Give your brain constant stimulation and exertion to keep it healthy and active. GetSmarter, a specialist online training firm, offers these five tips to staying on top of your game.
1. Learn something new
Whether you sign up for a course, learn a new language or play a new board game, learning something new is vital for improving memory and brain activity. Challenge yourself to learn something brand new every week.
2. Break your routine
When you do repetitive routine tasks, your brain largely switches off. Keep your brain alert by deviating slightly from your routine: take a different route to work or have tea instead of coffee. This keeps your brain on its toes and helps to build long-term memories.
3. switch hands
The brain is divided into two halves. Doing a task like brushing your teeth or making breakfast with your non-dominant hand creates new links between the halves and stimulates the less-used connections in the non-dominant parts.
4. Doodle
Scientists have found that people who doodle while doing a repetitive or boring task actually retain more of it than those who simply daydream. Doodling prevents your brain from wandering, which means that it’s still focusing on what you’re doing.
5. Keep your body healthy
Did you know that the brain’s internal memory pathways start to break down over time, and getting plenty of sleep is one way to dramatically slow the process down? Sleep, physical exercise and plenty of water are the three vital components of a healthy brain.