A Sharp Mind
People often forget that the brain is a muscle. And, like any muscle, it requires regular exercises and general maintenance to ensure it is functioning at its best. But ours has become a society of laziness and distractions. We numb our brain with constant input. And often neglect our mental health and brain training.
If you spent a month laying in bed not using your legs, they would start to weaken and walking would become challenging. The same thing happens with your brain. If you don’t engage in mental exercises regularly then your cognitive skills will start to deteriorate over the years. Our brains will naturally weaken as we get older. But you can stave that off for longer by training your brain regularly. Today we are going to be showing you a few different ways you can strengthen your mind.
Omega-3
Just like with the gym the amount of training you do is worthless if you aren’t providing your body with the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fuel it needs. And the same goes for your brain. What you eat and drink directly impacts your cognitive ability and your brain’s development.
Omega-3 is one of the best things you can take to improve your wellbeing. It has been proven to help develop brain cells. It increases neurotransmission which will improve your cognitive abilities overall. It also helps with development of the eyes and can help deal with symptoms of ADHD and other mental health issues such as bipolar disorder.
Omega-3 is most commonly found in seafood. Particularly oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. It is also found in various nuts, seeds, yoghurts, beans, and other fortified foods. Omega-3 supplements are also extremely effective. One Omega-3 supplement a day will make a huge difference in the long run.
Regular Puzzles
When you work out your arms you use heavy weight. When you work out your legs you go running. But how do you work out your brain? One of the most effective mental workouts is puzzles. Puzzles of all sorts are a tried and tested method of improving cognitive ability, logical thinking, and memory.
Every type of puzzle will affect your brain differently. A jigsaw puzzle, for example, will improve your spatial thinking. While the hurdle word game will engage your memory and creativity skills while also training your logical thinking. Riddles are a fantastic tool for improving creative thinking and problem solving at the same time.
There are hundreds of amazing puzzle game apps for mobile and available on web browsers. Buying a Nintendo 3DS is also a great option as there are a huge range of puzzle games available that will really help test your brain to its limits.
Journaling
People are quick to overlook the many advantages of journaling. But it has been proven that it is an excellent tool for managing your mental health while also keeping your mind sharp. When people suffer from issues such as depression or anxiety they often find their mind becomes clouded with too many thoughts. What they don’t realise is that, by writing these thoughts down in a journal, the brain will naturally start to calm down.
Our brains are complicated things. They often don’t want to let go of certain thoughts. But, the moment something is written down somewhere else, our subconscious realises that it no longer needs to hold onto that information. Since it is now stored externally. Journaling is also a great way to see your irrational thoughts for what they are. While we are thinning them we don’t see how irritational they truly are. But reading them on paper? You will very quickly start to see those thoughts aren’t as logical as they seem.
Journaling also helps improve your memory. Spending an hour every night trying to recall anything significant about the day will strengthen your mind. And regularly rereading your journal also helps strengthen your brain’s memory recollection.
Work Out Your Body
A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. This is something that a lot of people forget. You can’t have one without the other. So it is vitally important that you are getting regular exercise. This doesn’t have to be anything too intense either. Something as simple as going to the gym twice a week, or going for a run a few times a week, is enough to help keep your brain healthy.
This is also one of the best ways to help deal with mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, and depression. The chemicals released from physical exercise are potent mood stabilizers and can work wonders.
I’m Dr Justin Boey, an Aesthetic Doctor in Singapore. I believe in open sharing of knowledge and skills to patients, blog readers and fellow doctors alike.
