«Mental Gym»: 6 exercises to train the brain

To keep the body in order, we need to eat right, lead an active lifestyle and get enough sleep. It’s the same with the brain—lifestyle and consistently making the right decisions are more important than episodic, albeit powerful, efforts. For maximum protection of your cognitive functions, you need to include exercises that promote mental health in your daily life.

Our mind is active: it is constantly changing and evolving. The actions we take either train the brain or exhaust it. Neural connections are strengthened by a set of measures or “brain trainers” that prevent cognitive decline.

A mentally healthy mind copes better with stress, is more resilient, and better protected from age-related or disease-related cognitive decline. To preserve his youth, you need to train concentration, memory and perception.

There are countless brain training programs on the Internet today. But the most effective programs are available to everyone — talking about creativity, social interaction, learning new things and meditation.

Six «trainers for the brain»

1. Get creative

Creativity is about solving problems and achieving goals based on intuition rather than specific instructions. Drawing, needlework, writing or dancing are all creative activities that are extremely beneficial for the brain.

They improve our ability to perceive things from different angles or think of several ideas at once. Cognitive flexibility makes us more resilient to stress and helps us find effective solutions even in difficult situations.

2. Learn new things

When we learn something new or try something we haven’t done before, our minds have to solve these problems in new, unfamiliar ways. Learning new skills, even at a later age, improves memory and speech.

Learning can include reading, listening to podcasts, or taking online courses. It is helpful to learn a new sport, play a musical instrument or a new craft.

3. Welcome to boredom!

We don’t like to be bored. And therefore we underestimate the useful role of this state. Nevertheless, the ability to be bored “correctly” strengthens the ability to focus and concentrate.

Being addicted to gadgets, social networks and addiction to bad habits — all these forms of activity mentally drain us. Allowing ourselves a break in the classroom, putting down the smartphone, we allow the mind to rest, and therefore strengthen.

4. Meditate daily

Meditation is the training of disordered consciousness, it is the path from thought to action through emotion. With the help of concentration, you can influence the mental and mental state.

Research shows that meditation significantly strengthens our mental powers, improves memory, and promotes emotional regulation. Meditation enhances awareness and the capacity for empathy and compassion. By meditating, we help the brain to stay younger, save it from a significant part of age-related changes.

Just 10 minutes of meditation a day can strengthen brain activity, and it’s not too late to learn the practice even in old age, if the depression of cognitive abilities has already begun. Proven¹that two weeks of practice is enough to improve attention by 16%.

5. Be kind

Acting according to conscience and upholding moral principles is not only right, but also good for mental health and happiness levels. Kindness is a kind of muscle that strengthens our entire being when we use it.

Stanford studies have shown²that kindness to others improves brain function and reduces stress. When we harm others, steal, cheat, lie, or gossip, we reinforce negative tendencies in our minds. And this is bad for us.

When the well-being of others becomes a priority, we feel the meaning of life.

In addition, acts of kindness release chemicals in the brain that reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

6. Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep

The body and mind are connected, and they need proper nutrition, physical activity and healthy sleep. The «mental gym» will not be effective without a combination of all the components.

Scientists from Rutgers University have found³that the symptoms of depression are effectively combated by cardio training, alternating with meditation. For eight weeks, the researchers followed two groups of students with depression. Those who did 30 minutes of cardio + 30 minutes of meditation experienced a 40% reduction in depressive symptoms.

“It used to be known that aerobic exercise and meditation were good in fighting depression on their own,” says study author Professor Tracey Shores. “But the results of our experiment show that it is the combination of them that produces a striking improvement.”

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids supports cognitive function, while saturated fat causes neurological dysfunction. Exercise improves memory and stimulates the growth of the hippocampus. And sleep is one of the most important processes, it helps to restore and strengthen brain function.

Checklist for the day

To make it easier to keep track of how your brain is exercising, make a checklist for yourself and refer to it. Here’s what a list of activities «for the head» might look like:

• Get enough sleep. Sleep in the dark and cool perfectly restores strength;
• Meditate;
• Engage in any physical activity that brings joy;
• Do not skip meals;
• Learn something new;
• Do not fill every pause with gadgets;
• Do something creative
• Being kind to others during the day;
• Communicate meaningfully;
• Go to bed on time.

A healthy mental training plan is in tune with a healthy lifestyle in general. Spend your days with the benefit of your health, and you will notice great results very soon.

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, it takes effort to get in shape. But this investment pays off: sticking to a healthy lifestyle becomes easier and more enjoyable over time! Every little choice we make to become healthier and wiser strengthens us on the path to making better decisions in the future.

^1. More details at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053810010000681

^2. More details at: http://ccare.stanford.edu/education/about-compassion-training/