Our brains, even in ordinary times, when we are swirling in a whirlpool of everyday problems, work tasks and personal experiences, need help — because we need to remember everything and not confuse anything. And what can we say about the post-COVID period! We tell you how, without making any special efforts, to regain clarity of thought.
One of the consequences of the coronavirus that many of us have experienced is brain fog. That is, confusion of thoughts, lethargy, lack of concentration — something that complicates our whole life: from performing household activities to professional tasks.
What methods and exercises will help the brain function in the same way as before the disease? How long will we have to fulfill them? Will the effect last until the end of life? Unfortunately, scientists do not yet have a clear answer on how to correct the situation.
Therefore, the recommendations remain the same: limit the amount of alcohol, avoid stress, sleep at least seven hours and engage in physical activity. Eat well, too—preferably a Mediterranean diet that includes brain-healthy fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and oils.
Can anything else be done? We suggest using the techniques by which we usually improve memory and attentiveness. In some ways, they seem too simple, but this is their main plus — you will help your brain without spending a lot of time and effort. And sometimes you can do it without being distracted from other things at all.
1. Expand your vocabulary
To do this, it is not at all necessary to learn English or French — just words in Russian. After all, we are constantly faced with unknown terms and speech patterns — when we go to exhibitions, read books, watch shows or just communicate with other people.
There are also special sites and applications that send “word of the day” every day. Try writing down new words in a notebook or phone: having learned their meaning, and even more so, starting to use them in our lives, we will make the brain work more actively.
2. Train your senses
- Hearing
Listening to audiobooks and podcasts, we, without knowing it, train our mindfulness. But that’s not all: the effect is enhanced if you listen to them during training. Of course, it may not be easy to get into the plot of War and Peace while doing push-ups, but you will definitely reach a new level in the art of concentration.
- Taste
Challenge your taste buds! If you are preparing a dish, pay more attention to your feelings during the test: what about its texture, how do the flavors combine? Even sitting in a cafe or at a party, you can easily play a restaurant critic — try to identify individual ingredients in a dish, guess the herbs and spices used.
3. Visualize
Usually, visualization is perceived only as a tool to achieve goals — the more we imagine what we want, the more likely it will become real. But it can also help develop cognitive abilities.
Imagine that you want to redecorate a room. Think about what exactly you want to get as a result: what kind of furniture will stand and where exactly? What color will the curtains be? What will change the most?
This mental sketch, which takes the place of writing in a diary or a real drawing, should help your brain — it trains the skills of planning and attention to detail.
Just doing it once is not enough: you need to regularly return to this visualization, checking if all the details are “in place”. And, perhaps, to change something, so that next time it would be a little more difficult to remember the new look of the room.
4. Play more
Sudoku, crossword puzzles, checkers and chess certainly keep our brain busy, but can get boring quickly. It’s good that there is an alternative:
- Board games
Each board game requires some effort and skill: for example, in Monopoly, you need to calculate the budget and plan your actions several steps ahead. In «Mafia» — be careful to count the masquerading criminal.
And there are several dozen types of such games that require improvisation, imagination and attention. You will easily find what you like.
- Computer Games
Harmful to posture, harmful to eyesight… But games sometimes bring benefits. Shooters and action-platformers such as Super Mario are extremely fast-paced. And so they require vigilance, attention to detail and quick response. And consequently, they develop in us all these qualities and abilities.
Don’t feel like shooting, wrestling or collecting items across the game’s locations? Then games in the spirit of Sims or Minecraft will suit you — without the skill of planning and developed logical thinking, you won’t be able to create a whole game world.
- Mobile Games
Board games need company, computer games need a lot of time. Therefore, if you don’t have either of these, games on your phone will suit you. And we are not talking about those applications in which you need to collect crystals of the same color in a row — although they are useful.
«94%», «Who is: puzzles and riddles», «Three words», «Philwords: find words from letters» — these and other puzzles will brighten up the time on the road to work and back, and at the same time «stir up» your convolutions.
5. Use hints
Lists in the diary, sticky notes on the mirror and refrigerator, reminders on the phone — these tools perform several functions at once.
Firstly, with their help you feel as collected as possible: you can buy milk, answer a letter to a client, and you won’t forget to meet friends.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, thanks to these tips, you get used to the routine of normal life, not quarantine. Remember your usual state when the brain is “boiling”, and do not let it be lazy further.