will learn to adapt its new lifestyle.