7 Simple Things You Can Do to Make Your Brain Smarter
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What can you do to make your brain work better, especially as you age? Science has a lot to say on this topic. Here’s a list of some things you can do right now, after you finish reading this article (in itself a brain exercise):
1 . Stop multi-tasking – it’s actually impossible for your brain to fully multitask, as show a number of studies, according to neuroscientist Daniel Levitin. If you do a number things at once, your brain will not keep them all fully in its attention. Instead, it will focus on one thing at a time, giving it a little bit of attention before moving on to another thing and so on. Multitasking will “fractionate” your concentration, deplete your neural resources, tire you out, and you probably won’t get any of those things done as well as if you just paid attention to them one at a time.
2 . Read a book – not only is it a no-brainer that reading can increase your fluid and emotional intelligence, researchers also found that reading creates new white matter in the brain, which helps system-wide communication. This aids the brain in processing information with more efficiency.
3 . Meditate – recent studies demonstrate that meditation not only relieves stress but actually changes your brain. And the kind of meditation you practice affects the kind of changes your brain experiences.
4 . Exercise – research shows that exercsing at least twice a week can make your brain work better and prevent dementia, especially if you are older.
5 . Playchess – studies show that chess players have improved pattern recognition, use both sides of the brain to make decisions and the brains of top players exhibit neural efficiency. Chess is also good for improving your memory skills as the game forces you to keep a lot of variables and possibilities in mind at all times.
6 . Think positively – learning to think positively can literally rewire your brain. Scientists proved that if you consciously alter your thought processes through practices like mindfulness, you can make your brain shift from right-side thinking to the left. You will also be less anxious, have more energy and be happier overall.
7. Get some sleep – numerous studies showed how the lack of sleep can lead to a host of illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, depression and trigger seizures. It will also negatively affect your memory and thinking. Not getting enough shut-eye can also lead to crucial mistakes. You will have “cognitive lapses,” says Dr. Fried, whose study demonstrated that neurons can’t function properly if you don’t sleep well.
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