Boost Your Brainpower: Simple Ways to Improve Mental Performance
Do you fight at school? Do you need a boost for your brain? Despair no more; We’ve rounded up some great ways to support your mental performance that you can start doing today! Each method is super simple, so you can try them out with very little preparation.
take a nap
A short break during the day can really help your memory and productivity. This is true even for naps of less than 10 minutes, and if you’re not tired! It is very common for entire offices in East Asia to take a 20-minute nap during lunch and then come back raring to go. Keep in mind to keep naps under 30 minutes, as something else could cause sleep inertia that could be counterproductive to your cognitive performance.
Almost anyone’s mental performance can benefit from a short sleep, regardless of any other techniques or methods they may be using to aid cognition. And it’s super easy to try: just find a comfortable position, lay your head back, and close your eyes (use a sleep mask and earplugs for peace of mind). Hopefully you’ll fall asleep pretty quickly, but if you don’t, fear not! Sensory deprivation will still work to rejuvenate your brain.
And, if you have trouble falling asleep at night, try some mindfulness techniques. Focus on your breathing and taking long, unhurried breaths. More on mindfulness later in the article!
Eat well
Overdosing on sugary foods can affect cognition. This is because higher levels of fat and sugar in the blood have been found to be detrimental to cognition. Additionally, an Australian study[2] on the impact of fat and sugar on cognition concluded that unhealthy foods also harm mental performance. So if you want a brain boost, stay away from sugary foods! However, this can be a bit tricky. It’s so easy to grab a candy bar instead of taking the time to prepare a healthy meal. The key is to find equally convenient foods that are low in sugar, that you still enjoy eating. Fruits like apples and bananas are great choices. If you like to eat raw vegetables (like celery) then those are even better. Get chewing!
do some exercise
Regular exercise is another easy, healthy way to support cognition according to a UCLA meta-study[2]. A short workout will improve your mood, cognition, and overall physical health, as well as stimulate your brain and help it produce new brain cells. Something as simple as a few sit-ups, push-ups, or jogging on the spot can help. In fact, any exercise that gets your heart rate up for 8-10 minutes, done daily, will help both the body and the mind.
Meditation and mindfulness
There are some super quick and easy mindfulness techniques you can try that will help you relax and energize your mind. Our favorite is the following: Close your eyes, breathe gently and slowly and count to the number 10. Inhale and as you inhale count ‘1’. Then exhale. Inhale, count to 2, and then exhale. Repeat this and focus on your breath. Make sure it’s slow and measured for best effect. As you reach breaths 5 or 6, your breaths should be nice and slow, giving you something really concrete to focus on. This will help you clear your mind. Focusing on your breath as you count (and not thinking about other things!) goes a long way toward banishing worrying thoughts and helping to refresh your brain. There are many more techniques out there, but it is suggested that even short periods of meditation can help cognition remarkably.
Apps or games to train your brain
In recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of apps, games, and brain training programs that you can take with you. As smartphones have become ubiquitous, it’s easy to spend an hour a day fiddling with your phone to procrastinate. Why not replace your regular game with a brain training app, which could help you strengthen your mind while gaming? On top of that, if you’re a fan of puzzles, why not try sudoku or a crossword puzzle? You can take the time to see how much you improve from week to week!
conclusion
We really hope this article has helped! There are many ways to improve your mental performance, these are just a few of the quickest and easiest we could find. If you follow these techniques consistently, you will definitely see an improvement in your cognition and performance.
References:
1 = Gomez-Pinilla & Hillman, 2013. ‘The influence of exercise on cognitive abilities’. Comprehensive Physiology, January 2013. 3(1), p. 403-428. Viewed online: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555146/
2 = Beilharz et al, 2015. ‘Diet-induced cognitive deficits: the role of fat and sugar, potential mechanisms, and nutritional interventions.’ nutrients, August 2015. 7(8), p. 6719-6738. Online access: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951958/