7 Ways To Boost Brain Power

The brain is a very unique and important organ. Its ability to perform effectively is based on or determined by us through our various habits.

In one way, our habit can boost brain power and performance and in the other way, it can completely retard.

So how can we really accelerate our brain power? Here are seven helpful ways of doing so:

1. Do Your Most Difficult Task In The Morning.

Our brains work at their best when they are fresh and energized after a good night's sleep. If you have a task to do that requires a lot of thought and focus, then the best time to do that task would be first thing in the morning when your brain is at its freshest.

Throughout the day, you will find the amount of time you can focus on will fall. Your decision-making abilities will begin to weaken as the day progresses. This is called "decision fatigue" and that means the decision you make later in the day will not be as good as the decisions you made earlier in the day. It is far better to do your most difficult, creative task early, taking advantage of your brain's higher energy levels.

2. Get Enough Breaks

Our brains are not very good at maintaining concentration and focus for much more than an hour. Once you go beyond a certain number of time, doing focused work, you will find yourself making more and more mistakes. This is a sign your brain is tired and needs a break.

Taking the right kind of break is important. Switching from working on a complex spreadsheet to checking your social media feeds is not going to give your brain the right kind of break. Instead, get up from your desk and head outside. If that is not possible, go to the nearest window and look outside.

Your brain needs a break from the screen and not just a spreadsheet, so leave your phone behind so you won't be tempted to look at it and just savor the view.

3. Read Good Books, Not Social Media Feeds

There are no shortcuts to improved knowledge and you are certainly not going to improve your general knowledge about anything useful by reading social media feeds. Social media does not contribute to the effectiveness of the brain but dulls it. Spending a vast number of hours on them will only cause you to be lazy and reluctant. Instead, make reading books a regular habit.

When you read good quality books, you increase your ability to use the knowledge you learn to solve problems as your brain will apply the knowledge you learned to existing situations.

4. Exercise Regularly

Humans did not evolve to be stationary animals. You need to move. Our brains have evolved to function at their best when we are exercised. When we exercise, the amount of oxygen in our brain is increased and this helps to sharpen our brain's functions.

In studies, when a previously sedentary group of people began a light exercise program, their cognitive skills improved as well as reaction times and quantitative skills. 

This is why you are more likely to find the solution to a problem when you are walking somewhere or exercising rather than when you are sitting on a desk in front of a screen, scrolling up and down, giving much attention to brain-retarding feeds.

5. Get Enough Of The Right Food

You probably have experienced the afternoon slump at some point in your life. This is when you feel tired and fatigued in the mid-afternoon. This is a result of the carbohydrates you ate at lunchtime, stimulating your body to produce insulin which then causes a drop in your blood sugar level.

When you go into an afternoon slump, concentrating for long periods becomes almost impossible and you just want to curl up and go to sleep. To prevent this, try to eat a protein-rich lunch. Keep some healthy snacks such as mixed nuts and dried bananas around your workspace and when you feel a little peckish, eat a few of these. Don't forget to take milk too as it enriches the body and brain with vitamins needed to keep one going.

Having done all these, not only will you avoid the afternoon slump, but you will also improve your overall general health and feel a lot more energetic.

6. Drink Enough Water

The brain is made up of about 70% water, so without enough water, your brain will not function at its best. When you are not drinking enough water, you will find out that your ability to concentrate, make decisions, and stay alert will reduce. You will feel sleepy and lack energy. Your brain functions at its best when properly hydrated.

The solution to this is to keep a bottle of water close to you and sip regularly from it throughout the day. This will increase the number of trips you need to make to the bathroom which is a very good thing. It will keep you moving and taking regular breaks from devices or media.

7. Don't Deprive Yourself Of Sleep

Improve the functionality of your brain by getting enough sleep. Six to eight hours is usually enough for some people. So make sure you are hitting that number of hours per night as a minimum to boost the brain and help it perform effectively.