Brain health is often ignored even among the health and wellness conscious bunch. We take heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, and even skin health into consideration but forget about the CPU of the human body which is the brain. It is the most complicated organ that performs the most important functions in our entire body. So this World Brain Day, we thought about letting you in on some simple practices that can promote brain functions and keep it healthy and functioning optimally.
Play brain games
One of the easiest ways to challenge your brain is by playing mentally-stimulating games. These are games that put your brain to work. They can challenge your brain to do something different and escalate brain fitness. Puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, Find the difference, are just some of the games that can help sharpen your brain functions.
Read something different
People tend to have a favourite genre that they like sticking to – be it fantasy, informative, romance, or thriller. Reading books can be great therapy for your mind. It helps unwind and engage the brain. To exercise your brain a little more, read something different from what you usually do. For example, if you are fond of reading fiction novels, try reading history books to feed something different to your brain. Doing this regularly can serve as a brain workout.
Also Read: What Does Reading Do To Your Brain? Expert Answers
Consume a brain-healthy diet
Your brain needs a healthy diet too and that should consist of healthy fats. Vegetarians must add walnuts, olive oil, and flax seeds to their diet whereas non-vegetarians can have salmon, tuna, and other fatty fishes to feed their brains. However, avoid unhealthy trans fats.
Reduce screen time
Reducing screen time and involvement in more physical activities improve brain health. However, since laptops and tablets have become integral parts of a lot of people’s lives, it is not easy to refrain. What you can do instead is avoid watching television while at home. For better results, try to avoid using all kinds of screens for at least 10-12 hours(including sleep hours). Spend those hours playing board games and exercising.
Also Read: 8 Ways To Exercise Your Brain To Improve Cognition
Develop new skills
Your brain is responsible for all the creativity, memory, and motor skills. It works normally but to make your mind function extraordinarily, you should introduce new skills. This should involve activities that are unusual and exciting. For example, making something out of scratch, DIY arts and crafts, or something that you don’t do frequently like cooking a new cuisine. These new skills will help your brain to make space for new learnings.
Changes in routine
If you are habitual and follow a specific routine, change it. This is not easy but that is what makes your brain powerful. From changing your usual routes to a place, changing placements in your room to using your secondary hand for doing some of your chores, there are many ways to make your brain work harder.
Also Read: Playing Board Games Would Make You Mentally Sharp Says Research
Meditation
Meditation is the key for overall wellness and it also supports your brain health. Meditating daily helps in opening up the nerves and activating brain cells to increase its productivity. You land into a different mental state, which can make the brain feel healthy and calm.
Image credits- freepik
