1. Exercise
& get your body moving – exercising doesn’t just exercise the body, it also
helps to exercise your brain. Obesity
and the myriad of diseases that eventually set in as a result of being
overweight can cause serious harm to the brain.
Furthermore, without regular exercise plaque starts to build up in your
arteries and your blood vessels begin to lose the ability to effectively pump
blood. Plaque buildup leads to heart
attacks, but it also reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients that your blood
carries to your brain. When the
nutrients don’t make it there, the brain’s ability to function is
compromised. To prevent this from
happening, make sure you get moving every day, even if its just a brisk walk,
it’ll help you maintain and increase your mental acuity. Brisk walking ,
swimming and dancing are all excellent activities for Meditation Techniques.
.
2. Eliminate
stressors and seek help for depression (if you have it).Anything that causes
you major stress, like anger or anxiety, will in time begin to eat away at the
parts of your brain that are responsible for memory. Amongst the most brain-damaging stressors is
depression, which is actually often misdiagnosed a a memory problem since one
of its primary symptoms is the inability to concentrate. If you can’t concentrate, then you might feel
like you are constantly forgetting things. Depression increases the levels of
cortisol in your bloodstream, which elevates the cortisol levels in the
brain. Doctors have found that increased
cortisol diminishes certain areas of the brain, especially the hippocampus,
which is where short-term memories are stored.
Prolonged depression can thus destroy your brain’s ability to remember
anything new. Seek professional help to
combat your depression – your brain will thank you.
3. Get a
good night’s sleep and take naps. Getting a consistent 7 to 8 hours of sleep
each night will increase your memory. During sleep, the brain firms up memories
of recently acquired information and getting enough sleep will help you get
through the full spectrum of nocturnal cycles that are essential to optimal
brain and body functioning during the waking hours. Taking a nap throughout the day, especially
after learning something new, can also help you to retain those memories as
well as recharge your brain and keep it sharper longer.
4. Listen to
music. Research shows that certain types of music are very helpful in recalling
memories. Information that is learned
while listening to a particular song or collection can often be recalled by
thinking of the song or “playing” it mentally.
Songs and music can serve as cues for pulling up particular memories.
5. Feed your
brain. 50 to 60 percent of the brain’s overall weight is pure fat, which
is used to insulate its billions of
nerve cells. The better insulated a cell
is, the faster it can send messages and the quicker you will be thinking. This is precisely why parents are advised to
feed their young children whole milk and to restrict dieting – their brains’
need fat to grow and work properly.
Skimping on fats can be devastating even to the adult brain. Thus, eating foods that contain a healthy mix
of fats is vital for long-term memory.
Some excellent food choices include fish (especially anchovies, mackerel
and wild salmon) and dark leafy green vegetables. Deep-fried foods obviously contain fat, but
their lack of nutritional value is going to help your brain or your body, so
think healthy foods and fats.
6. Visual
concepts. In order to remember things, many people need to visualize the
information they are studying. Pay
attention to photographers, charts and other graphics that might appear in your
textbook, or if you’re not studying a book, try to pull up a mental image of
what it is you are trying to remember.
It might also help to draw your own charts or figures, or utilize colors
and highlighters to group related ideas in your notes.
7. Do
crossword puzzles, read, or play cards. Studies have shown that doing either of
these activities on a daily basis not only keep your brain active, but also
help to delay memory loss, especially in those who develop dementia. So pick up the daily newspaper and work on
that crossword puzzle, read a book, or enjoy a game of solitaire.
{Source: http://24x7meditation.blogspot.in/2014/12/7-ways-to-improve-brain-function.html}
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