8 Lifestyle Tips to Make Your Brain Healthier

A healthy brain functions differently from an unhealthy one; this has an impact on thinking, focus, reasoning, and even intelligence. Thus, our main aim should be to achieve a state of wellness for our brain. To find out if your brain is healthy, answer the following questions. Do you have a hard time concentrating on tasks? Do you move from project to project without actually completing any? Do you have a rough time remembering things or getting organized? Do you feel down more often than good? If you answered yes to any one of these questions, it could indicate that your brain may not be as healthy as you think. However, the following lifestyle changes will ensure you have a healthy brain:

1. Engage in Physical Activity:
Set an achievable daily exercise goal. An exercise should be done for approximately fifteen minutes each day. Examples include dancing, walking, swimming, running, hiking, biking, and any other similar sports activities that will get your heart beating faster. This increase in heart rate results in more blood being pumped directly into the brain, which is essential as the brain is fed by oxygen and nutrients that help produce new brain cells.

2. Eat a Balanced Diet:
Your diet should include vegetables (especially leafy green ones), tomatoes (which contain the antioxidant lycopene), broccoli (which improve brain power), proteins, dairy, grains, fish (such as tuna, salmon, sardines and herring, which all contain omega-3 fatty acids), whole grains (such as brown bread and oat cereals, which supply the brain with a constant flow of energy by slowly releasing glucose in the bloodstream to keep the brain alert throughout the day), oils (such as linseed oil, walnut oil, and soya bean oil), fruits (such as blueberries, which help delay short term memory loss), and seeds (such as pumpkin seeds, which contain zinc and promote memory enhancement and thinking capacity.

3. Reduce Stress:
Stress affects the brain negatively, so learn ways to properly de-stress. One way to do this is by getting enough sleep every night.

4. Men­tally Stimulate the Brain:
Crossword puzzles, chess, and mazes are an enjoyable activity that also promotes brain health, as they challenge and stimulate various areas within the brain. Games like chess help stimulate the thought process. Finding time to meditate, do yoga, or engage in similar physical activities can help stimulate the brain while helping you relax. Try to develop multiple skills and acquire varied interests.

5. Learn a New Skill:
A new skill can be self-taught or learned through an educational course. If you are unable to attend college, try learning skills through the internet so as to improve overall brain function. Some practical possibilities include learning a new language, taking a cooking class, or learning some basic plumbing.

6. Socialization:
Socialization provides an opportunity for communication, creativity, and emotional bonding. It helps shape your identity and allows you to engage in a sharing of experiences with friends, while learning, challenging, and engaging in new interests with friends.

7. Quit Smoking and Drinking:
Drugs (including alcohol) and cigarettes alter your mood and emotions, and can severely decrease brain functioning and reduce focus and memory.

8. Set Financial Goals:
Having a well-developed financial plan to keep track of expenses and incomes can stimulate the brain’s organizational function, which also indicates control over your financial situation.

In conclusion, strengthening your brain functions requires concentration, attention, language skills, visual stimulation, and reasoning, but living a lifestyle that promotes brain health is absolutely possible.